The Polar Ice Cap Cruise

Below you will find the itinerary, highlights of the cruise, and class descriptions of what I will teach. I hope you can join us on the Veendam for this marvelous trip!

When: July 3-26, 2021

Where: Norway, the Polar Ice Cap, Iceland, Shetland, and Ireland!

The Itinerary:

07/03 SAT AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS

1 07/04 Sun At Sea (North Sea)

2 07/05 Mon Eidfjord, Norway 08:00 18:00 D

Scenic cruising Hardangerfjord

3 07/06 Tue Bergen, Norway 08:00 17:00 D

4 07/07 Wed Molde, Norway 08:00 17:00 D

5 07/08 Thu At Sea (Norwegian Sea)

6 07/09 Fri At Sea

7 07/10 Sat Longyearbyen, Spitsbergen, Norway 09:00 18:00 D

8 07/11 Sun Scenic cruising Liefdefd Fjord 11:00 noon E

Scenic cruising Polar Icecap 17:00 18:30 E

9 07/12 Mon Ny Ålesund, Spitsbergen, Norway 06:00 noon A

Scenic cruising Lilliehook Fjord 13:30 16:30 E

Longyearbyen Outer P/S 22:30 22:30 E

10 07/13 Tue At Sea (Atlantic Ocean)

11 07/14 Wed At Sea (Atlantic Ocean)

12 07/15 Thu Akureyri, Iceland 08:00 17:00 D

Scenic cruising Eyjafjördur

13 07/16 Fri Isafjördur, Iceland 08:00 17:00 A/D

Scenic cruising Ísafjardardjúr

14 07/17 Sat Reykjavik, Iceland 08:00 overnight D

15 07/18 Sun Reykjavik, Iceland overnight 14:00 D

16 07/19 Mon At Sea (Atlantic Ocean)

17 07/20 Tue Lerwick, Shetland Islands, Scotland, UK 08:00 17:00 A/D

18 07/21 Wed Portree, Isle of Skye, Scotland, UK 08:00 18:00 A

19 07/22 Thu At Sea (The Minch)

20 07/23 Fri Belfast, Northern Ireland, UK 08:00 17:00 D

21 07/24 Sat Dunmore East (Waterford), Ireland 07:00 16:00 A

22 07/25 Sun At Sea (North Sea)

23 07/26 MON AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS

Polar Ice Knitting Cruise Highlights

This is the perfect itinerary for knitters because of the places visited as well as the leisurely itinerary with many luxurious days at sea to relax and knit. On this cruise, you will learn all about yarn production in this region as well as traditional regional knitting techniques. July is the very best time to visit this region since it is during the time referred to as Midnight Sun when the days are long and the mountain wildflowers are in full bloom.

• • Plan a venture to Stephen & Penelope’s yarn shop in Amsterdam.

• • Take a tour of the Oleana Sweater factory, located on a scenic fjord near Bergen, and shop in its outlet.

• • Visit the Dale of Norway sweater store in Bergen.

• • Throughout Norway view traditional Norwegian costumes and shop for yarn at Husfliden, Norway’s hand-craft guild stores.

• • Learn about Norway’s folk history while visiting the country’s largest open-air museum in Molde, the “City of Roses.”

• • Visit the Rauma Yarn Mill & Troll Path in Molde for terrific yarn shopping, stunning views, and a traditional Norwegian lunch at the Trollstigen Kafe.

• • Shop for popular kits and Icelandic wool at Klæðakot in Ísafjörður.

• • Shop at Storkurinn knitting shop in Reykjavik.

• • Visit Alafoss if possible to shop for Lopi yarn and Iceland’s signature hand-knit sweaters.

• • In Lerwick visit the Shetland Museum for a special chance to learn about Shetland lace.

• • Visit the Shetland Wool Brokers, Jamieson and Smith, to shop for yarn and discover how local knitters, farmers, and designers transform Shetland wool into high-quality yarn, knitwear, and textiles.

• • Look for demonstrations of traditional spinning and knitting given by the Shetland Guild of Spinners, Weavers, Knitters, and Dyers at the Böd of Gremista and Shetland Textile Working Museum.

• • From Portree on the mountainous Isle of Skye in Scotland’s Inner Hebrides, plan on a visit to a working croft, Eilean Òir Croft, to learn about Hebridean and Black Cheviot sheep and how they thrive in this harsh environment.

• • Take an optional tour to Lisburn outside Belfast to visit the Irish Linen Centre where you can trace the history of linen production and see live spinning and weaving demonstrations. Time permitting, walk on the Giant’s Causeway or have a pint of beer at a local pub.

• In Waterford, Ireland’s oldest city and home of Waterford Crystal, plan to take an optional tour to visit one of Ireland’s few authentic-and oldest remaining-woolen mills, Cushendale. Or as time allows, join a tour to the Castle of Kilkenny or Mount Congreve with its 700 splendid acres of gardens.