Loving Edward's Menagerie by Kerry Lord at TOFT Alpaca Shop

https://www.thetoftalpacashop.co.uk/PD.aspx?product=PATTERNS/toys/-Edwards_Menagerie_Book_by_Kerry_Lord

Edward's Menagerie crochet toys first inspired me to pick up a crochet hook and learn to crochet.  The Knitting and Stitching Show at Harrogate 2013 was where I first saw these adorable creatures designed by Kerry Lord.  I immediately decided I wanted to buy one but soon found out the actual toys were not for sale but the patterns and wool!! :(

Despite my dubiousness at  Kerry Lord's reassurance that learning to crochet would be easy, her enthusiasm resulted in me walking away with a ball of the softest alpaca wool, a  knit pro hook with a nice rubber handle, and a downloaded version of a pattern for her bunny!

https://www.thetoftalpacashop.co.uk/PD.aspx?product=PATTERNS/toys/-Bunny

A few hours of learning the relevant stitches with the help of you-tube and nearly two years later, I am crocheting away - slowly building up a collection of animals completed from patterns from her Edward's Menagerie book!! I am so happy to have met Kerry Lord at the Knitting and Stitching Show! - a super talented lady.  Here are some of the forty animals from her book - most are loosely based on the same pattern for body and limbs - a very clever concept!

http://www.thetoftalpacashop.co.uk/PD.aspx?product=PATTERNS/edwards_menagerie/-Edwards_Menagerie_eBook

She also does patterns for animal heads which would make a great focal point for a wall hanging in a child's room or as a cushion:

http://www.thetoftalpacashop.co.uk/PD.aspx?product=PATTERNS/interiors/-Giant_Animal_Heads

...And my current project from her "Sheep Ten Ways" patterns - the lovely sheep in the middle - Seth the Wensleydale Sheep! 

...I've got this gorgeous alpaca wool, a gift all the way from Chile; and some Drops Alpaca Boucle yarn from Wool Warehouse http://www.woolwarehouse.co.uk/yarn/drops-alpaca-boucle-all-colours to make it with!!

#Feelingtheloveforedsanimals #edsanimals #edsmenagerie #toftalpacashop

Feeling the Love for Crochet Toys!

There are some really talented crochet artists out there.  I've been trawling the internet and these are some of my favourites...

http://www.cutedutch.nl/2014/10/davie-de-ijsbeer.html

http://isabellekessedjian.tumblr.com/post/53109299418/crochet

https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/213980066/amigurumi-mouse?utm_source=OpenGraph&utm_medium=PageTools&utm_campaign=Share

http://itsprettylight.blogspot.co.uk/2012/02/ooshki-shop.html

https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/crochAndi?ref=unav_listing-r

https://www.flickr.com/photos/47481825@N02/9095016509/

picapauyan.blogsearch/label/amigurumispot.co.uk/

                                     http://aspoonfulofsugardesigns.com/2015/03/meet-gudule/

Eveluche/Evajuliet.com

I need to pick up my hook and get crocheting!!! #inspired!!

Meet Moose!

My little brother's - he's going to be 27! - birthday is coming up this month! So what do I get a 27 year old guy currently living in New Zealand? Ever since he was little, he has liked moose! His fondness for moose stems from a soft toy he was given for christmas aged about one year old which
has turned into a life-long love affair with the animal!

The pattern is from AuroraGurumi on Etsy! Her patterns are really easy to follow and I am really pleased with the end result!

He is made with 100% cotton yarn by Rico Creativ...a lovely yarn to work with which gives a great finish!

I bought some luggage labels from a local store and stamped on them with my letter stamping set 'Please look after this moose xx'!

I finished it off by crocheting a little camera for moose to carry with him on his trip to New Zealand!!...my brother has just bought a new camera too!!

Crochet Monkey Purse!

My 21 month old nephew loves a purse!...well I'm not sure whether it's the purse he loves or the money in it!!! As I am enjoying my newly learnt crochet skills, I decided to try and crochet him his own purse!! His favourite soft toy is a monkey and as his cheeky smile and mischievious ways remind me of a monkey I decided to attempt a simple monkey purse!!  These are the results!...

I have discovered 'Drops' yarns and love the Drops 4 yarn which is a lovely soft mix of alpaca, wool and linen..

it's so gorgeous and touchy feely! The black eyes are safety eyes and the facial features - nostrils and mouth - are handstitched!

I found some cute monkey fabric in complementary colours to line the purse with - I think it makes a really lovely detail!

I always struggle with zips and this one was no different but I eventually managed to complete it and am reasonably pleased with the finished article!

Crochet!...getting the hang of it now!!

Feeling accomplished!! :)

Well I feel like I am on a roll now!!! These are my second and third attempts at crochet...a giraffe and  monkey!

I made the giraffe using this amazing pattern from the lovely http://ilovebuttonsbyemma.blogspot.co.uk/2013/01/crochet-giraffe-pattern.html .  This is only my second attempt at crochet amigurumi and I found the pattern really easy to follow!  I am really pleased with the result and so is my four year-old niece!!

The pattern for the monkey came from: http://www.etsy.com/listing/179944745/monkey-amigurumi-pattern?ref=shop_home_active_16 which has an amazing array of patterns to choose from!!  My one-year old nephew was really please with his monkey too!

My efforts!!!.......

Thanks for looking! :)

Crochet update!!

I have been super busy trying to learn to crochet so I can make my bunny from my Toft pattern (available from: http://www.thetoftalpacashop.co.uk/home.aspx ) ...this is what I am aiming for...

I got a bit stuck when it came to doing the face but sort of got there in the end and this is the result of my very first attempt at crochet!!!.....one bunny rabbit!!

There are loads more patterns available for making lovely animals from TOFT  http://www.thetoftalpacashop.co.uk/PD.aspx?product=PATTERNS/toys/-Edwards_Menagerie_eBook :

There are so many lovely animals I can't decide what to crochet next!!!

Crochet!

There are some lovely crochet toys out there...so lovely in fact that it's inspired me to have a go myself!!

This lovely crochet mouse is by attic @ notonthehighstreet.com

The stripey bear, monkey and Russian matroskya doll are all Anne-Claire Petit.

I went to the Knitting and Stitching show in Harrogate last year and was so inspired by these lovely crochet animals by Toft made with gorgeous alpaca wool in natural colours, that although I had never crocheted before, I bought a ball of wool, a crochet hook and a pattern...determined to teach myself to crochet!

I eventually settled on this lovely rabbit...

Watch this space and keep your fingers crossed for me that you-tube can teach me how to crochet!!!