Knit & Crochet in Finland

Meet Carol Meldrum and your Arena Travel Tour Manager at London Heathrow airport for your flight to Helsinki. We will be met by our coach and driver, and transfer to our hotel. Helsinki, the capital of Finland, is a vibrant seaside city of beautiful islands and green parks. Design, architecture, culture and shopping can all be found alongside forest, lakes and the coastline.

This morning our tour will include a visit to Sibelius Park. The park reflects the rugged natural beauty of Finland which inspired Sibelius’ music. Next we will see Temppeliaukio Rock Church, a Lutheran church built directly into solid rock, designed by architects Timo and Tuomo Suomalainen and opened in 1969. Explore Senate Square designed by Carl Ludvig; Senate Square and its surroundings make up the oldest part of central Helsinki. Landmarks and famous buildings surrounding the square include Helsinki Cathedral, the Government Palace, University of Helsinki, and Sederholm House, the oldest building of central Helsinki dating from 1757. End the morning with a guided tour of the Fortress of Suomenlinna, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Learn about the colourful past of the fortress, giving an interesting perspective on Finnish and Northern European history.

This afternoon we return to our hotel for our first workshop.

We will spend this morning at Craft Corner, a meeting place for crafters in Helsinki, where we will enjoy a knitted wristbands workshop using Finnish and Nordic knitting techniques. This afternoon is free for personal sightseeing (or yarn shopping!).

This morning we will travel by train to Vaasa. On arrival we will be met by our driver and local guide for a city sightseeing tour, ending at our hotel. This afternoon we will enjoy a workshop at The House of Crafts.

We start the day with an excursion to Korsnäs to visit their Local History Museum. In the cottage we will see an extensive collection of woven throws and bed textiles. Everything related to the traditional dress, such as skirts, vests, and scarves, are richly represented, showing the variety of colour in weaving art in Korsnäs. Also on display are different tools necessary for textile craft, such as spinning wheels and carding brushes. The Korsnäs sweater, made and worn in Korsnäs during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, is a unique piece of clothing, mainly because it has both crocheted and knitted sections in bright colours. In the afternoon we will return to the hotel for our second workshop with our expert.

This morning we will drive to Korsholm to visit the Stundars Museum and Cultural Centre, a large open-air museum and a centre of culture and art. The museum will give us a fascinating insight into life in the Ostrobothnian countryside a hundred years ago. The museum workers will be dressed in traditional costume and will recount the history of textiles in this area. In the afternoon we will return to the hotel for our third and final workshop with our expert.

Transfer to Vaasa airport for our return flight to London, via Helsinki.