"Workshops and sightseeing were just the right mix... very well done"
"The tour vastly surpassed my expectations"
"Wonderful job!"
"Really enjoyed the personal touches"

On a gloriously sunny day at Newby Hall the group poses with Debbie Bliss - appropriately in the vibrant dahlia border after her Borders and Edgings workshop.

We inspect different fibres at the spinners Samuel Lumb, one of Rowan's main suppliers. After a fascinating tour of all the processes of commercial spinning, everyone said they would look at a ball of yarn very differently.

Sasha Kagan held her workshop Designing from Nature in 18th-century Sutton Park's grand dining room. The day was wonderful. We had a very warm welcome from Lady Sheffield who showed us around her beautiful house and garden. Here we are coming down towards the lily pond with Dave, the head gardener, whose mind was not totally on the job as his wife had just gone into labour and later that day gave birth to their daughter Emily!

KNITTING AROUND WALES & YORKSHIRE SPRING 2001

Try getting your tongue around Llanfihangel-yng-Ngwynfa! This was a chance for the linguists in the party to practise their Welsh during my recent tour of Wales and Yorkshire. Geraint, our anecdotal coach-driver, took gentle pleasure in the efforts at Welsh coming from behind him as he skilfully manoevred us through the country lanes of the stunning mid-Wales landscapes.

There were twenty-two US and Canadian knitters and their partners on the tour. Our hotel was at Lake Vyrnwy, high up in hills on the edge of Snowdonia. Magical sunsets over the lake and glorious sunrises for those up early enough (see above). Sasha Kagan, who lives close by near Llanidloes, gave a lovely workshop on designing from natural inspiration, and Lake Vyrnwy certainly provided plenty of the latter.

Another highlight was a visit to Colinette's dyeworks in Llanfair Caereinion where there was much slavering over her beautiful hand-painted yarns (here below are Caroline and I checking out the colours). My opening workshop on Beaded Knitting took place at Cymerau Hall, a friend's elegant turn-of-the-century stone-built house with scenic views over (the aptly-named) Cardigan Bay. Renate made us all feel wonderfully at home, we had the run of her house and gardens for the day and I think people really appreciated the specialness of being welcomed into a real home, something that is not normally offered on standard tours.

While the knitters were wrestling with the intricacies of beaded knitting the non-knitters had a great time too. One group spent a morning with Sasha Kagan's partner Tony Shaw at the world-famous Centre for Alternative Technology. Landscape photography, biking and narrow gauge railways were amongst other diversions. Anthony Griffiths, an old friend from my folk-singing days, entertained us one evening with Welsh and Celtic guitar music. There was even a surprise visit from Zandra Rhodes at the Andrew Logan Museum (see above left).

The gardens in Wales must have known we were coming. Notorious for its rain, Wales just did not live up to its reputation! Sunny and hot day after day . . . unbelievable! We had a memorable trip to the eccentric architectural paradise of Portmeirion, known for its pottery, being the location of The Prisoner TV series and its quirky atmosphere (see left). The camellias and rhododendrons were out of this world.

Once over the Pennines, the backbone of England, and into Yorkshire, the directors of Samuel Lumbs of Elland gave us a fascinating tour of their works. Specialist spinners of woollen yarn for over a century, it is Lumbs who produce much of Rowan's yarn. After inspecting all the complex and delicate machinery necessary for such high quality production, nobody could fail to view a ball of Rowan yarn in a very different light. A traditional Wensleydale ploughman's lunch at Kettlewell deep in the Dales was followed by visits to the Wensleydale Longwool Sheepshop where we had tea in the farmyard to the accompaniment of the loudest bleatings imaginable. Island Heritage, another rarebreeds farm nearby, provided us with a glimpse of all kinds of unusual and primitive breeds including Manx Loghtan, Hebrideans, and North Ronaldsay. Also the welcome opportunity to buy garments and yarn from these creatures.

The second half of the tour was based in York with its imposing Minster, medieval city walls and bustling shops. In the shadow of the Minster itself in the oak-panelled Bishops Chamber of St Williams College, I did my workshop on Couture Knitting. Susan Duckworth explored the finer points of intarsia at Newby Hall in a beautiful room overlooking the rose garden (and incidentally housing a replica of the Crown Jewels see right). Horticultural experts Tulip Bemrose and Lin Hawthorne showed us round Newby Hall and Castle Howard gardens (group in Ray Wood below).

York has something for everyone - whether you get your kicks from rare book shops, Evensong in the Minster, a tasty Sardinian restaurant, the National Railway Museum ( voted by rail cognescenti the "best in the world") or afternoon tea at Betty's.

It was hard for people to tear themselves away and even harder for us all to say goodbye. Twenty-two strangers arrived and twenty-two new friends left nine days later. Many thanks to all of you for choosing to spend your precious vacation time with us, you were a fabulous bunch of people and both Philip and I look forward to meeting you all again, either back over here or in the States.

We're running several new tours and retreats in 2002 and I'm looking forward to making many new friends once more - so check out the Tours & Retreats page if you'd like to join us!

Happy knitting and a peaceful future to you all.