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knitting the world together one trip at a time
Upcoming Tours
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Fall 2023
Fabulous Fiber & Foliage
in New Hampshire
October 1 - 9, 2023
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Come and discover the sights, sounds, aromas and textures of New Hampshire during the fall foliage season! Our journeys will weave through both the history, place and, of course, fibers of the Granite State, including iconic locations and adventures in the White Mountains, the Dartmouth, Lake and Monadnock regions and in one of New Hampshire's oldest communities on the seacoast. Activities will include a couple of fun workshops, a unique train ride, some tasty treats and, of course, some glorious yarn shops. NH has so much to see for such a little state!
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Optional post-tour extension in Salem, Massachusetts
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Tour Cost, per person:
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Single: $5075
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Flex: $4375
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Shared: $3875
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Tour Activity Level:
We would describe this trip as a Woolly Wander. If you'd like to review our trip activity levels, take a look here.
Wool & Whisky:
Late Fall Edition
October 12 - 23, 2023
An exciting new development for Wool & Whisky! Since we're offering it later in the fall, we'll be in Scotland for The Glasgow School of Yarn festival. Oh my. And whisky... Let’s not forget the whisky! We’ll have the world’s best distilleries all around us as we travel through the heart of Scotland. It’s going to be an absolutely unbeatable, sheep-on-green-hillsides, kilt-sighting, bagpipes-echoing, sticky-toffee-pudding-tasting adventure. Two nights in the Scottish Borders, two nights in Edinburgh, two nights in Highland Perthshire and four nights in Glasgow. Join us!
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Tour Cost, per person:
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Single: $6200
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Shared: $4800
Tour Activity Level:
We would describe this trip as a Expedition. If you'd like to review our trip activity levels, take a look here.
Brooklyn Boy Knits Does Rhinebeck & Beyond!
October 17 - 23, 2023
What could fire up our knitting engines more than going to the Wool and Folk Festival AND Rhinebeck (aka The New York Sheep and Wool Festival)? How about combining it with Louis Boria as your host in Brooklyn & Beyond! Rowan Tree Travel and Fibercraft is delighted to be partnering on this trip with Brooklyn Boy Knits, who also happens to be Wool and Folk’s Master of Ceremonies. Just for our group, Louis is designing a kit with hand-dyed yarns sourced from Lyndsay Vega at Five Borough Yarns - will any of our nifty needle wielders have that ready to wear proudly at Rhinebeck? So buckle up, needles at the ready, as we romp and knit through Brooklyn and upstate New York’s October Bright Blue Weather!
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Tour Cost, per person:
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Single: $4000
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Flex: $3575
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Cozy Shared: $3275
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Bunkhouse Flex: $3175
Tour Activity Level:
We would describe this trip as a Woolly Wander. If you'd like to review our trip activity levels, take a look here.
Asheville Through the Maker's Lens
October 29 - November 4, 2023
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Welcome to the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina, home to iconic mountains and a rich history in American art and craft. Over the years, the region has not only survived, but THRIVED due to its traditional and contemporary craft schools, a lively foodie and micro-brewery scene in Asheville, and the presence of the Southern Highland Guilds’ Folk Art Center along the Blue Ridge Parkway. During our time together, we’ll do a lot of exploring. We’ll also introduce you to the Blue Ridge Mountain fibershed (a term used to describe all the contributors and components in fiber endeavors of a certain geographic area). We’ll visit sheep farms, a historic fiber mill, learn about the Blue Ridge Blanket Project and so much more. For your pleasure, we’ve settled everyone into the comfortable elegance of a grande inn and carriage house in the historic Montford District of Asheville. We can and will indulge in the inn’s southern hospitality, starting with a generous front porch to gather for knitting, cozy seating indoors, scratch-made two-course breakfasts, and an evening social hour featuring an assortment of local libations and charcuterie. Welcome to Asheville!
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Tour Cost, per person:
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Single: $4700
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Shared: $3600
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Tour Activity Level:
We would describe this trip as a Retreat. If you'd like to review our trip activity levels, take a look here.
Spring 2024
Wool and Wonders
of New Zealand
with Grandma's Spinning Wheel
April 4 - 20, 2024
On this very first expeditionary trip to New Zealand, we explore all things woolly and wonderful in Aotearoa! Aotearoa being the Maori name for the two islands that make up New Zealand. We begin our tour discovering Auckland on the North Island and then wend our way down to Queenstown at the tip of the South Island. Along the way, we visit local yarn shops, explore the volcanic landscape, participate in workshops that teach us the Maori craft of flax spinning, how to blend in possum fur (yes, possum fur!) for spinning and knitting, the traditional uses of pounamu (Maori jade), take High Tea surrounded by beautiful gardens, visit a Giant’s House, have two days at an 11,000 head Merino sheep station in the Kaikoura Mountain Range of the Southern Island, and spend a night in a “Scottish” Castle. We may encounter albatross, penguins and, with a little bit of “patupaiarehe” luck (magic folk of Maori-lore), even get to see the kiwi - that rarest of birds. Oh, and while we are about it, spend time among the Hobbiton hobbits!
We will be experiencing a wide gamut of accommodation styles on this trip from luxurious sheep stations to boutique hotels to beach-side cottages. Prepare to be wowed!
Tour Cost, per person:
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Mostly Single: $9000
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Flex: $8400
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Mostly Shared: $7800
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Standard Shared: $7600
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Cozy Standard Shared: $7600
Tour Activity Level:
We would describe this trip as an Expedition. If you'd like to review our trip activity levels, take a look here.
Wool & Whisky:
Our Signature Tour
April 11 - 22, 2024
You are invited to join Rowan Tree Travel on a very special, fiber-infused journey to Scotland. We can’t wait to share this beautiful country with you! We’ll explore castles, lochs and crofts, spend time in stunning Edinburgh, learn about the Scottish fiber community through visits with artisans, farms, shops and mills, take in lots of iconic Scottish scenery, and taste a wonderful array of cuisine. Oh, and whisky… Let’s not forget the whisky! We’ll have the world’s best distilleries all around us as we travel through the country. Shall we enjoy a few wee drams during our nightly knit sessions? Perhaps visit a distillery or two? It’s going to be an absolutely unbeatable, sheep-on-green-hillsides, kilt-sighting, sleepy-seaside-fishing-village, sticky-toffee-pudding-tasting adventure. We hope you can join us!
Tour Cost, per person:
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Single: $7250
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Flex: $6250
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Shared: $5500
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Tour Activity Level:
We would describe this trip as an Expedition. If you'd like to review our trip activity levels, take a look here.
Wool & Wanders:
The Lake District,
a Retreat to Make Your Own
April 12 - 19, 2024
Join us on the picturesque banks of Coniston Water for a week-long retreat filled with walks, communing with sheep and their people, and taking time to be inspired creatively by the landscape. Our home base for the week will be Bank Ground Farm, perched right on the banks of Coniston Water, and looking out at The Old Man of Coniston. From here we will take boats across the water to scenic walking points, walk to neighboring farms to learn about keeping sheep in the Lake District, and have plenty of time to relax. A few days we will take an excursion out of the area to learn about the literary greats of the region. From Wordsworth to Beatrix Potter, the Lake District has attracted many people who fundamentally defined the Lake District as we see it today.
Tour Cost, per person:
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Single: $5300
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Shared: $4050
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Triple: $3925
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Tour Activity Level:
We would describe this trip as an Expedition/Retreat. If you'd like to review our trip activity levels, take a look here.
Woolen Wales
April 20 - 30, 2024
Wales can be overlooked when people think of traveling in the United Kingdom. They think “England! Scotland! Cornwall!” - but here’s what we know that those folks don’t: Wales is brimming with spectacular scenery, poignant history, and a unique, longstanding craft and wool tradition. It’s a gem of a destination for fiber enthusiasts. Welsh weaving has been extant since prehistoric times. In medieval days, the region produced its own particular type of hard-wearing cloth, similar to tweed, called frieze. Knitting, spinning, felting and embroidery have also had their place in the production of wearables and wares. Due to this diversity, the region’s preeminent fiber festival, Wonderwool Wales, showcases a memorable variety of materials, methods and makers. Join us as we explore this wool event plus travel through sheep-dotted hills, wild moorland, rugged coastline, glimpse hidden waterfalls and enjoy stellar hospitality. We’ll visit with those working to keep Welsh wool traditions alive alongside new, sustainable methods for keeping sheep, processing wool and handcrafting.
Tour Cost, per person:
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Single: $5650
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Flex: $4950
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Shared: $4650
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Cozy Flex: $4450
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Tour Activity Level:
We would describe this trip as a Woolly Wander. If you'd like to review our trip activity levels, take a look here.
Wool and Wonders
of New Zealand
with Kid Ewe Knot
April 23 - May 8, 2024
MORE Hobbits and Possums and Sheep! Oh, my!
On this expeditionary trip to New Zealand, we explore all things woolly and wonderful in Aotearoa - Aotearoa being the Maori name for the two islands that make up New Zealand. You can unpack your sweaters straight away as we begin our tour in Queenstown on the South Island, with the definite nip of Autumn in the air, heading up to the relatively balmier climes of the North Island. Along the way, we visit local yarn shops, explore the volcanic landscape, participate in workshops that teach us the Maori craft of flax spinning, how to blend possum fur (yes, possum fur!) for spinning and knitting, take High Tea surrounded by beautiful gardens and visit a Giant’s House, have two days at an 11,000 head Merino sheep station in the Kaikoura Mountain Range of the Southern Island, and spend a night in a “Scottish” Castle. We encounter albatross, penguins and, with a little bit of “patupaiarehe” luck (magic folk of Maori-lore), even get to see the kiwi - that rarest of birds. Oh, and while we are about it, spend time among the Hobbiton hobbits!
Tour Cost, per person:
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Mostly Single: $8400
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Flex: $8000
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Mostly Shared: $7400
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Standard Shared: $7100
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Cozy Standard Shared: $7100
Tour Activity Level:
We would describe this trip as an Expedition. If you'd like to review our trip activity levels, take a look here.
Cotswolds Walking Holiday
May 9 - 17, 2024
Join us for a sheep-and-fresh-air-filled adventure through the Cotswolds! Days of walking between towns to new accommodations will alternate with days to either rest and explore or to walk to a nearby attraction. Gardens, abbeys, and stately homes will delight; thatched cottages with wisteria climbing up their honey stone walls will enchant. All as we walk through the pastoral
landscape dotted with sheep. As we meander the miles, tea rooms and museums will provide even more cultural experiences throughout this idyllic countryside of England.
Heather proclaims that Gifford Circus is a must while in the Cotswolds and so it shall be. For our final adventure we will indulge our well-traveled bodies in the thermal spas of Bath England.
Tour Cost, per person:
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Single: $4850
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Flex: $4450
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Shared: $3950
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Tour Activity Level:
We would describe this trip as an Expedition. If you'd like to review our trip activity levels, take a look here.
Squidney Knits
in Vintage England
May 13 - 22, 2024
Join Sydney Crabaugh with Rowan Tree Travel & Fibercraft for a Vintage England Fiber Tour like no other! We will start in the north of England and have plenty of time with Susan of "Susan Crawford Vintage," learning from her expertise and reveling in her yarn! While in the Lake District, we will learn about Beatrix Potter and her beloved Herdwick Sheep. As we head south we’ll make stops to Yorkshire to visit the land of All Creatures Great and Small, and later to the incredible WWII codebreakers at Bletchley Park. Finally we will land in London for a vintage fashion extravaganza of shopping and fun! This tour will be filled with insight, laughter, and opportunities to get your vintage on through the ages!
Tour Cost, per person:
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Single: $6700,
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Flex: $5650
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Shared: $5400
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Cozy Shared: $5300
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Tour Activity Level:
We would describe this trip as a Woolly Wander. If you'd like to review our trip activity levels, take a look here.
Greece: An Ionian Knitting Odyssey
May 22 - June 1, 2024
Join us for a floating knitting retreat in the Ionian Islands of Greece! We will enjoy the adventure of life aboard The Aegeotissa II - a 12 cabin boat which looks like a pirate ship! With 7 days to enjoy 5 spectacular locations in the Ionian Sea, you will have plenty of time to swim, nap, knit, nap, eat and explore! Fabulous food is served for both breakfast and lunch on board the boat as well as in the many tavernas you will have to choose from in port. Our normal days will be spent motoring to a new location in the mornings after breakfast, a swim stop at an enticing and remote beach while lunch is prepared, and then a short journey to port where you can disembark and explore. We will have a visit with ladies from a textile association on Kefalonia who are preserving the textile traditions of the island, and a farm visit to learn how to cook the traditional meat or vegetable pie of the area and perhaps to learn how to dance? Of course we will have an easy knit-along shawl project designed by local designer, Maria Zilaku with Treliz! Yarn and a chance to pick out your own skein from her bold and colorful collection while we are in Athens.
Tour Cost, per person:
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Single: $6300
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Cozy Shared: $4750/$4250
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Shared: $4500
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Tour Activity Level:
We would describe this trip as a Retreat. If you'd like to review our trip activity levels, take a look here.
​Textiles & Treasures of the Scottish Borders
May 31 - June 7, 2024
While everyone else is heading out toward Edinburgh, Glasgow and the Highlands, we invite you to slip away to a location in Scotland that’s altogether different: the Scottish Borders. Located south of Edinburgh and north of England, the Borders is rich with gently rolling hills, sweet towns, architectural gems and wonderful artisans. It has a rich history as a center for textile mills and dye houses. It’s also full of historic homes – from castles to Cistercian abbeys. Our small group of 10-12 participants will stay in one of those historic homes during our May/June retreat at Abbotsford, the former home of author Sir Walter Scott. We’ll enjoy some fantastic exploring, workshops, visits to textile and fiber-related venues and stellar in-house entertainment. New this year is an opportunity to attend Tangled Galashiels, a community led and very local fiber festival. Textiles & Treasures of the Scottish Borders is a retreat as relaxed and intimate as the surrounding landscape. Ready for some fiber-infused adventures, learning and camaraderie in an off-the-beaten-track Scottish setting? Join us!
Tour Cost, per person:
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Single: $5250
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Shared: $4150
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Triple: $3900
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Tour Activity Level:
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We would describe this trip as a Retreat. If you'd like to review our trip activity levels, take a look here.
Midsummer Knitting in Norway
June 7 - 16, 2024
Come away with us to knit under the midsummer bright sky in Norway! Our visit here will be during the longest summer days, with just an hour or less between dawn and dusk! Will you stay up to witness it? Our tour will be focused around Bergen and the beautiful fjordlands that surround it. We will take full advantage of the spectacular scenery with scenic train and boat rides, quaint hotels with water views, and even a floating sauna so that you can jump right in the fjord to cool off! We will learn all about Norway's textile traditions, from the Varafell cloaks known as Viking Life Insurance and woven from locks of wool, to Norwegian colorwork techniques. We will experience natural dyeing, become familiar with the knitting industry that has produced the iconic Norwegian sweaters we all know and love, and of course, meet the local sheep and shepherdesses!
Tour Cost, per person:
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Single: $6400
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Budget Single: $6250
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Flex: $5600
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Cozy Shared: $5250
Tour Activity Level:
We would describe this trip as a Woolly Wander. If you'd like to review our trip activity levels, take a look here.
Summer 2024
Oaxaca Through the Lens of La Guelaguetza
July 25 - August 2
Oaxaca City is host to the most famous indigenous gathering of it’s kind in all of Mexico…..La Guelaguetza! Enjoy the mountain air while experiencing an extraordinary, once-a-year cultural event. La Guelaguetza is a summer festival in which all seven major indigenous communities come to the city to present traditional dancing, costumes, parades, walking bands, native food, and artisanal crafts. Get ready to delight your senses as we stroll through textile museums, sit down for a mezcal tasting, mole and more. This tour includes a visit to the preeminent pre-Columbian archeological site Monte Albán.
Trip Activity Level:
We would describe this trip as a Retreat with significant walking on cobblestone paving. If you'd like to review our trip activity levels, take a look here.
Tour Cost, per person:
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Single: $4100
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Shared: $3650
Curious to learn more? Watch an informational Zoom recording here: Open Video
​Knitting in the Canadian Maritimes
August 23 - September 2
Come with us to Prince Edward Island and Nova Scotia, as we explore this portion of the Canadian Maritimes! We will visit farms and mills highlighting the vibrant fiber production in the region today, from wool to alpaca and even linen! While in Nova Scotia, let's explore its history, as well as its fiber - from the Mi'kmaq people and the Arcadians, to The Citadel in Halifax and the Maritimes Museum. Of course, we will have to pay homage to resident literary figure, Anne of Green Gables, while on Prince Edward Island, and we will have plenty of time to walk on its famous red sand beaches and visit local artisan shops. Rug-hooking is the region's most traditional craft, and we will have the option to try our hand at it in a small project with a woolly twist! Accommodations will be in grand old inns and characterful cottages, all within view of the ever-present ocean. This is a workshop-loaded tour, from the magical wooliness of thrumming to learning the sorting of fleece to dying alpaca fiber and all along with the rug hooking project.
Tour Cost, per person:
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Single: $6800
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Budget Single: $6450
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Flex: $5550
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Shared: $5350
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Tour Activity Level:
We would describe this trip as a Retreat. If you'd like to review our trip activity levels, take a look here.
Coming Soon!
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If fall is more your time to travel,we have a great lineup of destinations for 2024 opening for registration on December 1, 2023. We’re not going to spill the beans just yet, but here’s a little of what you can look forward to: