The Toft Alpaca Shop

Welcome to The Toft Alpaca Shop! It's a beautiful and creative space that's only a few years old. Located on the family property in Dunchurch, it was originally converted from an old barn. 

Toft is known for their alpaca yarn, however, they also have a line of British wool yarn, Ulysses and Belgrano. 

You'll also find get gift ideas for those who do not craft, alongside the perfect finishing touches for your handmade project. How could you resist these alpaca fur pom poms?! 

Meet and greet the animals from Edward's Menagerie. You can decide who you would like to crochet first. 

After stocking up on yarn or picking out a new project, you can sit with your knitting at The Cornflower Cafe. Enjoy a cup of tea and a few slices of cake! 

On the Farm

Here are a few shots taken on the farm. This is only a fraction of the two hundred alpacas here at Toft. 

I spend a lot of time near the maternity paddocks. It's hard not to end up with many photos of the baby alpacas, which are called crias. 

Multicoloured crias are a rare sight here. Toft's alpacas are intentionally breed to be one colour to make it easy when it comes to turning the fleece into yarn. This year, they surprisingly ended up with two multicoloured crias. The one laying down is a subtle blend of cream and beige, unlike his friend, who is a shocking contrast of white and dark brown.  

A few of the older crias. 

Since arriving a week and a half ago, there have been four new additions to the herd. This cria was only a few hours old at the time of the photo. 

This is Pippa, a special cria on the farm. Pippa didn't have an easy start in life and never formed a bond with her mother. She needs be bottle fed and has imprinted on humans which makes her quite curious and friendly. If you'd like to see a video of Pippa, click here. 

Edward's Menagerie

This summer I'll be very busy taking on new challenges. I recently arrived in England to take part in a few internships at various knitting companies that I have been admiring from afar. I hope it's an adventure full of fibre, textiles and new learning experiences. My first stop is at Toft Alpaca Shop, located in the picturesque village of Dunchurch. 

My first introduction to Toft was a year ago when I received a package full of delicious alpaca yarn and a fur pompom - I was immediately hooked.  This experience is sentimental, as it was sent by Pom Pom Quarterly to use for my first published pattern in their Issue 7: Winter 2013. Toft and Pom Pom helped bring my vision of Take Heart to life.

Photo Credit: Juju Vail

Since arriving this week it has been a whirlwind of preparation for the book launch of Edward's Menagerie written by Toft Alpaca Shop's owner, Kerry Lord. Kerry's put together a beautiful book of over forty patterns for crochet animals. The animals are in the style of amigurumi and each one is crocheted in the natural shades of British sheep and alpacas. 

When I arrived at Toft, I was a bit embarrassed to say that I do not crochet. In the past I have only used it for finishing details on knitting projects such as, joining squares together and some occasional surface embroidery. I had never been attracted to the way crochet garments appeared; the patterns did not seem to make sense and it felt incredibly awkward in my hands. However, before my first day was over, the girls had me comfortably crocheting and reading patterns. Toft's goal is to make knitting and crocheting accessible to the inexperienced, while still designing patterns for experienced crafters. 

Here's my first attempt, chunky elephant tusks! 

I can't take credit for the heads and ears but Liz, another intern, and I assembled these on the morning of the book launch.

Edward's Menagerie may have won over my feelings about crochet. Each animal is thoughtfully constructed and range in size from tiny to enormous. Plus they're extremely sweet and each has an individual personality! 

It is very tempting to start on an animal while I'm here. I'm smittened with Esme the Fox for obvious reasons. However, she's a more advanced pattern so perhaps I'll start someone else. 

Nova Scotia Summer

My summer plans were unexpected delayed, so lately I've been enjoying what Nova Scotia has to offer in the summertime. Here are a few photos, taken in June, at some of my favourite places. 

Gaspereau Valley Fibres is always a must visit when I find myself in the valley. This time it was a slightly rainy day and all the animals on the farm were curled up in a cozy spot. Perfect weather for knitting, however, I managed to restrain myself to buying only a new pattern and a handful of cards at the shops. 

When possible, my family spots in at Tangled Gardens to stock up on jams and jellies, directly from the source. I'm envious of their massive collection of pussy willows. 

Photo Credit: @dotsandloops

When I find myself on the South Shore I can't help but to stop in at Dots & Loops for a browse. Unfortunately, I haven't been recently but in my place I have sent the shop my last collection of Green Forest Gang mitts. Knit by me, this set will be the last for a while. 

Aureus

I did not need to knit myself a sweater last month. In fact, it was the last thing I needed to do. I had plenty of deadlines and other projects that actually needed my attention, yet stress knitting somehow manifested in the form of this sweater. Aureus, by Michele Wang, had been on my 'Only if I had the Time to Knit for Myself List' since seeing it in Pom Pom Issue 7 last winter. 

The combination of cables and lace is what peaked my interest. I love cables and I sort of like lace. Not many lace cardigans have caught my eye. The small amount of lace, mixed in with cables and Stocking Stitch, adds flare and elegance to this design. 

This was the first cardigan I knit. I followed the pattern almost to the letter. When it came to piecing it together, I wasn't happy with how my shoulder seams were lining up. I decided to redo the shoulders with short-rows which led to a better finished result. I used Cascade's Superwash Sport for this project. I don't particularly like superwash yarn but this soft merino was eyeing me from my stash. This was my first time using this sport weight from Cascade, if it wears nicely over time, I would knit with it again.