A sneak peek ahead: we are working towards creating a Crochet Crowd + Yarn Dragon retreat. We are in the beginning stages of planning.
This trip has been postponed. If you sign up for the notify me option, you will be notified first of any changes and can make an informed decision before the general public.
Advanced Notifications
The notification form is used to gather information before the general public is aware that tickets are open. Each submission is time-stamped.
Batches of notifications will be done based on the volume of interest. The first batch is about 100 notifications, and our agent will wait a few days before sending the next 100, and so on.
By signing up, you are not obligated to go, nor are you guaranteed a spot. It is not uncommon for a registration to have 4+ spots needed for the workshops.
Many travel with their spouses, family, or friends, and those passengers are not included in the workshop seat count but are included in our parties, etc.
Both groups will have their maximum number of participants due to space constraints on board the ship.
Yarn Dragon and The Crochet Crowd will be running two groups working together on board the Princess Ruby Cruise Ship departing San Francisco, California, to Hawaii and back from April 1st to 16th, 2027. It's an extended, over-2-week cruise with the option to do pre-cruise tours in San Francisco for those interested as well.
There have been requests to do something more West Coast, and here is the opportunity.
Both of our groups will have solo time with their hosts in the mornings of sea days and then come together in the afternoons for 'Stitch'n Sails' time for an activity, stitching or a fun thing to do as both groups. We may switch hosts for 1 or more activities just for fun.
In This Article
Background
Our agent, Joanne, who is known for finding the right hosts for her craft-centric retreats, is bridging the gap to create two separate yet together crochet and knit retreats.
She mentioned Yarn Dragon to me, but I didn't know who that was. Unknowingly to me, as I don't pay close attention to people's names for the fun people online, I had been following Jonathan, aka Yarn Dragon, already and regularly watching his content for yarn-tainment value.
Joanne already had an established craft-centric operation and asked me to serve as a host on one of her river cruise boats in Europe. I thought to myself, my personality can rub people the wrong way who don't know me. Is there a way for me to create my own retreat so that the community that comes is already aware that I am off-the-cuff and rolling with the waves?
What was intriguing was that she could get supplies from areas of the world we haven't been able to reach. Joanne chose Jonathan to see if we could work together to create an incredible event. Not realizing I already follow him, I was over the moon. He's fun online and breaks the mould of what a knitter or crocheter looks like. Love when barriers are broken.
In my world, YouTube Hosts and designers can be highly competitive, to the point that the joy can be sucked out of the moment, as one person is doing the legwork while everyone else is just the team. I've been lucky in the past, working with several hosts who, when it came to showtime with our community, delivered and provided a positive experience. It's not always the case, from what I understand.
Changing Up The Plan
We've had our conversations to kick-start the planning, and ultimately, the game is to run separate programs simultaneously. Three of us have one solo goal...
GOAL
Let's break down the barrier between crocheters and knitters. We share the same raw material and feel joy in our creations. Daniel, Jonathan, and I think it's ridiculous that there is a rivalry between the crafts. We can chew gum and support everyone. So let's do it and have fun at the same time.
The Crochet Crowd, aka Michael and Daniel, will run our group in the Crochet Crowd format, in our usual informal way.
Yarn Dragon, aka Jonathan, is already doing destination travel with the yarn arts in his own way. Jonathan owns a yarn shop in Seattle and has access to his own materials, but can use our agent to help get more if needed. Will run his group the way that matches his style and what he wants to convey.
Mikey's program will be crochet-centric, and Jonathan's program may be a mix of crochet and knit. Both of us will have our own programs in motion. Both of us will have our own kits to give to guests who sign up for either. You cannot sign up for both workshops, as they run at the same time.
While both workshops are in motion, the goal is to bring both groups together for shared activities, stitch socials, and possibly more experiences that reach beyond the world of yarn.
Both of us have the maximum number of guests we can handle, and the venue has a maximum space allowance that will dictate our group sizes and the combined group as a whole.
We are in talks of doing 'rotary' where I will host one of his classes, and he will host one of mine, essentially switching spots to mix it up a bit. It will allow both of our communities to interact and get to know us.
Now is the time to get familiar with Jonathan. He hosts retreats already and is destined for France and Iceland in the future. He is located in Seattle, Washington. Our common goal is to keep this joint adventure originating in the USA and explore going across the big pond.
I'm sure his program is going to be a smash hit, and together with ours, three of us will be around to provide a relaxed and fun atmosphere. He will make an announcement when we go live to gather his community for his group, and we will do the same on our end.
Right now, we are considering jumping on a ship together and/or a land retreat location. Either way, I expect it's going to be a hell of a great time.
If you would like to stay in the know, sign up for our newsletter.
JR says
I clicked on the "notify me" box but nothing happens. The doesn't seem to be working for me.
Mikey says
Checking thanks for letting me know.
Laura Thiele says
This sounds so exciting. I am looking forward to hearing all the details.