|
|
This
itinerary will appeal to knitters and non-knitters alike:
A Knitting Journey to Britain: featuring
Yorkshire, the Lake District, Wales, & London.
 Day
1: Saturday, 01 October
Departure from Toronto on our nonstop Air Canada flight to Manchester.
Day 2: Sunday, 02 October
We will be met on arrival by our private coach. You can relax and watch
the passing scene while we travel to our first hotel in the City of
York, known by the Vikings as Jorvik. After you check into your room
there will have time to relax or to explore the ancient streets, well
suited for walking.
Over the next two days, there is much to see:
-
Don’t miss York Minster, northern Europe’s largest Gothic
cathedral, where you can walk the 275 steps to the top of the tower. It
is possible to take a guided tour to the Belltowers and the Masons’
Loft--an opportunity to see the areas normally hidden from public view.
-
Castle Museum, a depiction of British everyday life over the past
600 years, featuring recreated Victorian and Edwardian streets.
-
National Railway Museum, the largest collection of its kind with
an outstanding display of engines and cars. Of special interest is the
collection of royal railway cars.
-
Jorvik, an opportunity to see the reconstruction of York’s Viking
history, with its 10th Century streets and collection of artifacts which
the resident Vikings used. This is where archaeologists uncovered the
remains of the ‘City of Jorvik’ in the 1970’s.
-
Clifford’s Tower, a glimpse at Medieval York and a symbol of
Norman power. The site offers an appreciation of the importance of the
structure in the control of Northern England.
-
City Walls, close to four kilometers of enjoyable walking, with
spectacular views of the city.
-
Walk the cobblestone streets and be sure to visit the renowned
Betty’s Tea Rooms for lunch or a restorative afternoon tea.
Before evening dinner, join us for an informal reception—your
opportunity to chat with your fellow tour members and to discuss our
plans for the next two weeks. Jean Frost, the author of Jean
Frost Jackets: Fabric, Fit, and Finish for Today's Knits, will
accompany and enrich our tour. Her forte is the knitted jacket, for
which she is known for clean, classic designs. Texture, stitch choice,
color combination, trim and finishing details are signature components
of Jean's designs and are key to her professional, finished products.
Jean began knitting at the age of ten while also learning her tailoring
skills. Her work in the garment industry provided her the opportunity to
hone her skills. In addition to her published work in magazines and
books, Jean has designed knitted garments for yarn companies, boutiques,
and private clients for over 20 years. We are
extremely fortunate to have Jean accompany our tour throughout the
duration. She will be available for specific instruction and if you
need it, to answer your questions and to give knitting guidance for all
your projects.
 Day
3:Monday, 03 October
After breakfast at the hotel, Jean will give a workshop about designing
and knitting a jacket, incorporating your individual style preferences
and a discussion of different pattern stitches. She will distribute
informative handouts and will also advise you on the amount of yarn to
buy for your project, so you’ll be prepared for future yarn shopping.
In the afternoon, we’ll visit the village of Haworth, home of the
Brontë sisters, Emily, Anne and Charlotte. There will be time to
visit a museum devoted to their lives, their home at the Parsonage and
the nearby areas where they wrote their novels.
For those who prefer to stay in York, this will be a chance for further
exploration. In the evening you might like to take in a presentation of
live theatre or a musical performance at either the York Theatre Royal
or the Grand Opera House.
Day 4:Tuesday, 04 October
After breakfast we go to Holmfirth and the home of Rowan Yarns,
where we will have a private workshop, given by one of the tutors
on the Rowan staff. The topic of our workshop will be bead knitting,
both a chance to learn how to apply this skill to our jacket project,
but also to learn the many uses we can make of this technique. We’ll
have lunch at Rowan before going to the nearby yarn shop called Up
Country.
 Day
5:Wednesday, 05 October
After breakfast, we leave the City of York, travelling through the
famous Yorkshire Dales and the mountains and valleys of the Yorkshire
Dales National Park.
Our first stop is the town of Thirsk, site of a museum and exhibition
called ‘The World of James Herriot’. You’ll see where Alf Wight, author
of the books, All Creatures Great and Small, had his
veterinary practice and Skeldale House, where much of the highly popular
TV series was based.
After lunch in Thirsk, we’ll stop in Hawes in Wensleydale, to visit the
museum and its collection of articles of the famous ‘Knitters of the
Dales’.
We’ll continue on to Muker, a small village also featured in the
writings of James Herriot. Muker is the home of Swaledale Woollens,
located in another area with local sheep breeds and long history of
handknitting.
Our hotel for the next three nights is in beautiful, peaceful Cumbria,
more commonly known to North Americans as the Lake District.
Day 6:Thursday, 06 October
This morning Jean will give us a workshop at the hotel.
In the afternoon we will visit Mary Bell at Crookabeck Farm to see her
flock of Herdwick sheep, a native breed of the Lake District, which have
adapted to the harsh conditions of the fells. The lambs are born with
white ears and black fleece, which turns to grey as they mature. Mary
also has a herd of angora goats at the farm. You will find yarn, kits
and finished items to buy in the farm shop.
On our way back to the hotel, we’ll go by the sights which Beatrix
Potter loved and were the inspiration of her many books.
 Day
7:Friday, 07 October
Our first visit this morning is to a shop called The Wool Clip, which is
operated by a small group of local craftspeople and farmers. You will
find a selection of spinning, knitting, dyeing, weaving and felted
objects.
After lunch there will be an opportunity to enjoy more scenery while we
visit the areas associated with another Cumbrian native, William
Wordsworth. We’ll see Wordsworth House, where he was born in 1770,
and Rydal Mount and Gardens and Dove Cottage, where he also lived. For
those who would like stroll, follow Wordsworth Walk, a gentle path
between Rydal Mount and the church in Grasmere where he is buried.
There will be time to visit historic Levens Hall acknowledged in the
Guiness Book of World Records to have the oldest topiary gardens in
existence.
Day 8:Saturday, 08 October
Before leaving Cumbria, we stop in Kendal to visit Abbot Hall and the
Quaker Tapestry Museum.
In the afternoon we travel to the fabled principality of Wales. Our
route will take us through the stunning Horseshoe Pass to our hotel in
North Wales, an area of scenic beauty and the site of many castles, and
we’ll stop in the village of Llangollen for an afternoon break Just
outside Llangollen is the home of the “Ladies of Llangollen.” These two
Anglo-Irish women left their privileged lives in Ireland in 1778 and
dedicated their lives to “friendship, celibacy and knitting of blue
stockings.”
This evening after dinner, depending on their schedule at the time, we
hope to attend a concert of a Welsh Male Choir.
 Day
9:Sunday, 09 October
No outings are planned for today: you can knit and relax at the hotel;
attend a church service; take a walk in the area—the choice is yours.
Jean has scheduled a workshop for us.
Day 10: Monday, 10 October
Today we leave North Wales and travel south to the capital city of
Cardiff.
We’ll stop in the tiny village of Llanfair Caereinion and the home of
the yarn shop of Colinette, widely acknowledged to be a
consummate dyer and producer of distinctive yarns.
Afternoon tea will be memorable and will be taken at the Llangoed Hall,
former home of the late Laura Ashley. It is now a luxurious hotel.
Our southerly route takes us through the Brecon Beacons National Park
before arriving in Cardiff, the capital of Wales.
Day 11:Tuesday, 11 October
Cardiff is Europe’s youngest capital city and has experienced a
transformation to a vibrant centre, while still cherishing and
preserving its heritage.
Your day is at leisure and you can easily walk through the compact city
centre. In addition, you will most likely wish to visit:
-
Cardiff Castle - within its walls is evidence of Roman and
medieval fortifications, and a Victorian mansion;
-
National Museum and Gallery of Wales in the city centre. These
buildings, part of the new Civic Centre area, are often referred to as
the ‘Washington, D.C. of Europe’.
Day 12:Wednesday, 12 October
We won’t leave South Wales and the Cardiff area before going to see:
-
 Cardiff
Bay, a recently redeveloped area which includes Mermaid Quay with
its shops and restaurants, and the Wales Millennium Centre, site of the
international performing arts centre for Wales.
-
St. Fagan’s, Museum of Welsh Life, an open-air museum and the
most popular heritage attraction of Wales. A walk through the
picturesque grounds shows a collection of actual buildings, which were
moved to the site and show the daily life of the Welsh people from the
Middle Ages to the present day. The Museum is located on the grounds of
St. Fagan’s Castle, a late 16th century manor house donated by the Earl
of Plymouth.
In the afternoon, we’ll travel to our hotel in central London,
our base for the next four nights. Our time in this exciting city will
offer you the opportunity to explore and follow your interests--from
visiting the many museums to attending a concert or play in the evening.
Day 13: Thursday, 13 October
No doubt you will wish to visit the Knitting & Stitching Show
which opens today at Alexandra Palace. This annual event attracts 300
exhibitors and offers many workshops. Transportation will be provided
from the hotel to the exhibition and back for today and tomorrow.
Day 14: Friday, 14 October
You will probably want to revisit Alexandra Palace, as the size and
extent of the show cannot be explored thoroughly in just one day.
Day 15: Saturday, 15 October
A free day in London. The choice is yours to visit one of the
many museums, galleries and shops, take a double-decker bus tour past
the famous sites or a cruise on the historic Thames. You may wish to
return to the Knitting Show.
We are fortunate to be in London during a special exhibition at Kew
Gardens. This is an opportunity to see both the extensive grounds
and flora displays, but also of the spectacular glass creations of Dale
Chihuly.
There will be a special dinner to relive our memories of A Knitting
Journey in the U.K.
Day 16: Sunday, 16 October
Our coach will take us to London’s Heathrow Airport for our return
flight to Toronto and if necessary, connections to our home cities.
Please Note: This itinerary was updated March 31/05. Certain details
on the itinerary
may change or the order of events may be rescheduled so as to make the
tour as efficient and enjoyable as possible. Return to this page often
to stay current on future minor revisions to this this trip's
components.
...Joyce James
|
|
A
Knitting Journey to Britain: featuring Yorkshire, Wales, 
We will be
attending the Knitting & Stitching Show in London.