Toft Launches Hand Dyed Yarns + Quarterly Magazine

Rieppeleon image courtesy of Toft

In celebration of its ten year anniversary, Toft Alpaca, the Warwickshire-based yarn retailer, is selling some very special yarns created by well-known British hand dyers.

The collection is a special 'one off' and once the skeins are sold, they are gone. For £30 plus P&P buyers receive two hand-dyed 50g skeins and a .pdf pattern to crochet Kerry the Chameleon and Robert the Dart Frog. Toft's crocheted animals series has been very popular but if, like me, you aren't interested in crocheting a toy, then of course you can knit whatever you like with the yarn. The price tag is hefty for just 100g of yarn but the exclusivity does add to its allure.

The expert dyers Toft has worked with include:

• Skein Queen
• Countess Ablaze
• Kettle Yarn Co.
• Eden Cottage
• Hedgehog Fibres.

My favourite for its sunny orange hue is Kettle Yarn Co.'s Rieppeleon - I think it would make a fabulous scarf or hat to blow away the forthcoming winter blues. Second choice is Skein Queen's teal Furcifer.

Toft Quarterly Magazine

Toft's glossy new quarterly magazine was supposed to have been published by now but thanks to their first choice printer going bust the launch has sadly been delayed. I bought a year's subscription a few weeks ago when Toft was running a 10% off everything promotion and I'll be reviewing the magazine when it arrives in the post.

Image courtesy of Toft

In the meantime I received a special mini digital edition for subscribers. The photography is sumptuous and makes the magazine look like a classy publication. The content of the mini magazine, was, however, slightly disappointing. It contained a knitting pattern for block colour mittens, a crochet pattern for Matilda the Arctic Hare and a pattern to knit a twist beanie. None of the patterns shouted 'make me!' but of course that's personal choice and they are all not currently available on the Toft website. 

Further content included a PR puff piece about some of the staff who work at Toft, and a very lovely photoshoot of all the yarn colours Toft sells. This was my favourite part of the magazine - it's hard to choose yarn colours online and I found it very helpful to see all of the hues together in one lovely photo.

I'm looking forward to receiving my first proper edition of Toft Quarterly.  One copy costs £8 plus P&P or alternatively a one-year subscription plus the digital mini-magazine reviewed about is £24 plus P&P. A glossy magazine to flick through and keep on your bookshelf is much more appealing than a digital version to me. I'm probably in the minority of customers though for wanting less crochet and more knitting!