Caribbean & Europe: Knitting trips let you sightsee and stitch
Barry Klein wants you to knit something fantastic -- and see the world.
The knitting expert, author and owner of Trendsetter Yarns in Van Nuys will lead cruises to the Caribbean and Europe next year for those who like to mix their passion for yarn and needles with travel.
“There’s a community of people who love this as an art form,” says Klein, who learned to needlepoint and knit starting at age 5.
During the cruises, Klein meets daily with knitters to discuss the latest yarns, current fashions and techniques, such as how to take measurements so your hand-made items fit.
The top knitting nation? Klein ranks Germany first.
“Here, young girls play on their phones all day instead of knitting,” he says. “In Germany, mothers, daughters are knitting as part of their everyday culture, though they’re starting to feel the gap.”
Cruises are for those who know how to knit; you can be a beginner but not a total newbie, Klein says. He will lead a 2014 knitting cruise in March aboard the Celebrity Reflection from Miami to Puerto Rico, St. Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands and St. Maarten.
He also will lead a New Year’s cruise starting in December 2014 on the Danube River aboard the AmaBella that offers tours of Vilshofen, Germany; Linz and Vienna in Austria; Bratislava in Slovakia; and Budapest, Hungary. For this cruise, Klein has designed a particular clothing item (he won’t say what) that knitters -- and even non-knitters -- can make while on board.
When: The Knitting Cruise With Barry Klein in the Caribbean is March 1-8. AmaWaterways’ Knitting New Year’s Cruise runs from Dec. 27, 2014, through Jan. 2, 2015.
Price: The Caribbean cruise starts at $1,104, double occupancy, $1,708 for singles, from Miami. The Danube River cruise starts at $2,799 per person, double occupancy, from Vilshofen. Prices include cabin, meals and some needles, yarn and other materials. Airfare is extra.
Info: Caribbean Knitting Cruise With Barry Klein, (800) 258-8732, Ext. 2. AmaWaterways Knitting New Year’s Cruise, (800) 626-0126, or contact a travel agent.
Mary.Forgione@latimes.com
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