Shearing time again and the fleece is already in the mill.

It's that time of year again where the herd get a short back and sides and the whole team get a chance to be hands-on with these gorgeous animals and their fleece. 

The process is very labour intensive as we skirt, grade and sort every fleece as it comes off the animal. An initial separation of the coarser leg and tummy hairs from the premium 'blanket' fibre is done on the shearing table as the fibre is coming off. The fleece is then carried across to a wire mesh table upon which the really important job begins. Handful by handful we separate and marginally coarser fibres out to ensure that only the finest fleeces go into our yarn bactches. All fleeces are also checked for strength and condition (but I am proud to say every fleece from our herd passed this one with flying colours, so the animals are obviously in tip-top condition). Any foliage contamination is also removed by hand at this stage and lots of care is taken to ensure that all fibre is over 5cm in length as shorter fibres can cause inconsistency in the yarn. Following all of this fibre is weighed into one of four grades which will determine the yarn weight that he becomes. Until now most of this process has been relatively scientific, but the colour blending now required can only be described as artistic. 

As TOFT do not use dyes on their alpaca yarns the ten shades we offer need to be achieved through colour blending. Greys are made of black and white fleeces combined (there are not enough grey alpacas to go round), an our most complex colours are mushroom and stone as these involve every colour combined together. 

Thrilled to say that the first three batches of yarn are already in production down at The Natural Fibre Company. Back on the shelves soon. 

Another lovely weekend at Wonderwool Wales

Given that I have exhibited at over twenty shows a year for the last nine years, you'd think that it would all have become a little dull by now. Most certainly not the case, and this weekend in Wales was no exception. 

In the early days of TOFT I travelled the country towing a pop-up trailer shop filled with cardigans and scarves and attending every country show and game fair in the land. It was only with the movement towards a craft revival that guided TOFT away from ready-to-wear and towards yarns and knitting kits. Shows are the best way to rapidly design, test and market your ideas to customers. The success of TOFT has been built on taking my ideas and hauling myself around the UK with a big smile for everyone who walks towards my stand to take a closer look. 

Following the hard work in the early part of this year for the whole team it seems it's holiday season here in the office. As a result it was with a snigger that I took my Dad (Rob) to the first 'yarny' event of his life this weekend. Now don't be mistaken, over the last few years he has helped drive vans into knitting and stitching show venues, and even tried his hand (unsuccessfully I might add) at pom-pom display earlier this year, but never has he stood on a TOFT trade stand to see just how busy it gets. We called ourselves the 'B' team as I had very little voice left after the first few hours of Saturday morning. 

We took two lovely alpacas (Oscar and Kleef) with us, and as ever they melted the hearts of thousands. Dad did a stirling job on the stand and sold plenty of alpacas even if he didn't quite manage to get any yarn into a tote bag! 

Wonderwool Wales is a fabulous show: great food, nice setting and hundreds of truly independent exhibitors. I would recommend to all. 

A long overdue post about the best knitting workshop EVER!

I'm not much of a knitter really, and truth told since I've mastered crochet I have never really looked back. So, when asked by a friend to bring some yarn away with me on a ski holiday to teach her to knit I was initially a bit dubious (and genuinely concerned that I might have forgotten how to do it!).  

I have skied with the same group of friends for a few years. Every year we go to a different place, sometimes we drive, sometimes we fly, but this year we decided to take the train all the way to the mountains.  We were looking at a full day of travel and it seemed like the perfect excuse to get our knit on and I had my eye on some charcoal chunky that was crying out to become a big beanie. 

Once I floated this idea to the general group I was astounded by the reaction from both the guys and girls. I ended up boarding the train with 1.2kg of yarn! An intensive knitting lesson and six beanie hats coming right up! 

Needless to day it was one of the best knitting workshops I've had the pleasure of teaching.  Lots of wine, bread, cheese and some great vintage (6yrs isn't bad!) TOFT yarns I've been stashing away for a rainy day.  My best friend, husband, her husband and not one but TWO other guys and myself all made a hat and wore it with pride that holiday. Couldn't really ask for much more! 

Gearing up for another Open Day Easter Monday.

Toft Open Days have become somewhat legendary. Every year we open up our doors for knitters and non-knitters alike to come and give the alpacas a hug on Easter Monday, the first Saturday in August and the last Saturday before Christmas. 

Ordinarily our workshop programme isn't geared towards families and children (but this may be about to change-more later), so our farm Open Days are the only real chance to come and get hands-on with our herd on the obstacle course and we offer drop-in craft sessions for children all day. The days are designed for everyone to get involved with what we do here at Toft and learn to speak 'alpaca' and perhaps learn a new skill in knitting or crochet. 

This Easter Open Day 2014 is a particularly special one as for the first time our Studio will be hosting The Cornflower pop-up cafe, which will then return every Thursday- Saturday through May, June, July and August. The ladies behind this new venture are extremely talented bakers, baristas and hostesses, and this we are guaranteed to get a but fatter this summer as we enjoy cream teas and rocky roads all round! 

So next Monday 21st April we will be open 10am-4pm for you to come and get at taste of Toft Alpaca at its best. Hope to see you there and bring the sunshine with you! 

www.thetoftalpacashop.co.uk/Article_Pages_OpenDays.aspx

'Pacas get nekkid! Ed's first shearing week at Toft.

The highlight of the year here at Toft is shearing week. Tonnes of gorgeous fleece comes rolling out of the field and into the Studio ready to head off to the mill. 

Everyone is roped in to help, and this year was a particular challenge due to the less than kind weather. It was both Claire and Harriet's first year in the shed and they certainly stepped up to the mark. 

Our knit night attendees joined us late Tuesday to see the beginning forge yarn process themselves- I think many began quite shocked but left with a far greater understanding of where their knitwear comes from. 

This year was a hard task juggling an increasingly toddling baby with one of the most demanding work weeks of the year.   Still. It was worth the bags under my eyes to see pure Toft batches head off to be spun into yarn. 

 

 

Back up and writing again, but with a few changes for a New Year.

It looks like 2013 is going to be another one of those years where it's all change again and TOFT undergoes a growth spurt. Already in the few weeks of this new year we have rebranded the company to a much shorter, sharper TOFT.

In line with this (and the ever- expanding number of social media channels we are now managing) this blog will become Kerry Lord's words and thoughts from behind the scenes.

It may sometimes be about alpacas, occasionally about knitting, perhaps about being a new working mum, but most often it is likely to be vary varied and all about life at the helm of the TOFT empire.

Kerry

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Toft's Open Farm Craft Day - Roll On Summer!

 
Today at Toft we finally got some sunshine after a week of high winds and heavy rain. It got us all excited for summer's arrival, and doubly keen for the 4th of August to swing round - because we're having a party!





Between 10am and 4pm Toft Alpaca farm will open its doors for a summer open day where visitors can meet our beautiful alpacas, tour the farm and enjoy taster sessions in an incredible variety of crafts. 






You can try your hand at knitting, felt-making and crochet under the supervision of our expert tutors, and talk the hind leg off an alpaca about all things crafty. The best part is it's completely FREE. We'll even be laying on one of our scrumptious cream teas.



Activities will be suitable for all ages and all levels of experience - we're all about passing skills between people of every background and every generation.








You'll get a chance to find out exactly what goes on here and meet the entire team (including some of our hairier members).



Make sure you save the date in your diary: August 4th. Come and soak up the sunshine - even as I write this, the ladies from today's crochet workshop are standing on Toft Manor's terrace with bulging bags of newly purchased yarn, looking out over our rolling fields at Draycote Water shining in the distance. I can't think of a better way to spend a day - hurry up August!  

A Wonderwool weekend

Following a late night packing our van to the roof with yarn, fleece and buttons we made a very early start off to Bulith Wells on Saturday morning. Far more important than our usual stock, this time we had two pet boy alpacas onboard.

It's been a while since we took alpacas into an exhibition with us (they're not too keen on it in central London!).

Linda the Toft Alpaca Stud herdswoman selected 'Orsino' and 'Qel-Droma' for this mission into rural Wales. We wanted to take both a Suri and a Huacaya with us to allow all the spinners and knitters to see and feel the difference between the two alpaca breeds.

The boys went down a storm, and attracted fans of all ages- especially these alpaca superfans who helped us load them on for the trip back on Sunday evening.

We had a wet and cold but very enjoyable weekend at this great show with everything you could possibly want to see and buy that's 'woolly'.

It's great to be at an event that reminds people where yarn and wool comes from- and lovely to meet so many sheep and craftspeople working with British fibre.

We will certainly be back next year and we hope to see you there.

Knitting for your Home

Although this week it does feel a bit chilly again, and here in the new office we've got our heating on pretty high, before too long we should be enjoying the gentle heat and long days of British summer time proper. Due to the expectation of shorts and sandals weather (unless you're a very organised knitter and have got your Christmas gift list on the needles already) it can be a time when you're a bit stuck for things to knit.

Although some of you will be the dedicated four-season knitter, others seem to regard knitting and crafting in general as a winter sport. In the summer the nights are longer and there just seems to be far more to 'do' so a knitting habit can fall by the wayside.

We find that summer is a good time of year to knock out some fast projects for instant gratification. Don't start a 50hr garment project, but instead embrace a few short 5-10hr projects to get done when there's a rainy evening or two.



A great idea is knitting for your home. Sofas and cushions need woolly jumpers too- and right now chunky knitted interiors are everywhere.  This White Company blanket and cushion is gorgeous and oh so simpleOr this even chunkier cushion and throw is also lovely and a serious knitted statement.



Knitted blankets can be as laborious or quick to knit as your diary allows. Something like this beginner blanket takes advantage of big needles (20mm) and you knit using multiple strands of yarn together.


For those who are a toft subscriber this will be this week's free pattern so sign up now.


In contrast a blanket like this herringbone one is in our chunky yarn. A stitch that takes you two steps forward and one step backwards so it is a much slower grower.

When knitting blankets in one piece rather than in panels or squares we would recommend using circular needles with a long cord circumference. If you knit straight on these it allows you to cast on lots of stitches, and also helps you manage the weight of your project. Holding up 2kg on broomsticks is hard work on the shoulders!



We now stock 25mm needles for just such projects- stash bust by running strands together. Cushion covers make great beginner projects too.

If you're looking for something a bit smaller these striped cushions are very simple and high impact. Choose two natural colours, get your big needles out and knit knit knit. No shaping required.

See our HOME section for more ideas. 


Or if you wait a couple of weeks we'll be doing to big reveal on some interiors of our own for Toft Studio. As we speak three of our knitters have been entrusted with massive quantities of yarn and some very funny sketches and measurements.


They're very big- and will be the perfect place to relax, enjoy a cup of tea, and flick through the latest knitting magazines on your trip to Toft Studio

Ponderings of a Toft Knitter

This time on the Toft blog we bring you the first in our series of Toft knitter interviews. Kerry and I would have no chance to run the shop and office, send out your orders and go to shows if we had to hand knit all the lovely alpaca goodies we sell by ourselves. So of course we have a team of amazing ladies who do this job for us. They range from knitters who love skinny pins, to chunky yarn and big needle knitters, pattern designer knitters and all those in between. We're very lucky that they seem to love knitting for us and as such throughout the year we'll run a little series of these interviews to get their side of the story.

Cheryl is first up. She's been knitting for Toft for about 2 years or so. She will try her hand to anything and is often first in line to help us out of emergency knitting situations.

Firstly Cheryl, what are your top five things to knit?

C: Aran Sweaters are my very favourite, I love all the detail, I'm just finishing one for my husband actually. Closely followed by any kind of sweater or cardigan with patterns and shaping, as I get bored knitting just stocking stitch. I'm currently knitting baby clothes for my first grandchild (due anytime). Of the Toft staples that I knit, probably wristwarmers and leg warmers with their interesting but easy to memorise cable pattern are my favourites, although anything knitted in Toft Alpaca yarn is fine with me - it handles so well and is superb to knit with.

Where can you usually be found knitting?
C: I knit at home, usually in a comfy chair looking out at the garden during winter and then I like to get outside, in a sheltered spot, as soon as there is a bit of sunshine.

When do you usually knit?
C: I knit most evenings, and always when watching TV. I don't like to sit idle. If the pattern is simple I have also been known to read at the same time!

What is your favourite Toft yarn?
C: All the Toft yarns are fabulous - I love the soft Suri lace yarn for fine knitting but I think the Aran is the most versatile and gives such a good definition to cable patterns.

What is your favourite Toft yarn colour?
C: It is difficult to pick a favourite, though I do love Silver or Steel, they both have a lovely depth to them.


What is your favourite knitting or crochet stitch and why?

C: Tongue in cheek I'd have to say Hyacinth Stitch!! [Cheryl is responsible for two beautiful hyacinth snood samples which took her many hours to complete, we did only need one but Rob accidentally sold that one in the shop so we had to have another made quickly - she's a star!]. No seriously, I really enjoy cable patterns because they can be very simple or varied to give very complex designs.

Thank you Cheryl!

[N.B. We didn't pay Cheryl for any of her generous answers!]

Dissecting a cable stitch.

Cables are a great way to add texture and interest to your knitting, they might seem scary at first but they are the perfect 'next step' for beginnners.

Cable are often written C2F or C2B, for example.

Broken down C2F means, using a Cable needle slip 2 stitches and hold them to the Front, knit two stitches from your left hand needle and then knit the 2 stitches on your Cable needle. Of course the 2 stitches could be 3, 4 etc etc. In C2B, B means hold the stitches on the cable needle to the back of the work. Your cable stitches are the 2 (or more) stitches you slip, plus the 2 (or more) you knit before going back to you the slipped stitches on your cable needle, i.e a total of 4 stitches wide in this example.

Subscribers to the Toft newsletter will today receive a free cable wristwarmers pattern since they are one of Cheryl's favourite Toft knits. If you would like to receive our exclusive free patterns and news about Toft click here and sign up.

Crafty things made from... crafty things.

Take a look at these crafty items made from, well, crafty items.

Many of you may be familiar with knitting needle bangles and rings, 'zip' earrings, and needle point necklaces, well good for you. We'd just like to marvel at them for a short time and think about how lucky we are to be surrounded by crafting tools. We admire them not simply because they help us to create beautiful knitwear, or keep our knitting needles safe, or do up our jackets, but beacause they have their own pleasing aesthetics. It's a bit like buying a fur pom pom, just because it's so pretty, we know it's done and we know who you are!

Take a look at this article written in 2009 about designer Liana Kabel (maker of the craft jewelry) we're coveting several more pieces! We'll be showing you how to make your own jewelry from alpaca felt in May's shearing and felt workshop and Liana has provided us with lots of inspiration.

http://www.ecouterre.com/knit-wit-liana-kabel-recycles-vintage-knitting-needles-into-eye-popping-jewelry/

Carrie would like to thank her dear friend April for the beautiful cowhide needle case above and Liana Kabel knitting needle bracelet brought for her birthday several weeks ago and thereby inspiring this post!