Fabulous weekend of celebration at TOFT Fest 2016

What a weekend we had last. Sorry not to have put this up sooner but it's been a busy old week- 'twas ever thus!

 We have all just recovered from tidying up and getting everything back in place after a tremendous two days of craft and alpaca celebration here at TOFT. This weekend marked the tenth anniversary of the brand that is now TOFT. A brand that is internationally recognised across the world as representing the very best in creative design, service and luxury. 

More than time this celebration marks the the arrival back from University some ten years ago of Kerry Lord or Bettinson as she was then, carrying her newly printed, first class honours degree in English and with a little time to kill before taking up a masters or embarking on an academic career. We casually asked her, as you do when a spare pair of intelligent hands arrives on the manor, if she would look over our emerging alpaca retailing efforts and see what she could do. 

Well the rest is history, she took to it like a shark in a meat factory, committed her talents to the n'th degree to make this side of our business a huge success. Ten years later TOFT employs over 14 people, retails and wholesales across the world and has become a brand with a huge national and International reputation. Kerry has just published her fourth book on crochet. We have the TOFT coffee shop and Shop open five days a week on site in the TOFT Studio. We have an online retail facility to rival the best in its field and a wholesale division that is smoking! The goal posts are moving so fast around here you don't get a chance to kick the ball at them.

All this is very much down to the commitment, energy, creativity and talent of our daughter Kerry, and of course in no small part also down to the amount of support she gets from her husband, her friends, all our family, friends relations, passers by and any other slave, that can be exploited to give her a hand. 

I could go on forever detailing the incident, adventure challenges and successes of the past ten years and I am convinced that one day someone will do just that, but suffice to say Shirley an I are so very proud of our daughter and what has been acheived here. We feel very privileged to have played a part in seeing Kerry Lord become a brand in her own right and mature into the formidable creative force she has become today. 

10 years is a long time and a lot has been acheived but I confidently put you all on notice to watch this space. For I am acutely aware that for TOFT the story is just at the end of the beginning. This first ten years has been a magnificent achievement but it may it well be a mere drop in the ocean as to where Kerry will lead her merry team of Yarnies to next.

Congratulations to you all, congratulations Kerry and our sincere thanks to everyone past and present who has contributed to making TOFT the success it is today. Hold onto your hats y'all for the best is yet to come!

Talent will out...

There are millions of alpaca picture taken every week. These magical creatures steal the heart of everyone who comes into contact with them. However the great alpaca pictures come as always from those who have the eye to recognise the light , the situation and the composition as a potential upon which to lavish some time to get a great result.

Whilst in the last throws of shearing on Thursday I noticed my daughter Kerry Lord sitting cross legged in the paddock with a bunch of newly shorn alpacas. She is currently 5 months pregnant with her second child and there she was shuffling slowly forward on her back side inch by inch until she was in a position to take this photograph. Was it worth it? Well judge for yourself. I see lots of alpaca photies having been breeding them for almost 20 years now., I have taken loads but just occasionally you see something that takes your breath away and this one took mine. Is it the combination of colours all bright and new in the  air minutes after shearing? Is it the sense of release in the alpacas as they recognise summer after a wet winter? Is it the angle and the contrast against the deep blue sky behind?  It's all of those and a lot more besides but more than anything it's the taker who knew what she wanted and pursued it with patient determination to achieve a fantastic result. Luck no way! It's called talent. My eldest has the 'eye' and long may she continue to use it to surprise us. Enjoy!

All done and dusted - jobs done for 2015

That's it a huge thanks to everyone who helped and of course not forgetting B D Wheeler and his helper Benny, my son Grant for catering, and Whoopy Daisy for ferrying, sorting childminding and being a friend of all the world and my talented daughter Kerry Lord who now has the job of turning the best of what we have to offer into magnificent luxury yarn for the TOFT Alpaca Studio. Give it the old TOFT magic young lady. Thanks everyone for a very enjoyable shearing from a TOFT Alpacas. 

I am now off to see my mate Jules for a skinny Latte in the TOFT tea room.

The TOFT jungle project Olympia -Spring Knitting and Stitching Show

Well there it is and a fantastic effort from all involved. This project in aid of the Birminham Children's Hospital is now officially open and according to the reports coming back from the Show it's a big hit.  Any visitors can join in and add to this wonderful environment over the next few days. Swing on down to the TOFT jungle one and all. Congratulations to Kerry and all the Tofties who made this happen. Enjoy!!!

Hooker still in the window...

The chief TOFT hooker is still strutting her stuff in the window of John Lewis Oxford street. She will be hooking away until the climax on Saturday by which time the stand she inhabits will have been well and truly yarn bombed. 

If you are passing give her a wave, snap a pic and feel free to tag it with #toftuk 

All in support of British Wool week- and what's good for wool is even better in alpaca. Get tweeting and texting and give the hooker some support. Her poor fingers will be stumps by Saturday. Bless her she has to cover that sofa she is sitting on !   Get Hooking for TOFT- it's a lifestyle choice!

It's out- Edwards Menagerie has been published

It's been a long time coming but Edwards Menagerie of crochet  animals has now been published and is available online from the TOFT Shop. 

Kerry started creating this collection in the last few weeks of pregnancy whilst awaiting Edwards arrival, as you do. Since  then she has spent a whole year refining the designs, checking the patterns and adding to the menagerie to produce this magnificent and very original TOFT collection.

She launched the finished article yesterday at the same time we gathered to celebrate Edwards first birthday. timely and very apt. Well done Mummy!

What an achievement!  Well done Kerry we are immensely proud of the work you do in the studio but this has been a monumental effort which we have all lived with for a long time but the finished product is truly beautiful and something that will bring joy to all who take on the challenges within.

The result has been well worth your efforts and is a tribute to your creativity- this truly stunning e- book is stylish, modern and extremely attractive. With patterns and projects for all levels of creator it is no wonder that this e-book is flying out of the shop across the world faster than the swallows can return home.

I kid you not folks get on it now, get yours and get making, Edwards Menagerie is on the move!

Well done Kerry Lord and all her staff and helpers in the TOFT studio.