Knit & Crochet in Finland
On this superb knitting & crochet holiday you'll enjoy workshops led by Carol Meldrum. This tour will take us on a journey from Finland’s capital, Helsinki, north to Vaasa and Korsnas, home of the Korsnas sweater. On route we’ll meet and have workshops with local craft experts and enjoy three half day workshops with one of our Stitchtopia experts.
Your Tour Includes
- Return flights London to Helsinki and Vaasa to London via Helsinki with 1 piece of checked luggage
- 6 nights bed & breakfast accommodation in centrally located 4-star hotels
- 3 dinners
- Three half day workshops with your expert
- Services of an Arena Travel Tour Manager throughout the tour
- Entrance fees and excursions
Carol Meldrum
Carol Meldrum is a textile designer, workshop tutor and author of many popular knitting and crochet titles. She is also the creative force behind the fashion accessories label Beatknit. She has worked within the textile industry as a designer for many High Street fashion outlets as well as internationally renowned hand knit label Rowan. Carol is also a successful workshop tutor teaching all aspects of knit and crochet on an informal basis to both groups and individuals.
Itinerary
To use our NEW itinerary, simply click a day below and a detailed overview will appear.
Overview
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.
Includes Dinner
Overview
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.
Includes Breakfast
Included Highlights
Overview
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!).
Includes Breakfast
Included Highlights
Overview
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.
Includes Breakfast
Includes Dinner
Included Highlights
Overview
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.
Includes Breakfast
Included Highlights
Overview
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.
Includes Breakfast
Includes Dinner
Included Highlights
Overview
Transfer to Vaasa airport for our return flight to London, via Helsinki.
Includes Breakfast
Tour Notes: You will need to have a reasonable level of fitness to get the most out of this holiday. On excursion days you will need to walk a short distance from the hotel to the coach and you should be able to board the coach unaided. On arrival at the excursion destination, you should be able to alight the coach unaided and there may be a walk between the coach drop off point and the excursion venue. By their nature, walking tours, museum visits etc involve being on your feet for a significant amount of time. Whilst our excursions are taken at a leisurely pace, for the enjoyment of everyone in the group you should be able to keep up with your fellow travellers.
Single Room Supplement from £350.00 (7 days).
Knitting Holidays
Specially designed for knitters, this Stitchtopia knitting holiday is the ideal opportunity to meet like-minded knitters and indulge in your favourite hobby. Our talented knitting expert will be on hand throughout the holiday and host inspirational workshops with a beautifully designed project to get those needles clicking!
Accommodation
In July, you will be staying at the 4-star Scandic Grand Marina in Helsinki for 3 nights, and the 4-star Original Sokos Hotel Vaakuna in Vaasa for 3 nights.
In August, you will be staying at the 4-star Scandic Park Helsinki for 3 nights, and the 4-star Original Sokos Hotel Vaakuna in Vaasa for 3 nights.
