FEATURED TRIP

2015 South America Knitting Cruise & Fiber Adventure

4-Day ~ Argentina & Uruguay Fiber Adventure - (Nov 4-8, 2015)

14-Day ~ South America Knitting Cruise - (Nov 8-22, 2015)

7-Day ~ Peru Fiber Adventure - (Nov 22-29, 2015)

South America is the fiber-lover's dream destination. Join us on this South American adventure and you'll find gorgeous fiber and color inspiration every step of the way. Traveling with like-minded people, seeing pristine scenery, enjoying a variety of wildlife, friendly locals and delicious food will make this the trip of a lifetime.

Whether you take just the Peru Fiber Adventure, cruise only or a combination of the two, you will experience the vibrant knitting culture of South America. On the cruise you will learn new knitting skills while visiting the most scenically stunning coastal areas of South America including Patagonia. On the land packages you'll learn about the top South American yarn producers, shop for souvenir yarn, see top sights and enjoy some of the best cuisine in the world.

Knitting classes will be taught onboard by expert knitters Sally Melville and Mary Scott Huff. Embarking in Buenos Aires, this itinerary includes Montevideo, Falkland Islands, Strait of Magellan, Punta Arenas, Beagle Channel, Glacier Alley, Ushuaia, Cape Horn, Chilean Fjords & Lake District and Puerto Montt before ending in the seaside town of Valparaiso just outside of Santiago.

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BEFORE THE CRUISE - EXPLORE ARGENTINA & URUGUAY

4-Day ~ Argentina & Uruguay Fiber Adventure

2 or 4 Day Argentina & Uruguay Nov 4-8, 2015

Come a few days early to enjoy key sights, shop the Buenos Aires yarn district, sample delicious Argentinian cuisine and perhaps see a tango. Or, for a more in depth look into Uruguay's fiber industry, join us on the 4-day Buenos Aires & Montevideo combo package. Learn about Abuelita and Manos del Uruguay while still having plenty of time to visit Malabrigo, shop for souvenir yarn and see the sights.

Tour Buenos Aires and visit its famous YARN DISTRICT! This beautiful city is known for its many districts and neighborhoods and the yarn district boasts dozens of stores spanning both sides of Avenida Scalabrini Ortiz in the popular Palermo Soho neighborhood for three straight blocks. Here you'll find such stores as Milana Hilados, Moussa, Yanabey, and Cisne, to name but a few.

Contact us for a complete itinerary.

AFTER THE CRUISE - PERU FIBER ADVENTURE

7-Day Peru Fiber Adventure Nov 22-29, 2015

Join Craft Cruises on a hand crafted journey into the heart of Peru. Come experience this rich country through the eyes of skilled textile artists and in the company of other knitters from around the world. There’s nothing more fabulous than a journey of enrichment with other like-minded individuals.

For centuries textiles have impacted all regions of Peru. These highly skilled textile traditions and techniques have been passed down since ancient times. The sights, sounds and smells of this fabulous place will make this a place you’ll want to return to again and again. No matter where you go in Peru, you’ll find interesting textiles everywhere, friendly locals and mind-blowing cuisine.

In the Peruvian Highlands region of the Andes you will learn about the programs at the Center for Traditional Textiles of Cuzco that are keeping textile traditions alive through education and by providing a sustainable means for the Peruvians to support themselves and their families through their hand work.

Visit Puno and the Lake Titicaca region plus the islands hosting a textile rich culture that has withstood time by its isolation from the world. Spend the night at the Mirasol Project Alpaca Ranch Mallkini and have plenty of time to shop for lots of wonderful souvenir yarn. We invite you to join us on this journey of learning, cultural enrichment and fiber acquisition.

Contact us for a complete itinerary.

INSTRUCTORS

Sally Melville

Sally Melville has enjoyed a successful career as a beloved knitting teacher and knitwear designer who has motivated many to find greater joy in their work. Sally continues to design and publish patterns but is now taking time to find greater enjoyment in her work as well as to travel and see the world.

On this cruise Sally will teach such popular favorites as Essential Skills, Why We Do What We Do, Two Colors-Two Hands, Buttonholes, Knit to Flatter & Fit, and Emergency Measures.

More Info - Sally Melville

Mary Scott Huff

Mary Scott Huff is an avid knitter, teacher and designer who is so incredibly enthusiastic and passionate about knitting she has a cult-like following. Mary understands why serious knitters knit. On this cruise she will give participants an in-depth understanding of her knitting processes and inspirations while sharing invaluable knowledge to take your knitting to the next level.

On this cruise Mary will be teaching Elegant Entrelac, Knitting Behind the Wheel, Mad Hatter and Start to Finish.

More Info - Mary Scott Huff

CRUISE HIGHLIGHTS

Malabrigo

Malabrigo is one of the most beloved of all the South American yarn companies and has been actively employing local women in Uruguay to create beautiful hand-painted yarns since 2004. Antonio Gonzalez-Arnao, together with Tobias Feder, founded this highly successful yarn company with the goal of creating high quality luxury yarns. Malabrigo, a family run company, primarily uses merino wools in different weights with silk blends and organic cottons. Malabrigo has published multiple pattern books with patterns designed by a variety of popular knit-wear designers.

While in port participants will have their choice of visiting the Malabrigo Merino Estancia to learn all about their new merino wool project or visit their dye studio located in the "El Cerro" (meaning the hill) neighborhood overlooking the Bay. Participants will have the chance to dye their own personalized Malabrigo souvenir yarn to take home. Whether you visit the sheep ranch or the dye studio, everyone will have ample opportunity to buy Malabrigo yarn at factory prices.

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Manos del Uruguay

Manos del Uruguay is a well-known yarn company that was founded to help eradicate poverty through sustainable practices and is a full member of the World Fair Trade Organization (WFTO). Participants of the pre-cruise package will have the opportunity to visit the Manos Laboratory in Montevideo where they will learn more about the Manos initiative as well as about their kettle-dyeing techniques. Shop for Manos yarn and garments at one of their shops in Montevideo.

Manos del Uruguay was formed by women for women in 1968 as a way to reach out to poverty-stricken communities to help them sell highly-valued handicrafts to well-off markets. In addition to all of the lovely knitting yarns, Manos and its cooperatives, though not as well known, also create fabulous designer fashions that can be seen on all the fashion runways of the world and in the world's most famous designers' closets. These artistically designed garments are of museum quality and will be available for sale during your visit.

While supporting sustainable practices, Manos, like many of the best-known South American fiber producers, also support local economies by creating meaningful work for craftspeople in rural areas. These yarn companies are enabling locals to protect their cultural identities through sustainable development and fair trade practices.

Penguins & Bluff Cove Sheep Farm

You don't have to brave the elements of Antarctica to see penguins. There are numerous colonies throughout South America including a few that are easily accessible from ports visited on this cruise.

Penguins are the largest family of flightless birds in the world, boasting 18 species, all of which live in the Southern Hemisphere. South America is home to Magellanic Penguins, Southern Rockhoppers, and Macaroni Penguins. In this region there are also other species of penguin including the Gentoo, Jackass, and King. Tours from multiple ports will offer up-close and personal experiences with penguins.

A favorite penguin tour, departing from Port Stanley in the Falkland Islands, visits Bluff Cove Sheep Farm where you'll not only learn about this 35,000 acre sheep farm but where you can also see Gentoo, King, Magellanic, Rockhopper and Macaroni Penguins at Bluff Cove Lagoon, depending on the season. The owner of the farm is also very active in the spinning and knitting community and will be giving spinning demonstrations to those with interest as well as selling some locally-produced hand-spun Falkland Island wool for knitting.

Lanas Chucao - Classes in the Forest

In Puerto Montt participants can visit Lanas Chucao, a small artisan manufacturer of pure sheep wool hand-dyed in bright colors. Demonstrations will be given on hand-spinning using drop-spindles, Mapuche weaving, and dyeing wool using natural plants typical of the area. The site of this private fiber event will be in the Chilean native forest about 15 km south of the city of Puerto Montt. Lanas Chucao is producing fun and unique fibers.

Typically working out of their homes, these ladies bring together their products from yarn to weavings to dolls and put together a shop “in the woods” for your pleasure and instruction. Their delight and eagerness to help make this excursion a must-not-miss part of your cruise. You will leave Lanas Chucao with not only beautiful, unique yarns at drop-dead prices, but memories of Latin American friendliness that will linger forever.

PERU HIGHLIGHTS

Craft Cruises is now offering land-based trips to Peru. Enjoy the extension itinerary without taking the knitting cruise or combine the two for a 21-day South American fiber extravaganza.

Museo Amano

Located in the charming Miraflores neighborhood of Lima, the Museo Amano houses a private collection of crafts and textiles from pre-Hispanic times including ceramics, lace-work and other textiles produced by the coastal Chancay culture between 1000 and 1500.

The museum’s founder, Yoshitaro Amano, came to Peru from Japan and started this collection out of his love for ancient Peruvian culture. This is the best collection of pre-Columbian fabric and lace textiles in all of Peru and as a group participant you will enjoy a private tour with an English-speaking guide.

Miraflores

Miraflores is a neighborhood in Lima known for great shopping, flower-filled parks and pretty beaches. Here you will find yarn stores, cafes, pubs and popular restaurants serving some of the most innovative Peruvian cuisine in all of Peru. Enjoy time here to shop for yarn, visit the best boutiques and Indian markets in the city and be charmed by the colonial ambiance of this attractive neighborhood.

Machu Picchu

The ruins of Machu Picchu are truly spectacular and should be on everyone's bucket list if you are physically capable. Peru in itself is magical but combined with a trip to Machu Picchu, is out of this world. After an overnight in the Sacred Valley take the scenic Vistadome train to Machu Picchu where you will be led around the citadel by an expert guide.

Afterwards enjoy a delicious lunch at the Sanctuary Lodge. Your visit here will give you an entirely new appreciation for the Incan culture. Dating back to the early 1400s, the Incan people were responsible for erecting the hundreds of stone structures on this mountaintop. Machu Picchu, full of legends and myths, is truly a sacred place.

Center for traditional textiles w/ Nilda Cañallaupa

This center was founded by Nilda Cañallaupa. Nilda, a native of the village of Chincheros, was a child prodigy and has spent her life dedicated to preserving the weaving and knitting techniques passed down for generations in the Andes. She has devoted her life to educating the world about Peruvian textiles and building the Center for Traditional Textiles into what it is today.

The center includes a weaving cooperative and a school for young girls (who must come dressed in traditional costume to be considered for placement in the school). The center also provides shelter for women in distress, ensures that young girls connect with their elders, and helps native weavers control the marketing of their textiles. Nilda is a shining example of how indigenous people can fully engage with world markets and still remain true to their roots.

Mallkini alpaca farm & adventure

Alpaca is the treasure of the Andes and Peru's culture of textile artistry and the fiber production are the best in the world. Alpaca has an incredible value to small farmers who sustain their families raising this luxurious fiber.

Visitors at the Mallkini Alpaca Farm will learn about the fiber, rare cross-breeds and all South American camelids. Alpacas are related to llamas, guanacos and vicuñas and have been valued for their fiber since pre-Incan times. Alpaca fiber is soft, warm and very durable giving it a very high value. The two main species of Alpaca in Peru include the Huacayo and the Suri.

Mirasol Project

The Mirasol Project supports local communities in Peru through the sales of the Mirasol Yarn Collection. The Mirasol Yarn Collection includes yarns made from the animals bred for generations in the Peruvian highlands and proceeds go directly to support shepherds and their families.

This Project was created by customers of Michell & Cia who wanted to give back to the communities producing the high-quality fiber they loved so much. Funds raised also go to support the Mirasol School located in Puno near the Mallkini alpaca farm where the group will overnight.

Michell & Cia (Michell Group)

Michell & Cia is the leading producer of Peruvian alpaca fiber and uses modern technology designed to be respectful of the environment for sustainability. Michell Group, the parent company, consists of many supporting companies with a focus on innovation, service, quality and sustainable technologies. The Michell Group is strategically integrated in terms of breeding and processing capabilities and is therefore a world leader in the production of Peruvian alpaca and wool products.

Puno & Lake Titicaca

A soothing ride to the Uros Islands located on the Peruvian side of Lake Titicaca takes you to the world of the “Aymaras,” an ethnic group that populates Southeastern Peru and Northwestern Bolivia. Visit the island of Taquile, where you’ll meet local crafters.

Lake Titicaca is the world's highest navigable lake, with a way of living that seems to have withstood time. The first stop will be the Uros floating islands where the cheerful inhabitants will invite you to get to know their traditional lifestyle and customs.

You will continue your voyage across the placid waters of the lake until you come to the picturesque island of Taquile, a peaceful place where old Quechua traditions live in perfect balance with modernity. Discover a landscape distinct from the other islands thanks to the Incan terraces filled with local flowers and crops. The rich colors of the clothing worn by the local inhabitants will amaze you as you admire their beautiful hand-made fabrics.

Most importantly, enjoy the unbelievable hospitality of the islanders, known as Taquileños, who will make your visit to the island a memorable one. Local men will demonstrate how they knit and will explain more about why Taquile is famous for its beautiful textiles..

HOLLAND AMERICA LINE

ms Zaandam

The ms Zaandam is named after a town in Holland and is the only musically themed ship in the Holland America fleet. Designed to carry fewer guests while providing more space for maximum comfort, the ms Zaandam is a prize in the mid-size ship category and is a favorite amongst many repeat cruisers.

The musically themed ms Zaandam offers a unique shipboard atmosphere. Passengers will find artifacts and memorabilia onboard from such musical greats as Queen, Iggy Pop, Eric Clapton and the Rolling Stones used as art objects throughout the ship. This ship is ideal for South American cruising because of its spacious open decks that are tiered for optimal scenic viewing.