Craft Cruises Instructors
Carol Bauer
The bead bug bit Carol Bauer at the tender age of 12 when she was given a small beading loom. As an adult Carol continues her love affair with beads and jewelry. She has worked with metal clay (PMC), polymer clay, fused glass, copper enameling and, of course, beads.
Beads of all types are Carol's first love when it comes to artistry and she uses them to create personal adornment and to decorative objects of all sorts. Carol Bauer co-founded the Willamette Valley Bead Artists Guild, has exhibited in various art shows and has been teaching bead weaving for over 12 years.
Carol loves cruising and cruises as often as her busy schedule allows. Carol feels cruising is truly the best way to travel.
Carol lives in the Pacific Northwest in Olympia, Washington.
Cynthia LeCount
Cynthia LeCount is a specialist in festival costumes, traditional clothing and handmade textiles of
Cynthia LeCount loves sharing her knowledge and enthusiastically shares her expertise with all who are interested. She is an amazing person who is passionate about the traditional textiles of exotic cultures in far away destinations.
Cynthia LeCount has traveled to 48 countries and counting—as she documents people wearing, using or making indigenous costume and typical garments. Cruising is new to Cynthia but she is really looking forward to sharing her knowledge over the course of this sailing.
Joan McGowan-Michael
Joan McGowan-Michael creates romantic knitwear with special consideration for a wide range of sizes from petite to plus. As a knitwear designer and instructor, Joan is dedicated to the concept that large is just as lovely as little and focuses on styles that show off your shape while remaining comfortable and flattering.
Joan lives in Northern California with her husband, son and three demanding cats. She is a seasoned traveler and loves every aspect of the cruise vacation experience and the luxury of shipboard living. Joan feels the longer the cruise the better!
Joan Schrouder
Joan Schrouder enjoys teaching knitters to reason out solutions. Intriguing construction details, seamless knitting and ethnic styles fascinate her.
Joan is a retired registered nurse who has a passion for knitting and people. Joan is very personable and has a large following of knitters and friends who enjoy the shared travel experience. This will be Joan's third cruise with Craft Cruises and her second to Canada and New England.
Given Joan's classes sell out quickly at national conventions, this unique opportunity to cruise with her will not only be educationally rewarding but will be a lot of fun. Joan is interesting, loves cruising and knows these ports well.
Joan is a native Oregonian who lives in Eugene and has two adult sons.
Joyce Renee Wyatt
“She seeketh wool, and flax, and worketh willingly with her hands”. Prov. 31:13.
Joyce learned how to knit and crochet at the age of nine. Joyce loves to adapt knitting techniques, and introduce them to those who crochet. Her motto, “Why should knitters have all the fun? If I can knit it, I will figure out a way to crochet it!”
Joyce always says, “God has blessed me with the gifts of knitting and crochet”, and these are gifts she enjoy sharing with others.
Joyce lives in Los Angeles, CA.
Lily Chin
This will be Lily Chin's fourth Craft Cruise. Lily Chin is an internationally famous knitter and crocheter who has worked in the yarn industry for nearly 25 years. Lily Chin is a very popular designer, instructor, and author. Lily Chin recently launched her own line of yarn known as The Lily Chin Signature Collection.
Lily Chin loves to cruise and share her expertise and love of fiber with others. Lily has an amazing built in yarn radar so is very to shop with in port.
Lily Chin lives in New York city with her husband.
Mary Beth Gower
Craft guru and artist, this Pocono Mountain native has been beading, knitting, tole painting, quilting and creating beautiful landscape gardens for many years. Several years when beaded evening bags became the craze, she shifted her interest in beading into high gear and has mastered even the most difficult beading techniques.
Mary Beth is not only an amazing bead artist but she has the ability to teach others to pick up the needle and thread and become beadweavers themselves. Mary Beth can teach beginners how to become creative beading artists.
Mary Beth's love for the craft and her knowledge of this destination combined will make this one of our most memorable cruises ever. Mary Beth has been visiting Bermuda just about every year since 1987 making her an expert on this island paradise. Mary Beth is excited to share her love of this island with you.
Nancy J. Thomas
Nancy J. Thomas is currently the VP of Creative Services for Tahki Stacy Charles Yarns and a trip leader for Behind the Scenes Adventures. Her almost lifelong interest in needle arts is evident in her endeavor to promote crafts. To stay in touch with the end consumer, Nancy attends seminars, workshops and conventions throughout the United States and Canada, as well as teaching needlecrafts on many levels. Aware of the importance of visibility for needlecrafts, she was the co-chairperson for New York City’s Knit Out & Crochet Too events sponsored by The Craft Yarn Council of America for over 5 years.
Nancy also has moderated numerous panel discussions and fashion shows and hosted events of Knitter’s Magazine’s "Stitches" conventions held in various venues around the United States.
Nancy J. Thomas lives in New York City.