I became aware of Toft back in 2017 when I was gifted the Edward’s Imaginarium book for my birthday (thank you, you know who you are 😘)
I’d also seen them at many knitting and stitching shows that I have attended. To be honest I was never particularly impressed with them and thought their crochet to be a bit messy. However, over lockdown my opinion of the company has completely changed, mostly in part to Instagram and an anonymous gift I received.
Kerry Lord the founder of Toft is very active on Instagram, I have been following the company since I started my public account MrsGBcrochet last month (so not very long in the grand scheme of things considering I’ve had a private account for 10 years!) She, or her marketing crew, are excellent at showing off their designs, subscription choices, alpacas and beautiful yarn.
On the 25th of June I came home from the opticians to a Toft box waiting for me. I had no ideas as to what was inside. I opened it up to be greeted by the most glorious hand dyed yarn.
Some delightful person had ordered the Ed’s Dye Club subscription box for me. All these weeks on I still have no idea who it was! I balled up the skein of yarn and sat down to make the leafy sea dragon pattern that was in the box.
It took me a few weeks due to making it in 5 minute sections when the kids weren’t demanding my attention, or I wasn’t setting work for my students or in meetings. The yarn is an absolute delight to work with, crocheting up beautifully the effect made from the dying process just stunning.
Piper the leafy sea dragon was born.
I enjoyed making her so much, I still have Sydney to do, that I went searching for what I could do next…
Then the summer competition was announced…well of course I had to take part!! Choosing the colours was a nightmare! I went back and forth picking every combination under the sun until I decided to go with the colours I most enjoy, picking charcoal and orange.
I waited as patiently as I could for it to arrive. As soon as it got here I was off! Again sitting making Otis whilst the children were busy playing or watching a film (I may have suggested popcorn and a film so I could crochet undisturbed!)
Another fabulous pattern, the texture on the shell is superb. I sewed a magnet in between the foot and body so he could stick to metal without fear of him dropping in a puddle! He is currently residing on the fridge checking out my Periodic Table magnets. I am really looking forward to getting out and taking some photos of him posting some snail mail. This morning I started making another one with the left over yarn 😊
You can order your own Otis kit here
I have even ordered the Twixmas CAL currently advertised (not the advent make as I have a different one on order, but you never know for next year!) It’s a bird, but that’s the only information given so far! AND my daughter told me she needed me to make her a bird so the Edward’s Menagerie Bird book is on it’s way. There has been a complete shift in my thinking of Toft, not something that often happens, however I am willing to admit that my first impressions were wrong. I’ve really enjoyed the two projects I have done in the last few weeks and see many more Toft adventures in the future. I must apologise to Kerry and co. for my initial reactions and praise their use of social media without which I would still be in the dark about how fab their creations actually are.
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