Toft Crochet projects.

So back in September I attended the WI Centenary Fair in Harrogate a very enjoyable day.

At this fair I purchased a copy of Edward's Menagerie, by a company called Toft. This company sells wool from its own alpaca herd and patterns to make with it including this lovely collection of animals they are all based on a basic body and leg shape so they have a family look about them which is adorable. Because I purchased my copy direct from them at the fair I got emailed 10 bonus patterns as well, which is brill as it was the dear and moose which caught my eye the most on the stand and their patterns are in the bonus pack.

The book is very clear in its instructions and there are also helpful youtube videos to help when you get stuck. I started my first project right away. The book is split in to three levels of difficulty but I feel reasonably confident with my crochet so my first project was from the second level of difficulty Douglas the Highland cow. Something I did realize from reading the instructions was that because of my left handedness I technically make everything inside out (this does explain my struggle with dragon bellies the other Christmas.) so when I finish each element I have to turn it the right way          around. Above are two legs the one on the left has been turned the one on the right hasn't, the left one has much neater lines. And here is all the Douglas elements. There is also detailed instructions in the making up of the animals as its also the way they are stuffed which give them their charm.

And this is the finished Douglas I'm really pleased with him and in the grand scheme of things didn't take me that long to make.

Another lovely thing about these patterns is that the book explains how you can vary the size of your hook and yarn thickness to create different sized animals. Douglas is classed as standard and worked in DK on a 3mm hook the next animal I tried out was Donna the reindeer she is worked in 4 ply with a 1.75mm hook. You can also do larger ones worked in Aran and chunky I will be trying this at some point.
I was really wanting to try out the deer pattern but the only 4 ply yarn I could find in the house was grey but I think she is still lovely. My other half said that since I was making it around Halloween time and she was grey it was a zombie reindeer. The antlers were a tad tricky, (thank you youtude vid) probably not helped by the smaller size and I wasn't able to turn them inside out but I'm still really pleased with how they came out.

Here you can see there is a difference in size.

My next project out of the book was not for myself. We heard news that a friend was having a baby so I set to making an animal for them. This time I choose Emma the bunny. I love the soft neutral tone she is in with her big floppy ears. Like the other two her facial features are sewn on in wool which I feel adds to her soft character.

And she has the cutest pom of a tail. Which I think I managed to sew on fairly centrally, (unlike a certain reindeer who didn't have her bottom photoed.)

So after the new bundle of joy arrived Emma got packed up to go join her new family. Here's Douglas and Donna waving her off.

While I'm on about Emma I'll just slip in a picture here of the card which went with her, I was rather pleased with it. Another one in my new card size which I'm really enjoying working with. The large flower motif from Stampin up Awesomely Artistic is stamped in pink and a complimenting die cut banner with white embossed sweet baby is put on the rest of the space is decorated with the cute bee from the Collage curios set in yellow.

So that's what I've managed so far out of my Edward's Menagerie book I do have another project on the go from it but you will have to wait awhile to see which one for now they are tucked up in my project bag.

Cards I've been making recently.

I've found some time to make a few cards to stock up again at the shop. Here they are.

This first set of four is a design I have made before and proves popular. Using a past Stampin up hostess set four seasons I layer up plain coloured card and patterned card I have created using the small motifs from the set and three colours. This is then topped off with the complimenting bird in pattern and a sentiment. I love selecting the different colour mixes.

  These next four are all Birthday cards as these are a big seller. Using the apothecary art stamp set and complimenting framlits these lovey shapes are made and layered on to a background of patterned paper. the sentiments are cut in to banner shapes using the banner punch on the end.

These next three are thank you cards another popular sentiment. Here I have stamped the wreath from the circle of spring stamp set and used the complimenting framelit to cut out the middle section, I've rounded the corners of this piece of white card and added a couple of flower stamps. I've placed this on to a plain coloured card background which has has the sentiment stamped on to it to be seen though the aperture. A bow in matching coloured card is added to finish the design.

  Here is just one card made using the lotus blossom stamp set. This is a clever layering stamp set which gives a depth and interest to the image. I do intend to make more cards using this set as it is very lovely and will work with lots of different sentiments this one says "to a great friend" which could be used for lots of different occasions.

The last set for now using a set purchased last year called no bones about it. This set includes several dinosaur shapes in solid and skeleton forms, is also includes some dinosaur sentiments and nice extras like footprints and stamps that can be used to add texture to designs.  Here I made three different designs one with a dinosaur in two layers wearing a party hat with a collection of banners at the top made out of patterned paper, stamped card to create a pattern and a sentiment.
Two of the cards have patterned backgrounds on to which a sentiment off set of white card and backed on to coloured is placed across it. A second piece of coloured card is overlapped on to the sentiment piece and placed on it are three white squares which have been stamped with the dinosaur heads.  The final ones in this set are on a new size of card for me a 4 by 4 inch square, I think I will like this size its not as small as my note card square and not as big as a normal card, it just fits these little monsters well thou for something to brighten someones day.

So there's a few cards I've been making recently check back soon to see some valentine's ones.