Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
KNITTING CRUISES
learn to knit with the wind in your hair
ABOARD THE ISAAC H. EVANS
Yes, we knitters are a lawless bunch! We wield our needles recklessly,
throwing caution and reason to the four winds.
—Wendy Johnson, knitting guru
9 | It was inevitable. When Julia Roberts took up knitting, every cruise line, B&B, and knit
shop began offering knitting retreats. They're given clever names like “knit-inns” or “knitwits
unite,” and they're as plentiful as stitches in a Fair Isle sweater.
On the Isaac H. Evans, a historic 1886 windjammer that offers twice-yearly knitting
cruises, you'll get in lots of UKT (uninterrupted knitting time) and FT (face time) with a knit-
ting expert. You'll even get a pattern for a nautical sweater named for the very vessel on which
you'll be sailing. For a preview, Capt. Brenda Walker, who owns the ship and has been known
to wield a mean pair of knitting needles herself, is wearing the sweater on the home page of
the Evans 's website.
Besides the sweater, Beth Collins, the knitting instructor from Unique One Sweater and
Yarn in Camden, Maine, also passes out patterns for Gansey socks, cabled scarves, and warm
hats—all important items for the sometimes breezy cruises in Maine's Penobscot Bay. The
30-year knitting veteran can also assist in picking out yarns and needles.
“Knitting retreats, whether on a boat or at a country inn, are just a good excuse to travel
with people who share your interests,” Collins says. “I've found knitters to be a very adven-
turous group. They like to travel, see new things. The old stereotype of grandmothers sitting
around by themselves knitting in front of the TV is just not true. Knitting is a very social
event.”
The Isaac H. Evans was built in 1886 to carry oysters. It was lovingly refitted in 1973 to
offer cruises and in 1991 earned a spot on the National Register of Historic Places. The knit-
ting cruises last three and four days and include homemade breads, soups, desserts, and oth-
er scrumptious foods prepared on a 1904 woodstove, a lobster bake on a deserted island, hot
rocks (for warming your berth at night), and complimentary chocolates. And if you want to
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