Reservations 877·97·CRAFT  (877·972·7238)

Craft Cruises™ Instructors

Alissa Barton

Knitting and Cruising are two of Alissa Barton’s favorite activities. Alissa loves getting away from everyday distractions, exploring new places, and meeting new friends.  Combining the two is what Alissa considers the ultimate escape.

 

Alissa resides in Grand Prairie, Texas with her husband Brad, two children Alex and Meagan, and three year old grandson Corridon.  In addition Alissa shares her home with four large mutts, three cats and three Ball Pythons. 


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Andre de Castro

André de Castro is a brilliant knitter and knitwear designer who is highly inspirational and very professional. André incorporates different styles of knitting to create beautiful masterpieces. André's most recent passion is what he refers to as Lace by Music. Lace by Music involves intertwining different lace styles from places such as Estonia, Shetland, and Russia to create rhythmic patterns that are uniquely beautiful. André is passionate about traveling the world, meeting other knitters, and sharing his vast knowledge with those who share his passion. André is looking forward to having you join him on his next adventure on a knitting cruise with Craft Cruises.

 

André de Castro lives in the beautiful city of Porto, Portugal, with his partner.


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Ann Budd

Ann Budd is a master knitter who is a freelance editor, author, designer and instructor. Ann loves to share her knowledge so others can find greater enjoyment in their knitting. Ann Budd is well known in the knitting world because she has worked as a book editor, managing editor or Interweave Knits magazine and has authored and co-authored many popular knitting books.


Ann Budd lives in Boulder, Colorado, with her husband in their soon-to-be empty nest.


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Anna Zilboorg

Anna Zilboorg is an Episcopalian, solitarily living in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia. Anna Zilboorg's love of knitting and knitters drives her into the world to teach. Anna Zilboorg has written several books including Fancy Feet, Socks for Sandals and Clogs, 45 Hats, Magnificent Mittens, and - Anna's best book-- Knitting for Anarchists.


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Anne Berk

Anne Berk is a certified Knitting Guild of America Master Knitter who is most known for her popular book Annetarsia and her instructional DVD Inside Intarsia by Interweave Press. Anne Berk's expertise as a knitting instructor and stash enabler ensures you'll have a great cruising with her.


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Barry Klein

Barry Klein is the owner of Trendsetter Yarns and is one of the biggest sensations in the knitting world. Barry Klein has been named one of the top 10 most influential men in the world of knitting right along with such multi-talented knitters as Kaffe Fassett and Eugene Bourgeois. Barry Klein is creative, innovative and fun. His fiber creations are inventive and diverse making Trendsetter a world leader in the fashion yarn industry.

Barry Klein is a passionate world traveler who will inspire you every moment of your journey with Craft Cruises. Barry has traveled Europe extensively and loves cruising. Barry has taught on over 30 cruises specializing in all types of cruise crafts.

Barry Klein resides in Tarzana, California.


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Beth Brown-Reinsel

Beth Brown-Reinsel has been involved in many facets of the fiber arts industry and loves cruising the world. Although Beth is a spinner, basket weaver, dyer, knitter, business owner, author, and knitwear designer, teaching is her passion.


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Bobbi Daniels

Bobbi Daniels is an outgoing and inspirational fiber artists who runs Raven Frog Fiber producing hand spun and hand dyed yarns in Alaska. Join Craft Cruises and Bobbi Daniels on a knitting or spinning cruise or visit her for dying demonstrations while taking one of our Alaska cruises.


Bobbi Daniels lives in Sitka, Alaska with her husband Clint, a very old Giant Schnauzer, two very opinionated cockatiels and a few lovely French angora rabbits. They have three grown sons and two granddaughters.


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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.


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Carol Feller

Carol is a popular knitwear designer who is based in Southern Ireland. Carol Feller grew up knitting and is both an artist and structural engineer. Carol is most known for her contemporary Irish knits where she celebrates the Irish countryside through well-shaped and flattering knitting patterns. Carol lives in Cork with her husband, four sons and two big dogs.


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Cheryl Brunette

Cheryl Brunette believes that there is nothing you can’t figure out when it comes to knitting. She has been a fiber enthusiast and local knitting sensation for over 60 years, and though she doesn’t know everything there is to know about knitting, she continues to learn along the way.


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Chris Bylsma

In her teaching role, Chris'reward is when the "light bulb" goes off and knitters learn to discover and trust their own creativity. In her workshops, she encourages knitters to color outside the lines - where it's more fun! Chris firmly believes that knitting is not construction. Knitters should explore and make mistakes, feel free to change their minds and most of all, enjoy what they are doing.


Chris lives in Madison, Wisconsin with her husband, Charlie.



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Chrissie Day

Why cruise with Chrissie Day? Because you will laugh a lot, learn a lot, in fact you will learn more than is written down in the class descriptions because she believes in an open book approach. Chrissie combines traditional techniques with an innovative and creative twist.


Chrissie Day, known for her innovative knitwear designs, can be found in all the most popular British knitting magazines and journals. She uses felt and embroidery to create very unique one of a kind pieces. Chrissie is a writer with five titles to date on knitting, crochet; wire jewelery and felting. Her functional fashion accessories fuse her distinctive style with fine design techniques that ensure they are unique. Chrissie Day's striking knitted felt bags and slippers/shoes are sold as kits in many areas of the world.


Chrissie Day resides in rural England with her darling husband who is getting to understand all things yarny


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Cynthia LeCount Samake

Cynthia LeCount Samake is a specialist in festival costumes, traditional clothing and handmade textiles of Bolivia and Peru. Cynthia operates her own adventure travel company specializing in "Arts and Festival Tours" for small groups to South America.


Cynthia LeCount Samake 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 Samake lives in El Sobrante, CA


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Deborah Newton

Deborah Newton has been a professional designer of knitted garments, accessories and fabrics for over 30 years. Deborah loves to teach the many tips and tricks she has learned over the years. There is nothing about knitting she has not tried, and she loves to share her experience with knitters. She enjoys presenting the special things that make knitting more fun and rewarding as well as her topics such as lace, color knitting, finishing sweaters in a beautiful way, and more. Deborah Newton’s students say regularly she helps them by teaching them specific skills as well as inspire them see knitting in a new personal way!


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Donna Druchunas

Donna is a fun and dynamic teacher who loves spending time with other knitters. Donna’s passions are traveling and sharing knitting knowledge while visiting new landscapes and learning about interesting cultures.


Donna Druchunas is inspired by ethnic knitting both within the United States and abroad. Donna likes to emphasize a basic understanding of traditional knitting techniques so we, like our ancestors, can discover the joy and satisfaction of knitting without patterns.


Donna's books on Ethnic Exploration and Discovery as well as her book on ethnic knitting in Alaska "Arctic Lace" are packed full of traditional knitting techniques and patterns to help you love and enjoy knitting as much as she does.


Donna lives in Longmont, Colorado.


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Drew Emborsky

Award winning master crocheter Drew Emborsky, aka The Crochet Dude® has quickly established himself as one of the hardest working success stories in the industry today. Drew's quirky title as "The Crochet Dude" and his kitschy tongue-in-cheek designs have propelled him from a young, unknown fiber artist to the cutting edge of the fiber design world. His books, tv show, line of products, and online fan-base continue to grow and flourish making him a much sought after instructor.


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Edie Eckman

Edie loves to share her knowledge of knitting and crochet techniques with students, helping them read their stitches in order to become independent-thinking knitters and crocheters. She has a lot of knowledge to share, because she wears many hats in the fiber arts world, as teacher, designer, author, editor and technical editor. She considers herself fully bi-textural and likes to serve as a Knit-Crochet Diplomat, easing the schism that can exist between the two disciplines. Edie is the author of a number of books (see list below). Onboard, she's always up for a yoga session or a game of ping-pong.


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Galina Khmeleva

Galina Khmeleva mission, passion and obsession in life is to prevent the art of Orenburg lace knitting from going extinct. Galina is one of the world's leading lace knitting experts and Orenburg lace historians. Galina Khmeleva is blessed with an incredibly engaging personality and infectious sense of humor. Cruisers will undoubtedly enjoy cruising with her and will be inspired by her in depth knowledge of knitting.


When not on the road, Galina resides in beautiful Fort Collins, Colorado with her husband George and their two beloved cats, Mooka and Sasha.


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Gayle Roehm

Gayle Roehm is widely known for her expertise in Japanese knitting, and she has taught many knitters how to knit from Japanese patterns. The classes during the cruise will focus on developing an understanding of Japanese hand knitting, preparing the knitter to use Japanese books and magazines which are available throughout Asia.


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Ginger Luters

Ginger Luters is a California-based designer of knitted wearable art and a nationally known creative knitting teacher. She has an MA in Fine Art and taught knitting, weaving, and design classes at Saddleback College in southern California for 12 years. The author of the book, Module Magic, which focuses on the unusual designs and construction techniques for which she is known, Ginger designs for several knitting magazines and yarn companies.


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Gwen Bortner

Gwen Bortner is a Craft Yarn Council Certified Teacher and has been published in a variety of knitting magazines. Gwen Bortner has been professionally teaching and speaking since 1986 and became a recognized name at many national venues starting in 2003. Gwen loves knitting and cruising.


When not traveling, Gwen lives in Merced, CA with her husband Arlis.


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Hazel Tindall

Hazel Tindall has been knitting for over 50 years and has developed a very efficient knitting technique which has gained her the title of ‘The World’s Fastest Knitter’. Hazel resides in Shetland, the most northerly group of Scottish Islands.  Hazel grew up in Shetland where she was inspired daily by knitters who knit quickly and to a very high standard since this was the only means of income. Shetland has a thriving knitting and weaving industry. Both Fair Isle and fine Shetland lace were prestigious products that made the knitters of this region renowned.


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Janet Szabo

Janet Szabo is a nationally-known knitting designer, author, and teacher. Her designs have been featured in Cast-On, Knitter's Magazine, The Complete Knitting Collection, and Knitting NOW.


She has appeared as a guest on the DIY Network show Knitty Gritty and has taught at workshops and conferences around the country.


Janet Szabo is also the editor and publisher of Twists and Turns: The Newsletter for Lovers of Cable Knitting.


Janet lives in northwest Montana with her husband and two daughters.


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Janette Budge

Native Shetlander Janette Budge is passionate about the living tradition of knitting nurtured over centuries in her islands. She learned to knit when she was six.

 

Janette works as a knitting tutor and designer, focusing on Fair Isle colorwork and traditional techniques, including the knitting belt. She volunteers with Shetland Peerie Makkers, a Shetland-based nonprofit that teaches schoolchildren to knit traditionally, filling a void now left in the school curriculum by budget cuts.

 

Janette Budge lives on the island of Shetland, 110 miles north of the mainland of Scotland. She lives with her husband, two teenage daughters, and two middle-aged cats.


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Jared Flood

Jared Flood is a New York-based knitwear designer passionate about traditional handknitting techniques and education.  He specializes in courses on seamless garment design and construction, as well as traditional Lace & Colorwork technique and design.  


Jared spends a good deal of his time traveling to teach both nationally and internationally and loves the excitement that travel brings: meeting new people, seeing new places, and most of all bringing knitters to new levels of understanding in their work.



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JC Briar

A self-confessed "technique freak" and "skill junkie", JC Briar dabbles in all kinds of knitting, but has a special fondness for textured knitting and novel construction techniques.

If it involves lace, cables, or seamless construction, it's sure to catch her eye. She shares her enthusiasm by teaching at shops and fiber festivals, and online through Needlecraft University.

Regardless of the topic, JC Briar aims to build confidence by expressing concepts clearly and concisely, and by presenting skills and ideas in a digestible progression.

JC Briar lives in Corvallis, OR.


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Jenny King

Jenny King is Australia's most innovative and amazingly diverse crochet designer. Crochet is her passion. She has been extremely lucky to have made her obsession her profession. Her work ranges from glamorous one-off runway fashions to soft felted dreadlock dolls. With bags, jewelry, baby wear, quirky Australian animals and botanically correct crochet native flowers in between.


Jenny's classes are a real treat because she delights in teaching the rules and also teaching how to break them to get the best results. Jenny is forever pushing the boundaries of crochet and lets the yarn tell her what it wants to be - and it does.


Jenny lives in Queensland, Australia with her husband and 3 adult boomerang children. Boomerang means that they leave and then come back and leave and come back.


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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!


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Joan Schrouder

Joan Schrouder has been teaching knitting since the mid seventies. She teaches classes at conventions such as Stitches and TKGA, plus travels the country teaching for guilds and yarn shops. Joan's classes often sell out months in advance.


Joan also answers technique questions on various internet knitting lists, and her designs have been featured in numerous knitting magazines and has designed for many yarn companies.


Joan is a native Oregonian who lives in Eugene with her husband; she has two adult sons.



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Joyce Renee Wyatt

Joyce is a very skillful knitter, crocheter, designer and teacher who has won many awards. She designs for yarn companies and has seen many of her designs and articles published in national magazines. Her most recent designs were featured on the front cover of TKGA's Fall 2001 Cast On Magazine. Two of her children sweaters were published in National Magazines. Two of her children sweaters were published by XRX, Inc. in the "Kids, Kids, Kids" book.


Joyce resides in Los Angeles, California.

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Judith Durant

Longtime knitter Judith Durant, a founding editor of Interweave Knits magazine, is passionate about knitting and sharing what she's learned. She has authored a number of knitting books and edits the best-selling One-Skein Wonders series. She regularly teaches classes based on her books at national venues.


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Judy and Peter Laszcz

Judy and Pete met in San Diego and traveled the world together while Pete was serving in the U.S. Navy.   Over the next 30+ years, they moved over 17 times, living in 7 states while visiting over 55 countries and all 50 states.  Pete and Judy also spent 2 years living in Japan and became quite familiar with Asia and the Orient.

 

Pete was an Aircraft Maintenance Officer in the Navy and spent all his sea time aboard aircraft carriers.   His longest number of consecutive sea days was 93, during the first Gulf War.  His US Navy cruises averaged 200 days with many, many shorter “cruises.”   Pete is a certified Civilian Flight Instructor and spent a few years as an amateur bicycle racer.  He spends most of his time traveling with Judy and writing about their adventures in his blog www.theinsidecabin.com

 

Judy worked as a photographer shooting everything from Weddings, Catalogs and spent time as photo journalist for the Navy newspaper in Japan and as the Photographer for the US Airforce Jazz Band, “The Airman of Note”, where she was credited with the cover photographer for several of the bands CD Covers.   

 

Late in his Navy career Pete and Judy discovered civilian cruising – and they loved it from their very first Alaska cruise in 1998.  They have completed over 20 cruises since with the most recent being the Grand World Voyage on the MS Amsterdam in 2016. 

 

Pete is a frequent participant in Judy’s Yarn Crawls and has led and organized several individual yarn crawls in North Carolina and Southern California.  Working together, Judy focuses on knitting projects, personalized knitting coaching and specialized instruction.  Pete keeps things organized, on time, anticipates problems and solves any which may crop up along the way.  He is also an expert is solving many computer and smart phone problems as well as assist with any issues that may come up during the cruise. 


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Judy Pascale

Judy Pascale is energetic and inspiring. Judy Pascale is a life long knitter who launched her career as a professional knitting instructor and designer in the early 1990's.

Judy Pascale has professionally sold her unique knitwear under the name THE JUDITH COLLECTION both privately and at juried shows. Judy teaches professionally an emphasis on customizing desired fit.

Most importantly, Judy has joined the ranks of other talented members of the knitting community whose explosive interest is creating a renaissance for the ageless art of knitting.

Judy Pascale calls Middletown, Connecticut her home.


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Julia Bryant

Julia Bryant is a highly recommended textile artist specializing in crocheting, knitting, tapestry weaving and counted cross-stitch.


Julia Bryant became fascinated with Afghan/Tunisian crochet about twenty-five years ago, and has been developing and perfecting her skills using the color inlay technique ever since. Her work is often embellished with beads, bobbles and embroidery, and she creates all her own designs.


Julia Bryant lives in Toronto, Canada, she has a passion for color and loves to teach!


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Karen Alfke

Karen Alfke is an amazing knitter, designer and instructor who will help increase your enjoyment of knitting by raising your level of confidence. Karen has developed a system of knitting known as "unpatterns" that will give you new skills and empowerment as an independent knitter. Karen lived in Europe for years and absolutely loves travel. She is fun and energetic you will have a blast cruising with her.


Karen lives in Port Townsend, Washington with her very cute dog.



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Karen Morin

Karen Morin is a unique individual who loves to travel and share her passion for creativity with others. Karen is not only an expert knitter and experienced teacher but she is also a Craft Cruises trip leader who has traveled the world.


Karen lives on her family farm in Poolesville, Maryland with her husband Joe, two teenagers and mini-poodles, Owen and Wilson.


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Kristin Drysdale

Kristin Drysdale, founder of Scandiwork, is an internationally renowned expert in Nordic knitting. Inspired by her Scandinavian heritage, she is a master of Norwegian, Swedish, and Icelandic knitting design, technique, history, and symbolism. She has spent many years studying abroad and gathering techniques in knitting circles from Norway to Austria.

 

Kristin resides in a 1920s red brick house on a tree-lined street in Salt Lake City, Utah with her loving husband, Chris. Their four married children and three grandchildren live nearby, three live within walking distance.


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Kristine Brooks

Kristine is a thoughtful and kind person, full of information about color, the fiber arts, techniques, art and new ideas. Kristine is completely willing to share what she knows, as well as walk down the unknown path of an idea to help suss it out. She is easy going, funny and filled with joy for living. You can’t help but have a good time when you are with Kristine as she is inspired by life, love and people and wants to experience it and share it with everyone.



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Leslye Solomon

Leslye Solomon has taught thousands of knitters how to knit and improve their skills over the years and has been an inspiration to many. She is passionate about every aspect if knitting and loves to travel.


Leslye Solomon lives in Baltimore, Maryland where she owns and operates her very successful yarn store, Woolstock.



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Lily Chin

Over the years Lily Chin has become one of our most sought after instructors because she is not only a fabulous instructor but she enhances everyone's travel experience travel experience. 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 lives in New York city with her husband.


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Lorilee Beltman

While happy to knit with beautiful yarns, what really thrills Lorilee is learning and sharing knitting techniques, paying special attention to the mechanics of knitting. She is particularly interested in helping people read their work and learn maneuvers that improve all their knitting experiences.


Lorilee lives in Grand Rapids, Michigan with her husband, three teen-aged boys and a very vocal border collie named Millie.



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Lotte Kjaer

Lotte Kjaer is an inspiring leading edge Danish designer. Her patterns and style are fresh, trendy and popular throughout Europe. She lived in the US for several years studying in New York and Boston so her English is great. She loves fiber, knitting and designing but most of all she loves sharing her passion with others.


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Lucy Neatby

Lucy Neatby is the original "Nautical Knitter" who, for many years, knit her way across the oceans as a British Merchant Navy navigating officer. Lucy Neatby is an expert instructor who can simplify even the most technical techniques. If you have ever wished to become really comfortable with your stitches and be able to make them do your bidding, Lucy will help you.


Lucy Neatby is truly masterful when it comes to knitting skills and design creativity. Lucy will inspire everyone who joins us on this trip.


Lucy Neatby resides in Dartmouth, NS and on Tancook Island, NS, with her seafaring husband John and daughter's cat Pluto when not on a narrowboat on UK canal network.

 


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Maggie Jackson

Maggie Jackson is an innovative knitwear designer from Ireland who has created hundreds of unique designs and original patterns. Maggie Jackson teaches knitting workshops around the world sharing her expertise and design background while bringing her Irish wit and sense of humor into the classroom for a very entertaining experience. Maggie's mantra "Be Different. Be Bold. Think Outside the Box." inspires knitters to take their knitting in a whole new direction and she invites you to join her on this knitting cruise adventure.

 

Maggie Jackson lives partly in Kalamazoo, MI where she operates her knitwear design business and partly in Ireland with her family on their country farm. 


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Margaret Holzmann

Margaret Holzmann enjoys designing and knitting the big things: sweaters and blankets, using them as a canvas to explore color and shapes. As a former engineer, Margaret Holzmann excels in developing new construction techniques and the geometry of knitting.

 

Margaret lives in Monrovia, California, with her husband, cat, and intermittently two daughters in university (UCLA and UC Santa Barbara. Margaret also has two other daughters who live in TX (Plano) and NY (Brooklyn).


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Marie Greene

Marie Greene is a lifelong knitter and creative soul who loves coffee, rainy days and seamless knits. Her charming and engaging style - as well as her refreshing approach - supports her students to get better results with innovative techniques that even seasoned knitters will find enlightening.

 

Marie lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband, and together they have three grown sons and five houseplants.


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Marly Bird

Marlaina "Marly" Bird fled the world of financial services to launch her Yarn Thing podcast and hasn't looked back since. To Marly, a bi-crafty girl who both knits and crochets, the yarn is the star, not how you work with it. She's creative director for Bijou Basin Ranch Yarns and the co-author of Curvy Crochet (Leisure Arts, 2011). You have seen her designs in Knit Simple, Interweave Crochet, Knitscene, Inside Crochet, Love of Knitting, Knitter's, Wild Fiber's and Petite Purls, and in the books Knitter's Book of Socks, Simply Crochet, Unexpected Afghans, Perfectly Plus and Knitting Plus. In her spare time she raises three kids and teaches at her local yarn store in suburban Denver. Enter the world of Marly at www.marlybird.com or follow her on facebook at www.facebook.com/MarlyBird .


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Martina Behm

Martina Behm knits because she loves to create. She also loves feeling yarn in her hands. Knitting has been her constant companion since elementary school. She knit in college when she was supposed to be studying and in her free time during her journalism years.

 

Martina focuses on creating lovely patterns that are fun and pleasant to knit. She loves easy, mindless projects with very few purl stitches.

 

Martina lives with her family in a little village in northern Germany not far from Kiel.


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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 bead artists themselves. Mary Beth can teach beginners how to become creative beading artists.


Mary Beth lives in both Gouldsboro, PA as well as Steamboat Springs, CO.


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Mary Jane Mucklestone

Mary Jane's twin passions--textiles and travel--developed early; by the age of 13, she had visited 26 countries! Her souvenir of choice was always a hand-made hat.


The Andes mountains offer the best hat hunting of all, with amazing knitted chullos. Not content to simply collect, she's learned the Andean knitting techniques from patient village knitters. Mary Jane loves sharing her knowledge-- specializing in lively, fun and informative classes.


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Mary Scott Huff

"If you ever have a party and need someone to be the life of it, call Mary Scott Huff" – Knitting Student, Victoria BC.

 

Mary loves knitting to distraction, and the only thing she loves more are the knitters, themselves. Learn a new technique, an unusual architecture, or the ins and outs of combining colors in your knitting. Whether you're a brand new knitter or have loads of experience, Mary's upbeat and enthusiastic style will hook you. Mary believes that above all else, knitting should be fun. She takes the time to connect personally with each of her students, both during class, and throughout the cruise. 

 

Resides in Fairview, Oregon with 1 Husband, 2 Children, 2 Scottish Terriers. 


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Melanie Berg

Melanie lives in Bonn, Germany with her family where she spends much of her time combining colors, shapes and textures into freewheeling designs that are uniquely her own. Melanie has been published by yarn companies and knitting magazines large and small and she also self-publishes her own patterns and e-books. Melanie loves collaborating with creative types from all over the world and is very excited about teaching on this cruise.


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Melissa Leapman

Melissa Leapman teaches a wide range of knitting and crocheting techniques and belongs to a new generation of needle artists who are modernizing old techniques to create sophisticated sweaters and vests. Melissa Leapman is excited to teach onboard a Craft Cruise and to be inspired by the fabulous ports of call in the Mediterranean.


Melissa Leapman lives in New York City, New York


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Melody MacDuffee

Melody MacDuffee is an amazing fiber and jewelry artist who has created a new technique, known as Overlay Crochet and is inspired to help others learn it so they too can achieve effects not otherwise easily achieved in traditional mediums.


Melody MacDuffee resides in Mobile, Alabama.


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Merike Saarniit

Merike Saarniit loves exploring - exploring stitches, history, cities, countries! While this upcoming cruise will be Merike Saarniit's tenth, Merike never gets tired of the cruising experience and the opportunities a cruise provides for exploring in comfort. In Merike Saarniit's classes she shares knitting stitches which have evolved from exploring the rich knitting heritage of Estonia. Students will have fun in Merike's classes as they explore traditional stitches and techniques with a bit if history and culture thrown in for good measure, along, of course, with a good dose of humor!


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Myra Wood

Join Myra Wood for an adventure of pure creativity on a free-form fiber cruise. Myra is a creative artist who combines different techniques to create unique wearable art. Myra Wood uses color, texture and design to guide the inspirational process. Come and immerse yourself in luxury onboard a beautiful ocean vessel while learning new methods of constructing and embellishing your work.


Myra, her husband and their 10 year old Italian Greyhound, Munch, live near Los Angeles, CA.



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Myrna Stahman

Myrna enjoys sharing her love of lace knitting by designing shawl and scarves, teaching lace knitting classes and publishing her designs. Her definition of lace knitting is using two sticks and some string to connect a series of holes in a pleasing fashion. Lace knitting does not require 000 needles and very fine thread. Worsted weight cotton and size 7 needles make practical, pretty lace dishcloths. Bulky yarn and size 11 needles produce beautiful lacy afghans.


Myrna Stahman lives in Boise, Idaho with her husband Bob.


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Nancy Bush

Nancy Bush owns and operates The Wooly West. She started this wool business after returning from time abroad in the early 1980's. Nancy lived in Europe while attending weaving school in Sweden and working as a nanny in France.

Nancy Bush found her passion in knitting. She chose knitting as a primary focus, because of the portability of it (as opposed to weaving) and the accessibility to everyone. Through her company and highly popular books, Nancy Bush has encouraged more folks to knit than she ever thought possible.

Her goals have always been to offer fine natural fiber yarns, classic and traditional patterns, useful knitting tools and expert instruction to her customers.

Nancy Bush lives in Salt Lake City, Utah.


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Nancy J. Thomas

Nancy J. Thomas is currently the creative director for Coats & Clark 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.


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Nancy Marchant

Nancy Marchant was born in America but have lived most of her life in the Netherlands (a country girl living in a big multi-national city). Nancy Marchant has taught Brioche knitting in most European countries and enjoys the cultural differences of teaching students from all nationalities. Nancy Marchant likes to meet with Craft Cruise knitters while in Amsterdam for knitting cruises. Nancy resides in Amsterdam with her two cats, Bart & Homer.


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Ragga Eiriksdottir

Ragga's profound knowledge about Icelandic knitting styles and laid back teaching style have earned her an international reputation as a fun and informative instructor.


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Rosemary (Romi) Hill

A knitter and crafter from a very early age, renowned knitwear designer Rosemary (Romi) Hill's work has appeared in numerous publications and self-published patterns. Specializing in lace, Romi's accessible teaching style, patience and positive approach make her classes popular wherever she teaches. A true believer that knitting should be enjoyable, Romi loves to work with her students to find their own sweet spot: that perfect knitting experience that turns a special pattern and yarn into a fantastic product.


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Ruth Carapella

Ruth Carapella is a fun-loving and passionate knitter who loves to travel and share the travel experience with others.


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Sally Melville

Like Sally Melville loves all aspects of life as a ‘professional’ knitter: teaching, writing, designing, and explaining what this all means!  And what does it mean?  It means an extensive teaching schedule that takes her around the world, speaking to wonderful folk who can appreciate the perfect buttonhole, who love the textures and colors and techniques of knitting, who want to be more intuitive about their craft, and who know that life is about learning.


Sally lives alone in Ottawa, Ontario, while she is currently pet-less she hopes to change that soon as her new grandchildren are old enough. Sally lives near her daughter—who shares her love of knitting. In addition to a daughter, Sally has a son, a musician and composer and leader of his band, CANEFIRE.



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Stephen West

Stephen West is currently based in Amsterdam. His shawl designs and innovative colorwork have helped him become a widely recognized and respected designer around the world. Stephen's designs have been published in Knitty.com, Malabrigo Book 3 and in Jared Flood's Wool People. He also self-publishes his own series of popular knitting books.


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Steven Berg

Steven Berg is a fiber artisan who is armed with a wealth of experience, a daring sense of style, and a firm belief in the transformative power of creativity that knitting or crocheting offers to all who are brave enough to push the boundaries. Steven began his career as a young boy, furiously knitting lines of sequin dresses for a discerning clientele of Barbies in Wisconsin.


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Tanis Gray

Tanis Gray is making it her mission to teach anyone to knit in an exciting and accessible way. A knitter for over 30 years, she has helped thousands of people stitch their way to success, in person, online, and on TV! Join Tanis as we sail and stitch our way across Alaska covering intriguing techniques and projects steeped in history and pop culture alike.


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The Handwork Studio LLC

When you cruise with Craft Cruises for Kids™ and The Handwork Studio, your kids will spend their time moving between creative activities such as knitting, crocheting, embroidery, hand and machine sewing and crafts.  Each class is project based and will center around a fun filled theme sure to delight kids of all ages.  The pride your child will feel will be remembered for a lifetime.  Not only will they have a wonderful time but they will be working on math and fine motor skills, social development and patience by sticking with a long term project.  The result:  Making really cool projects with new friends while having Fun! Fun! Fun!


The Handwork Studio is a tight-knit community located in Narberth, PA.


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Tulasi Zimmer

Tulasi Zimmer is an award winning handspinner, professional artist, and educator whose experience as a fiber artist includes handspinning with a spinning wheel, drop spindles, Navajo spindles, handweaving, Navajo tapestry weaving, needle felting, crocheting, hand knitting and machine knitting.


Tulasi Zimmer resides in Helena, Montana on a 7.5 acre farm with her husband, 4 llamas, 3 German angora rabbits, 3 cats, and abundant wildlife.


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