In this age of alleged profiling, is there anything that would profile the stereotypical cruise passenger more than a knitting cruise?
Yes…knit one, purl two…and how many people today have a clue what that means?
Apparently, quite a few. There is a trend to knitting among young folks, they say, and if you are wondering who "they" are, join the club. Listen to Kristin Karst, whose job is to sell people on the idea of river cruising with AmaWaterways, which she co-owns and which is where you can go river-knitting…er, cruising:
"Given the fast learning curve, cross-gender appeal, the social aspect and the impact of the Internet, it's little wonder that knitting is such a growing trend. Knitting appeals to a younger generation these days, and we thought it would be a fun and creative outlet for our guests. This cruise will bring together a community of knitters and give them opportunities to learn new techniques, find inspiration for new projects, and show off their personal style and creativity."
Sometimes, it's hard to believe what you're reading. This required research.
Lion Brand Yarns has a section of its website devoted to free patterns for teens and young adults…if it's so popular why would patterns be free?
Spinning another yarn, Rowan claims "more young adults [are] picking up knitting needles."
And The Huffington Post published an article headlined "Knitting Is Cool: 20-Somethings taking Up Knitting, Crochet" and the Columbia (University) News Service claims "Young People in Stitches Over Knitting's Charms."
Why does this still feel like a tough sell? In our family, there are 10 people younger than us and none of them knits. So while there are clearly candidates to be on the AmaBella for AmaWaterways' Knitting New Year's Cruise, we just don't know of any.
Norwegian Breakaway
7 nights
November 17, 2013
New York (return): Port Canaveral, Great Stirrup Cay, Nassau
Inside: $599
Cost per day: $85
www.ncl.com