Long Cruises

[JLT]

Some time ago I read (I think) about a knitting group on HAL long cruises. Does anyone know about this? Do they knit for others? Or just get together for sociability? Now that I am embarking on a 30 dayer this came to my mind. Thanks for any information.

[Grumpy1]

On the 2005 World Tour, there was a group that got together for knitting and chatting. HAL supplied yarn and patterns, the group knitted caps, booties, blankets and other items that were donated to a childrens hospital in Capetown.

[sail7seas]

That's so great......

 

I love hearing things like that. They enjoyed knitting together and then their articles were donated for the children. Wonderful!!!

[kryos]

Some time ago I read (I think) about a knitting group on HAL long cruises. Does anyone know about this? Do they knit for others? Or just get together for sociability? Now that I am embarking on a 30 dayer this came to my mind. Thanks for any information.

I don't know how to knit, but boy ... I'd sure be interested in learning for a good cause.

 

You gonna be on the Hawaii/South Pacific in January, right? Maybe we can knit together. :)

 

Blue skies ...

 

--rita

[RuthC]

Jean, I'm a veteran of several (non-World) long cruises, and sorry to say I've never seen any organized activity of this nature.

Which shouldn't stop you from trying to organize such a thing! Why not have your TA ask HAL about this in advance of your sailing (to plant the seed?), or suggest it to the Cruise Director once aboard?

It's a plan.

[wander]

The only cruises I am familiar with the knitting project is on the World Cruises. It was alive and well during the 2000 World Cruise and it had been going for a number of years before that. Our travel agency always mentions it and encourages interested folks to participate. Since it was still going for the 2005 cruise, per Grumpy, I would think it may have continued. I have not heard of it on any of our other long cruises.

 

The year I was on the World (unfortunately not the whole trip) the items went to an orphanage in SE Asia. I never did see it publicized, but folks were busy knitting around the ship on sea days. From what I heard, a contingent of the knitters used to take the items to the orphanage, but the year I went only a couple of women went with a cruise ship representative. On my WC, the women I knew brought their own yarn and needles, making space for gifts and souveners on the way home.

 

For experienced knitters, anything for the young children was welcomed, but for those less skilled and or beginners, they knit squares that were sewn together for small coverlets. So, anyone could participate that wanted to.

[Cruiseoften]

It's a wonderful idea! I've not seen it on a cruise ship but I recently escorted a friend to a large Medical Centre for cancer radiation treatment. She'd explained that the wait time for me would probably be about 2 hours++ so I was armed with a book.

 

The huge waiting area was surrounded by treatment rooms. After checking in at what looked like an ATM machine we were instructed to make ourselves comfortable until her number was called. Comfortable chairs, 2 seater sofas were grouped around tables on each of which was a hugh basket of wool, in all colors of the rainbow, thick, thin, baby fine and everything in between, and knitting needles of all sizes. Signs on each table indicated what was being made - Knit a Square; Help with a blanket; knit a scarf, etc. etc. together with instructions if you wished to start something. A very novice knitter, I opted to help with a scarf and picked up one already under way - my friend decided to start a square and quickly cast on the required number of stitches. Plain knitting was all that was required.

 

It was 40 minutes before she was called. She'd managed to finished 2 lovely squares, leaving a third for someone else to carry on with. People chatted and time passed quickly. A very novice knitter, I was proud of myself having finished one square from scratch and was half way through a second when my friend returned.

 

Many escorts, like myself, had brought books and magazines. Most put the reading material aside and picked up the knitting. The experts combined the activites and chatted too!

 

Seems this knitting-bee is carried on in many waiting rooms these days. Garments of all kinds are created by the experts. Patients and escorts frequently drop off odds and end of wool and no longer used needles.

 

Bit like the giant jig-saw puzzles HAL sometimes had around the shopping/library area! Remember those? :D

[JLT]

Thanks for all the knitting information. I shall follow through with HAL but I'll be taking my knitting. Our group knits baby caps, shrugs, shawls, and blankets for hospitals and nursing homes. But I must admit I've been knitting for me lately.

 

kryos - actually, I'm going on the Veendam to the Amazon at the end of this month but your trip sounds wonderful.

 

cruiseoften - what a great idea for a waiting area. Just thinking about everyone working together and sharing good thoughts is truly inspirational.

[arzz]

I remember this thread on the knitting for charity projects from earlier this year. Just wish to share a small anecdote to ponder on this topic. It may explain what happened to the charity knitting on board.

 

I boarded the Volendam on October 16 with two close friends. One of them decided to take her knitting project with her for those quiet moments on the trip.

 

It turns out that knitting needles and port security do not mix at all. My friend's knitting was confiscated from her bag by Port Security and she was subjected to extra careful pre-boarding security screening (the metal detector was set so high for her that she had to remove all of the clips from her hair in order to pass through) -- when she was finally allowed to board we went down to the Front Desk to see if we could find out what would happen to her knitting project. We were told that it would be returned to her when the ship returned to Fort Lauderdale.

 

As it turned out:

1 -- As soon as the Volendam left Florida waters for international waters her knitting was dutifully delivered to our cabin

2 -- The expected "quiet moments" for knitting never really appeared (and, of course, we had a super cruise)

3 -- The Volendam never did return to Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale that cruise due to the after effects of Wilma -- had HAL carried out their original threat my friend and her knitting would have been permanently separated.

 

All's well that ends well, however, I am not sure that HAL encourages on board knitting anymore!

[mechcc]

Signs on each table indicated what was being made - Knit a Square; Help with a blanket; knit a scarf, etc. etc. together with instructions if you wished to start something. A very novice knitter, I opted to help with a scarf and picked up one already under way - my friend decided to start a square and quickly cast on the required number of stitches. Plain knitting was all that was required.

 

It was 40 minutes before she was called. She'd managed to finished 2 lovely squares, leaving a third for someone else to carry on with. People chatted and time passed quickly. A very novice knitter, I was proud of myself having finished one square from scratch and was half way through a second when my friend returned.

 

Many escorts, like myself, had brought books and magazines. Most put the reading material aside and picked up the knitting. The experts combined the activites and chatted too!

 

Seems this knitting-bee is carried on in many waiting rooms these days. Garments of all kinds are created by the experts. Patients and escorts frequently drop off odds and end of wool and no longer used needles.

 

Bit like the giant jig-saw puzzles HAL sometimes had around the shopping/library area! Remember those? :D

 

This is a wonderful project as well is the knitting group on the World Cruise. Note to self - relearn the basics of knitting - might happen upon an opportunity to contribute.

[Cruiseoften]

could enter an item about Snitch and Stitch Group meeting ??? o'clock naming some lounge corner - chances are that would get sewers-knitters together :D I'd go just out of curiosity :) :) :)

[Madame Snowflake]

On our 10 day cruise, I saw one of the asst CD's with a group of women gathering in the Lido together with knitting supplies, and I was wondering what that was! I would have loved to participate (I don't know how to knit but have been dying to learn) but I didn't recall see any announcements for it in the schedule, so I wasn't sure if it was open to anyone. Do they do this regularly, and how can you join up if it's not something that's publicized?

[arzz]

Speaking of jig saw puzzles -- we had them in the new Explorations Cafe aboard the Zaandam last March.

[Cruiseoften]

On our 10 day cruise, I saw one of the asst CD's with a group of women gathering in the Lido together with knitting supplies, and I was wondering what that was! I would have loved to participate (I don't know how to knit but have been dying to learn) but I didn't recall see any announcements for it in the schedule, so I wasn't sure if it was open to anyone. Do they do this regularly, and how can you join up if it's not something that's publicized?

 

On board ship I don't believe it's considered rude to stand by to see what's going on and then, if interested, ask if you may join in. The gathering may well have been impromptu

:)

[Madame Snowflake]

Thanks for the advice, Cruiseoften, I won't be so shy to ask next time. :)

[JLT]

On the 30 day PC/Amazon we did form a knitting group and had a get together (announced in the daily program) every sea day. Debbie, the ass't CD saw my friend and I knitting one of the first days on board, said she was a beginning knitter, and did we think there might be others interested. Well, we had a group of 15 to 20 who got acquainted this way, had lunch in the dining room together, and shared ideas. We worked on our own projects but agreed that we would be willing to knit for others given the opportunity. I had called Ship's Services to inquire about this but no one had heard about it there, of course. I made 4 baby caps and half a poncho. On my next long cruise I'll take along some yarn for others, just in case, because there were several ladies who asked about instructions.

 

A friend of mine also had her knitting needles confiscated as she boarded a ship in Tampa. They didn't take the needles that had knitting on them, just the loose ones. Go figure! So, pack your needles in your luggage not your carry on!

[Starbright]

I'm a keen embroideress and since 9/11 have, of course, been unable to carry scissors in my hand baggage. If I want to stitch on a flight to/from my cruise I now carry a "thread snip" which is a blade fixed inside a circular metal gadget. There's a little slot in the circle - you slip the thread inside to cut it, but you couldn't possibly hurt anyone with it. My main embroidery items go in my hold baggage.

 

I think the knitting idea is great - I love knitting too. I'd be happy to join any group doing handicrafts on sea days. I'm on a 3 week cruise next year - maybe I'll try and start something!

[kakalina]

Just returned for 44 days on the Veendam. Every afternoon at 2:30 in the Lido there was a craft class. Everyone brought their own projects in addition to the project that the ship supplied the materials for. There was also a meeting every other day or so in the Explorers Lounge for knitting, lace making, crochet, tatting, etc. Lots of ladies and some men joined in all the time. There was a large group involved. It was intructive and also great fun.

Trisha