Join the Club: Hooked on Knitting

Hooked on Knitting

Cruisers can count on cable needles, classes, conversation, and cross-stitch camaraderie on Craft Cruises.

By Clark Norton

Who would guess that a group of knitters would “have more fun and be more active than anybody” on a cruise ship?

Knitters, that’s who.

That’s the contention of Melissa Gower-Pence, the owner of Craft Cruises in Steamboat Springs, Colorado. She knows something about taking groups of knitters across the world’s waterways, having put together dozens of knitting cruises, ranging from the Baltic to the Far East, Australia to Alaska, Patagonia to Iceland, and many points between.

Make no mistake: Gower-Pence’s knitters aren’t likely to be the first to hit the pool in the morning or the last to close the casino at night. Instead, they hone in on all things knitting: attending onboard knitting classes, taking shore excursions focused on various facets of knitting, and joining evening socials to chew over the fine points of, well, knitting.

“Most knitters are very passionate about knitting, and we love to talk about it,” says five-time Craft Cruiser Kim Schneibolk of Gaithersburg, Maryland. “We love it so much we want to share it with others.” And what better place than on a cruise ship, where knitters can spend several hours a day together stitching, purling, learning new designs and techniques from expert instructors, and seeking out the best local yarn shops in ports around the globe?

This is an excerpt only. To read this article in its entirety, pick up the current issue of Porthole Cruise Magazine.