The Toft 5th Birthday Party 2011
To celebrate The Toft Alpaca Shop’s 5th Birthday we held a two day celebration of all things alpaca and textiles.
We kicked off the party on Friday with a lunch for our knitters. Although only twelve were available to join us it meant we had a great time and we could all sit around the large table together and chat. After a walk and talk around the farm to ensure that these ambassadors of our craft were up-to-date and well informed in ‘alpaca’ we enjoyed a leisurely lunch and then some bunting knitting ready for Saturday’s party. Several of our knitters managed to join us on both days, and others that couldn’t make it Friday enjoyed coming along with their families at the weekend.
Saturday was brilliant. The first car entered the car park at 9.45am and the last one left at 5.30pm! we had a full day of activities for all the family, including farm walks, alpaca halter training, wet felting, knitting lessons, and spinning. Well over two hundred of you passed through the gates of Toft this Saturday (we were so busy we had no way to count!) and the fifty car carpark was full from start to finish.
We couldn’t have made the day so successful without the help of all our staff and volunteers- and I am sure those of you that came along would like to share in a pat on the back to:
Carrie : for endless enthusiasm in shop serving and stopping all the knitters getting in a tangle!
Linda: for proudly showing off her halter trained alpacas (and managing to squeeze in the shearing of four too!)
Emma: for being wonderful with all the children and helping create Bertha (the lifesize felt alpaca).
Izi: for boldly diving in at the deep end and learning and then teaching wet felting to all the children.
Myra (gran): for providing an endless stream of tea and coffee to all.
Lorna: for providing a wonderful welcome to all and being the best shop sales assistant around- she now knows her knit from her purl alright!
Doug: for always helping out those who needed it whether washing cups or doing truck tours of the farm.
Joel: for his help with all the wet felting.
Jack: for expert car-parking management.
Scott: for some fantastic farm tours (the feedback has been wonderful!)
Felicity: for demonstrating knitting all day.
Laura: for getting stuck in at the knitting all day.
Kate: for doing a very long drive up to show her support for the Toft she has helped create (and take all these great photos).
Jen: for being on hand to assist with whatever needed doing.
And of course Rob and Shirley: for allowing us to once again dominate their home for a whole weekend, and for their tireless ability to chat alpaca, run halter training, and help wherever help was needed.
And all those others who did your bit (hog roast team, the Lord family, the Newport family).
We hope you enjoy the pictures. I fear we may be celebrating each year from now on!!!
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