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!!