London, etc...

*** WARNING: PICTURE HEAVY POST ***

After a few days in Dublin, Mike and I made our way to England. Admittedly, I was most excited for this portion of our trip. At the risk of oozing mellow drama, I felt I'd been waiting my whole life to go! I spent my entire childhood and early adolescence lost in the literature of Louisa May Alcott, J.M. Barrie, Lewis Carol, Frances Hodgson Burnett, Jane Austen, George Eliot and the Bronte Sisters, to name a few, and I couldn't wait to experience the the country that produced, inspired and fueled my fantasies.

St. James Park

Similar to our time in Ireland, Mike and I  took a very pedestrian approach to our London sight seeing and attempted to conquer the city on foot. We managed a good, many miles before testing the tube system, which is simply STELLAR!   

St, Paul's Cathedral

The 'New' Globe Theater

Tower Bridge from the Thames

We saw and did a lot of things we were "SUPPOSED" to:Changing of the guards, St. Paul's Cathedral, The Globe, Piccadilly Circus, Harrods, St. James and Regents Park. 

The Tea Room @ Harrod's

Ice Cream Parlour @ Harrod's

Regents Park

London is a bustling and busy place. And, it's MASSIVE. We could have spent weeks and not seen it all. 

Warwick Castle

In addition to our time in London, Mike and I managed to get outside the city and into some of that countryside I've dreamed about. We took a drive through the Cotswolds. We romped around Warwick castle. We spent some time at the residence of our pal William (Shakespeare). And, we explored Christ Church College at Oxford.

From atop Warwick Castle Wall

Stratford upon Avon

Christ Church College Dining Hall

Christ Church Cathedral

It was... breathtaking. I cannot wait to go back and venture into new areas and continue exploration. 

Back in London, I made it my personal mission to visit as many fabric/yarn shops as I could. Londoners, I hope you realize how incredibly fortunate you are to have so many amazing resources! While most of the shops were somewhat small and limited in selection, the QUALITY fabric in the stores I visited was outstanding. It's completely possible I fondled every piece of fabric in the London Textile Co.- I don't think there was a non-wool/cashmere/ linen fabric to choose from.

I really shocked myself that I left London without a cut of Liberty of London fabric. It felt, almost, wrong. But, I sort-of spent a mint on some two-sided tangerine silk from Silk Society, and I didn't fall in love while I was in Liberty. 

For some reason, I failed to snap a photo of I Knit London, the shop where I indulged in yarny goodness... 

When I saw this neon pink/sparkle sock yarn, I wanted it. When I saw that the neon pink/sparkle sock yarn was called Ziggy Stardust, I had to have it. It fit the bill for a "British" yarn, since it's dyed by the store owner. Which is good, because the fingering weight alpaca I also bought doesn't... but it was so squishy... and so pretty...  I made an exception 

And that, my friends, wraps up the English bit of our trip- Edinburgh bound in the next post and, hopefully, back into a more regular schedule soon!