Danube Knit Retreat 2027
Budapest to Vilshofen · 7–14 November 2027 · aboard AMARudi
We are co-hosting a knitting retreat on the Danube, and we would love you to come.
For seven nights in November 2027 we sail from Budapest to Vilshofen aboard AMARudi, the newest ship on the river. On board with us: 150 crafters, a line-up of teachers we have admired for years and a pop-up yarn shop you cannot get to any other way.
Days are yours to fill. Learn something new in a workshop, wander a storybook town, ride a bike along the riverbank or sit on deck with your knitting and watch Europe go past. Evenings are for eating well and talking to people who understand exactly why you brought four projects for one week.
Deb with Janette Budge and Mary Jane Mucklestone on last November’s Danube Christmas Markets cruise. Both are teaching again in 2027.
“Cruising the Danube was so much fun. The places that you visit are amazing – Vienna! I’m so happy that we’ll get to spend some more time in Budapest too as I discovered it’s a Spa town and there are so many that I want to visit. But you really can’t go past the people that you meet on the cruise. The teachers are incredible plus you’re spending a week with 150 knitters. What could be better? Instant best friends!”
Deb, on the Danube Christmas Markets cruise, November 2025
What the week holds
- Four knitting workshops with internationally respected teachers
- Fibre-art talks and presentations on board
- An onboard pop-up yarn shop with Bilum Yarns from Budapest and Di Gilpin Yarns from Scotland
- Guided walking tours, hikes, bike rides, palaces and abbeys in every port
- Evening get-togethers in the lounge with the teachers and hosts
- All your meals, drinks, gratuities and wifi on board
Your teachers
Laura Nelkin
Knit designer and instructor, USA
Laura is a prolific and innovative knitwear designer known for complex but accessible designs that challenge knitters to think about their stitches in a new way. She takes her inspiration from the gorges of the Finger Lakes region of Upstate New York, where she lives.
Janette Budge
Knit designer and Fair Isle tutor, Shetland, UK
Janette is a Shetland-born designer and a passionate advocate for preserving traditional Shetland knitting. Through her workshops, her designs and her work with Shetland Wool Week and the Shetland Peerie Makkers, she shares that heritage with students all over the world.
Mary Jane Mucklestone
Knit designer, instructor and author, USA
Mary Jane is a celebrated American designer and teacher known for her innovative colourwork and her contemporary take on traditional technique. Her stylish, wearable designs draw on Scandinavian and Fair Isle traditions.
Di Gilpin and Sheila Greenwell
Designers, authors and judges on Game of Wool, Scotland, UK
Di and Sheila are internationally acclaimed Scottish textile designers known for revitalising traditional knitting through contemporary design, craftsmanship and sustainability. Their creative partnership has grown into a leading hand-knit design studio rooted in Scotland’s cultural heritage.
Knicoleknits
Knit instructor and podcaster, Canada
Nicole brings her teaching and her podcaster’s warmth to the retreat.
Where you go
Budapest, Hungary → Bratislava, Slovakia → Vienna, Austria → Krems an der Donau, Austria → Linz, Austria, with a full day in Salzburg → Passau, Germany → Vilshofen, Germany
You start in the Hungarian capital and finish in Bavaria, taking in the regal history of Bratislava, the imperial elegance of Vienna, the baroque villages and hilltop abbeys around Krems, and the gothic splendour of St Stephen’s Cathedral in Passau along the way.
The Wachau valley, between Krems and Linz.
The ship
AMARudi is the newest ship in the AmaWaterways fleet and the largest sailing the Danube, in its first season in 2027. Suites have full balconies, and on board there are four restaurants, a heated sun-deck pool and whirlpool, an expansive fitness studio, bicycles to borrow and wifi throughout.
Who is behind it
The retreat is organised by Michelle Streicher of SPJ Retreats. We have sailed with Michelle before – on the Rhine, and Deb on the Danube Christmas Markets cruise last November – so we know how well she runs these weeks.
Deb and Janine are your yarn store hosts on board. The teaching is in the hands of the instructors. We are there to make sure everybody has a great time.
How to book
Bookings, cabin categories, fares and the full day-by-day itinerary are all handled by SPJ Retreats.
Phone 1-855-607-2869 · enquiries@southpacificjourneys.com
There are 150 places, and single cabins have already sold out.
Got a question about the crafting side of the week? Come and ask us in the shop, or email info@skeinsisters.com.au. And it is not just knitters – there are always lots of crocheters on board too. We would love to have you with us.
Deb and Janine x