An amazing rail tour combined with a southbound Cruise gives you the best of the best when it comes to experiencing Alaska and indulging your passion for knitting and fine yarns.
www.craftcruises.com
(877)97-CRAFT
Musk Ox & Glaciers
One of our most popular trips, Musk Ox & Glaciers, brings you face to face with the beauty of the Alaskan landscape and the creativity of Alaskan knitters. The pre-cruise land tour, combined with a rail journey on the McKinley Explorer and a Southbound cruise, gives you the best of the best when it comes to experiencing Alaska and indulging your passion for knitting and fine yarns.
May is an excellent time to visit Alaska because the weather is typically clear, the days are long, and the infamous Alaskan mosquitos are nowhere to be seen. This is also the time of year the Arctic Musk Oxen shed their undercoats and wildlife is giving birth to new offspring.
While at sea, you’ll be pampered by an attentive staff on a small ship, view spectacular scenery, and take classes from two expert knitting instructors. This itinerary visits some of the most popular places in Alaska including Anchorage, Palmer, Denali National Park, College Fjord, Glacier Bay, Haines, Skagway, Juneau, Ketchikan and Canada’s famous inside passage. And for those who want to extend their stay in the Pacific Northwest, Vancouver and Seattle.
Reservations : 877-97-CRAFT www.craftcruises.com Optional Pre-Cruise Rail Tour
Visit The Musk Ox Farm, where you’ll learn about the processing of qiviut, and the Oomingmak Cooperative where you’ll see Native Alaskan knitters at work, Enjoy a real Alaskan Salmon Bake at the home of Myler Almandinger from Touch of Alaska, while meeting some of the most amazing local knitters and small-batch fiber producers in Alaska.
Join us on this 4-night tour to learn about the history of this unique cottage industry where Native Alaskan women knit lace from musk- ox wool. You’ll also get to fondle some qiviut, which is eight times warmer than wool, softer than cashmere, and does not shrink or felt.
In addition to the gorgeous scenery onboard the McKinley Explorer domed railcar and the Tundra Wildlife Tour, this year we’ve also included a visit to the Husky Homestead where you will meet an award winning Alaskan Iditarod Dog Sled Team and get to cuddle some of the cutest puppies in Alaska. These Huskies and their trainers have won 4 Iditarod races and over 24 first place championships.
A once-in-a-lifetime trip to Denali one of the most untouched National Parks in the country, includes a 7-9 hour wildlife tour into the heart of the park. With majestic Mount McKinley in the background, there’s nothing more amazing than seeing a mother grizzly bear with cubs in tow or cuter than a baby moose trying out his new legs.
INSTRUCTORS
Beth Brown-Reinsel
Beth Brown-Reinsel is a world-renowned knitting instructor who has been teaching historic knitting techniques for over twenty years. Her passion for knitting traditions - techniques that were thought of long ago, or garments which were knitted and worn by people to show their belonging to a group, occupation, or geographic location is contagious. Beth is the author of the book “Knitting Ganseys” and her patterns and designs have been featured in many popular knitting magazines. Beth has been to Scandinavia numerous times to research knitting there. On this cruise, she will be sharing her love of techniques from the British Isles, Sweden, and Latvia.
Donna Druchunas
Donna Druchunas escaped a corporate cubicle to honor her passions for knitting, world travel, resesarch, and writing. Donna has been to Alaska several times to research and promote her book “Arctic Lace”. Donna has worked closely with members of the Oomingmak Musk-Ox Producers’ Co-operative as well as the Musk Ox Farm in Palmer, the Large Animal Research Station in Fairbanks. She has also traveled extensively in Lithuania studying knitting history in that country.
Reservations : 877-97-CRAFT www.craftcruises.com She teaches knitting classes in the United States and Europe, and will be teaching about techniques from Alaska, Bosnia, Lithuania, and Japan on this cruise.
HIGHLIGHTS
Ketchikan, Alaska
“Beside” The Point, AKA The Bead and yarn Shoppe!
Cheri & Terry Pyles have done a fantastic job creating one of the best yarn shops in Alaska. The Point is Ketchikan’s only Waterfront Art Cafe. Serving lunches of homemade soups, breads, sandwiches, quiches, cookies and other gastronomical delights. The Point is a destination in itself and now there is “Beside” The Point, aka The Bead and Yarn Shoppe located next door to The Point Art Cafe. With an extensive yarn selection, and special Craft Cruise discounts, knitters will love visiting this shop. Not only do you have one of the best views in Ketchikan but you’ll get meet some really friendly locals.
Anchorage, Alaska
Oomingmak Co-Operative
Since 1969, the knitters of the Oomingmak Musk Ox Producers’ Co-operative have created beautiful hand-knit accessories made from qiviut, the soft downy undercoat of the Arctic Musk Ox. The co-op is owned by about 250 Native Alaskan women from the costal villages of Alaska. Each hand knit item has a different lace pattern derived from the aspects of the Eskimo culture and traditional village lifestyle. Extremely light and eight times warmer than wool, qiviut does not shrink or felt when washed. The shop in Anchorage also houses miniature museum, filled with memorabilia and photos from the history of the co-op.
Rabbit Ridge Designs
Michelle Coburn raises a herd of Huacaya Alpacas overlooking the beautiful Turnagain Arm in Alaska. Alpacas naturally produce over 20 different colors and Michelle uses hand-dying techniques to make each skein a work of art. Rabbit Ridge colorways are all designed to reflect the beauty of nature. The Quilted Raven is a quilting store in Anchorage featuring Rabbit Ridge yarn and will host our group for a special presentation while in Anchorage.
Palmer, Alaska
Musk Ox Farm
The Musk Ox Farm in Palmer, Alaska is a non-profit organization dedicated to the domestication of the musk ox. Just 45 miles north of Anchorage in the historic Matanusa Valley, agricultural center of Alaska, the scenery surrounding the farm is stunning.
Reservations : 877-97-CRAFT www.craftcruises.com While visiting the farm, you will have the opportunity for an up close experience with these majestic animals that once roamed the earth with the wooly mammoth. The farm hosts guided tours, engaging exhibits, a gift shop featuring hand-knit qiviut accessories, and a host of community events throughout the year.
Touch of Alaska - Myler Almandinger
IIn Palmer, you’ll also have the chance to meet one of the nicest and talented fiber artists in Alaska. Myler Almandinger will be showcasing her hand painted yarns that are all exotic and hand made. This includes hand spun qiviut, cashmere, yak, alpaca, llama, sheep, angora and pygora. She has nothing regular yarn stores have since she spins the yarns from local farmers as well as from hunters in Nome, Alaska. In many cases she earns the fiber free by spinning half for them and half for herself. She does all of her own spinning, dyeing and knitting by hand without the use of machines.
Denali National Park
Denali National Park
Denali National Park is spectacular and the Tundra Wildlife tour is a great way to experience it. Your naturalist guide is an expert at spotting all of the wildlife for which Alaska is famous: moose, bear, wolves, caribou, Dall sheep, Ptarmigans and Lynx. This tour takes you 53- miles into the heart of the park. In addition to spotting wildlife you will also learn all about the historical and geographical aspects of the area.
Husky Homestead
Husky Homestead, home to about 75 Alaskan sled dogs is owned and operated by Jeff King and Donna Gates. In the summer months they open their home to visitors for touring the kennel, to learning about the Alaskan Huskies, and spirit of Alaska. Jeff King is a professional dog sled racer with over 100,000 miles logged as a dog sledder and four victories in the 1049 mile Iditarod Sled Dog Race. Come visit the Husky Homestead in Denali National Park on your Musk Ox & Glacier tour with Craft Cruises and get to see these amazing dogs up close and person while meeting on the great dog sledders of our time. Throughout Alaska you will also find hand-knit items made from huskies.
Reservations : 877-97-CRAFT www.craftcruises.com HOLLAND AMERICA LINE
ms Statendam
This is one of the smaller ships in the Holland America Fleet and is the fifth ship to bear the name in Holland America Line’s 133-year history. With more than $2 million worth of art and artifacts, the ms Statendam features a theme of Dutch life and exploration. The Van Gogh Theater is a work of art in itself. Themed to Dutch artist Vincent Van Gogh’s paintings “The Starry Night” and “Irises,” the room features computerized fiber optic lighting as well as a state-of- the-art sound system.
Booking Incentive
$25 Gift Certificate
Book within a week of receiving this email and knitting participants will receive a $25 gift certificate for ‘Beside the Point’ in Ketchikan.
VISIT WWW.CRAFTCRUISES.COM FOR INFORMATION ON ALL OF OUR TRIPS.
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Reservations : 877-97-CRAFT www.craftcruises.com