6-Day ~ Queen Mary 2 w/ Barry Klein (July 2009)

Join Craft Cruises™ on this transatlantic crossing and have a blast!
Set sail on the most beautiful ship afloat and learn new knitting techniques. Take yourself back in time when airliners did not exist. The Queen Mary 2 is the ultimate symbol of this bygone era.

After the six day transatlantic crossing you are invited visit to join us for a fabulous and fun time in London.  We have arranged a very special event at the well known yarn store and knitter's haven - I KNIT LONDON.  With the assistance of Gerard Allt, owner of I KNIT and vice chair of the UK Knit and Crochet Guild an exciting event.  Join top desingers from all over the UK for book signings, trunk shows and other fun activities at I KNIT LONDON.  Come meet such well known UK designers as Erika Knight and Chrissie Day among others.

I KNIT LONDON is not just a yarn store but it is a pub, a club and sanctuary for knitters.  Located in Waterloo, I Knit started life as a small group of friends who shared a common thread - knitting. Gerard Allt wanted to meet other knitters who didn't mind dropping a few stitches over a pint or two, and who wanted to get out and knit instead of sitting in front of the TV at home.   I KNIT LONDON attracts knitters of all ages and abilities for a social, creative, and sometimes drunken, experience. The knitting group is still the fundamental driving force behind everything I KNIT LONDON does.  Shortly after the group's first meeting, I KNIT LONDON opened a small market stall at historic Old Spitalfields Market in London's East End. Driven by a passion for more exciting yarn than the average department store, and encouraged by fellow knitters, I KNIT LONDON sourced a few gorgeous yarns and needles and cycled across London every Sunday with rucksacks full of Sari Silk and Lantern Moon! It was here we met hundreds of like-minded knitters, crocheters and creative types who shared their ideas and experience with us.  In March 2008 I KNIT LONDON moved the new, bigger shop and sanctuary for knitters at 106 Lower Marsh, Waterloo, SE1...and the knitting continues...

Erika Knight
Erika Knight is known for keeping things simple, chic and contemporary.  Erika is a textile designer and fashion design consultant who is highly regarded in her field and works for many well known companies.  Erika Knight is the author of Classic Knits, Knits at Home, Glamour Knits, and Glamour Knits at Home in addition to Simple Knits for Easy Living, Simple Knits for Little Cherubs and Simple Crochet.  In addition to knitting and crocheting Erika Knight is a jewelry artists and has recently authored Beyond Beading.

Chrissie Day
Chrissie Day was 4 when she first learned to knit from her grandmother who taught her all she knew about fibre.  Chrissie knit through childhood, her teenage years and through long hours of night duty as a student nurse.  Chrissie Day has always gotten inspiration for her designs from nature and certain architecture that has grasped her attention as she has traveled throughout the world.  Her garden is always inspirational in every season from shape to colour.  Chrissie is a knitwear designer and beading artist who loves experimenting and adding other fibres in and push the medium combining with other materials and techniques in unusual ways. Chrissie sketches every day and follows a very strict approach to choosing and blending colours in both mediums, it is not magic it is a learnt discipline she uses to teach her students about color.

Chrissie Day is often featured in crafting magazines, pod casts and TV shows, or teaching various ways to enjoy the creative process at various events and shows.  Chrissie Day is the author of Wire Jewelry, Felt Style, Quick Crochet, Cozy Socks and Cozy Hot Water Bottle Covers.

New York City Yarn Crawl
Arrive early in New York City to shop at some of New York's favorite yarn stores including:

Seaport Yarn
Seaport Yarn is the “Yarnaholic’s Candy Store” and is a store every knitter must     visit while in New York City.  If your time is limited this is the store for you since it is the largest yarn store in New York with the widest variety of yarn available.

The owners are passionate about fiber and it is apparent by the store they have     created.  It is  everything you would  ever want in a yarn store and more.  The     store is owned and managed by Andrea Waller and LaJuana Davis.

Seaport Yarn is located downtown right near Ground Zero and is located about 4 miles south of our hotel and is easily accessed using public transportation.

Knitty City
Craft Cruise™ Discount: 10% off all yarn purchases
In addition being known for friendly service and great attitude, this store carries a wide range of yarns, from the most sublime to the easiest to care for materials on the market. Knitting City stocks all major brands on needles and a great selection of accessories as well as having a comprehensive inventory of books and patterns. 

Purl
A friendly yarn shop where people gather and share each other's creativity. Purl     Patchwork, their sister fabric shop, just a few doors away from Purl.

This store is known for the finest fibers from cotton, bamboo, silk and linen to     warm alpaca, merino, and cashmere.  Their fabrics are of heirloom quality cotton and diverse patterns.  Contemporary prints, historical reproductions, elegant imports, and a rainbow of solid colors.