HEADING NORTH!

Before we depart for the fjords, we'll take a trip outside the city to pay a visit to the wondrous Hillesåg Wool Mill. This mill and yarn shop will have you feeling like a child in a candy store. With hundreds of colors on display and multiple bases of Norwegian yarn to choose from, you will easily be able to fill any gaps in your yarn stash wishlist while we're here! We'll take a tour of their mill which has been in use for over a hundred years before setting everyone free for a yarn shopping spree. Then it's on to the Textile Industry Museum for some more fiber history and time for lunch!

Our bus will return us to Bergen where we'll board the ferry and say toodle-oo for now to the city and set sail for the countryside. Perched at the edge of Sognefjord, the largest fjord in Norway, we will reach our picturesque hotel, Skjerjehamn. Originally a villa house built in the mid-19th century, this house-hotel retains its historic character and offers 360° views of the tranquil fjords and nature that surround it. We will have a pleasant day off the bus to relax and learn Norwegian colorwork in a workshop with Birger Berge, author of Nordic Knits. The only interruptions will be a fjord boat ride and breaks for excellent food and conversation! 

NORDIC FARMS & VIKING CHARMS

It's time to visit Helene with her flock of heritage Norse sheep at Gripen Gard Farm! Against the backdrop of her gorgeous farm, we will be introduced to natural dyeing techniques, meet the sheep that wander the hills, and be given a home-cooked lunch. It is safe to say that you all will be taken with Helene's charm, along with that of her sweet flock! We will continue through the fjordlands onto the island of Osterøy, our home for the next two nights.

The following day will be the next of our half-day workshops! In addition to a tour of the Osterøy Museum's amazing textile collection, they will teach us how to weave the fabric for the Varafell - a shaggy wool cape they like to call "Viking Life Insurance"! We'll stop by the Norlender Factory on our way back, which has been making Norwegian sweaters and knitwear for many decades, before returning to our beautiful hotel.  

VIKINGS, SAUNAS & RAILWAYS...OH MY!

Today we become immersed in Viking culture at the open air museum Viking Valley. This museum is full of traditional structures, re-enactors wearing period clothing and working with Viking-era tools. We will enjoy a cozy lunch here prepared by Vikings using some of the original ingredients from times gone by, as well as a private demonstration of Viking-era crafts! After you have physically pulled your fiber ambassador out from Viking Village (this was very difficult last year!) we will all board our bus and head to the stunning little fjord village of Flåm. We will get settled into the beautiful Fretheim Hotel with views out onto the fjord, and enjoy a leisurely dinner together.

The following morning will be spent in pure luxury, either in a sauna floating on the fjord, optional walks to the waterfall, visiting local artisan shops, or time to work on our knitting against the backdrop of the fjords! It's then time to make our way back to Bergen. We begin on the historic Flåm railway train, where picture-perfect views and perhaps a few surprises lurk around every turn. We'll enjoy lunch in between this journey and our more modern train ride that will drop us back into Bergen. Then to our hotel, which is conveniently located right across the street! Our final two nights will be spent at Villa Terminus, which is an exclusive-use villa perfectly situated in a cozy corner of Bergen. 

A FINAL HOORAH IN BERGEN

We're back in Bergen for one more day, and we are going to make the most of it! We'll start the day off with a final dose of Norwegian textile traditions, learning about the Bunad national dress from our very own Birger, who made his from scratch!

After that it's time to soak in the city from the top of Mount Fløyen via the historic funicular, for beautiful views over Bergen and the fjords beyond. There will be time to get a bite to eat at one of the mountain restaurants, explore the parks up here, and perhaps meet a troll or two! Use the late afternoon for some last-minute souvenir shopping or a few more rows of knitting before we have our farewell dinner all together. I don't want to say goodbye!

FAREWELL

Sadly it is time to bid a fond farewell to new friends and to our beloved Norway. Our consolation will be the newly acquired stash we're all bringing home with us! 

Sydney is a voracious knitter, designer, and knitwear historian. She has been knitting and studying fashion history for over fifteen years and recently turned her passions into a career at Squid's School of Vintage Knitting, an online school devoted to the education and love of historical knitwear. Her work in the knitting world is also supplemented by her academic background in film history, and she tries to combine the two as often as possible. In collaboration with Rowan Tree Travel, Sydney works to develop tours that have a historical or vintage bent, often with elaborately themed and niche activities! With over ten years of working in the fiber industry, Sydney continues to love meeting other knitters and sharing fiber experiences with them more than anything else. You can find her at patreon.com/squidschool or over on Instagram as @squidneyknits. 

Birger Berge is an avid knitter with great passion for knitting traditions, traditional techniques and anything fiber related. Birger gained traction in the knitting community from 2016 and forward though his Instagram account. Since then, Birger has published two books of his own and participated with patterns in several other book projects along with other designers. Birger is known for adapting traditional styles to modern knitwear and always looks to history for inspiration. As an educated historian, Birger is keenly aware of how important knitting has been for not only keeping warm, but also for a sense of identity and pride.