Book Summary
Edward’s Menagerie, published in 2012, is the first of many books by designer Kerry Lord, also known by the brand name TOFT. It contains crochet patterns for more than 40 different animals, all with their own unique names and backstories. There are 128 pages that include full page, high quality color photographs and clear instructions. British English crochet terms are used throughout the book. A handy section for beginning crocheters is located in the back of the book. There is information on basic stitches and sewing techniques. The book retails for $12.99 USD on Amazon and can be purchased through this link or by clicking on the book image below. It is also available directly from the TOFT website for $22.99, and purchase through their website includes an additional PDF download with 10 extra patterns. Visit the TOFT website to checkout all their products and for more information.
My Initial Thoughts
I received this book as a Christmas present from my brother two years ago. To this day it remains one of my favorite stuffed toy books! Right away I knew I had to make Emma the Bunny.
Bunnies have a special place in my heart. I volunteered at the local House Rabbit Society for years and adopted Bethany, the mini Holland lop, from the shelter to be a companion for my rabbit Zeus. I think Emma the Bunny would fit right in with any burrowing family! The patterns are easy to follow and tell you exactly when to stuff the pieces and how to sew them together. I always find that finishing touches, like sewing and embroidery, make or break a project. Usually they break mine. My end results usually turn out looking sloppy. Edward’s Menagerie has step by step instructions for creating the perfect finishing touches on the animals!
Positive Attributes
Edward’s Menagerie has some excellent qualities that make it stand out among crochet toy books. Each animal has high quality photographs of both the front and back, which I found to be very helpful when assembling the final projects. The 40 projects are divided into different sections depending on the complexity of each animal. The animals build off of one another as the book progresses. For example, Simon the Sheep, Hank the Dorset Down Sheep, and Noah the Zwartbles Sheep are all built off off the same basic sheep pattern. Different color markings and fluffy wool additions make each animal unique. This means that there is something for every level of crocheter in the book.
The techniques used to create the different animals are not complicated and can be used in different ways on different animals. For example, the same basic stitch concept is used to make the wool on Hank the Dorset Down Sheep and the mane of Rufus the Lion. However, Kerry Lord explains how to apply the technique to achieve two markedly different looks.
The section describing different embroidery and sewing techniques was tremendously helpful to me as I crafted the different animals. The explanations allowed for my Rufus the Lion to have a naturally sleepy look. His head was a little heavier and flops to the side, so sleepy eyes were perfect to complete the look!
Conclusion
The amount of information packed into the pages of this book is incredible. The easy to follow instructions and plethora of photographs make it a useful guide on stuffed toy crochet techniques in general. Edward’s Menagerie is a book that I would recommend to beginning and advanced crocheters. The retail price is very reasonable and it it a book with designs that will last the test of time. Animals made from these patterns turn out to be a great size for children to play with. When I made my animals with worsted weight yarn and a size H8 crochet hook they turned out to be about 10 inches tall when sitting.
Discussion
Have you made a project from Edward’s Menagerie, or one of the many other books in the series? I would love to hear your thought and opinions. Is there a book or product you want to see a review? Let me know in the comments section!
