This page contains our most frequently asked questions about TOFT's patterns, both digital and printed. You will also find information on copyright, exclusivity, Edward's Menagerie and Alexandra's Garden patterns, how to understand TOFT patterns and how to find out about errata.
If you have purchased kits from TOFT in the past, you’ll be familiar with the .pdf format our patterns come in. Most patterns are available this way, and when you purchase one of these kits from the TOFT website the digital version of the pattern will be made available to you.
WHAT IS A DIGITAL PATTERN?
A digital pattern comes in the form of a .pdf (portable document format) file. This type of file can be easily viewed, shared and printed, and almost everyone is able to open a .pdf document on their computer or mobile device.
Please note TOFT patterns are sold as part of kits by TOFT. They are not intended to be sold separately. See COPYRIGHT below for more information.
WHERE IS MY DIGITAL PATTERN?
Your .pdf pattern can be found in two places instantly once you have purchased your kit from the TOFT website; your order confirmation email, and your My TOFT Area.
A link will be included at the bottom of your order confirmation email. Clicking on this link will enable you to view the pattern, which you can then save to your device and print at your own convenience. These links have a limit on how many times you can click on them so if you are unable to view a pattern you could previously see, please check your My TOFT Area where you will be able to view and download your patterns anytime.
Please be kind to the environment and only print your pattern if you need to do so. Most of our patterns indicate the best range of pages to print to minimise the amount of resources used.
If your pattern link is not working or there is no pattern appearing in your My TOFT Area, please get in touch with our Customer Care team via [email protected].
Also known as postcard patterns, these collectable printed versions of TOFT patterns come in different sizes depending on what you have ordered.
WHAT IS A PRINTED PATTERN?
If you have opted for a printed TOFT pattern, this will usually come in A5 or A6 postcard format. Printed on high quality recyclable silk card, you will find your pattern wrapped up with the yarn required for your kit. On one side will be an image of the finished project, and the other side will contain your pattern, tools and materials needed and any helpful abbreviations.
Please note TOFT patterns are sold as part of kits by TOFT and verified stockists. They are not intended to be sold separately. See COPYRIGHT below for more information.
NO PRINTED PATTERN?
If you have opened your TOFT parcel and cannot find a pattern you believe should have been included, please check your order confirmation email to confirm whether your pattern should be printed or digital.
If we omitted the printed pattern from your parcel, we’re sorry! Please get in touch with our Customer Care team via [email protected] quoting your order number and we’ll work as quickly as possible to get the printed copy out to you.
The majority of our kits come with a digital copy of the pattern too, so if you’re keen to get started you can download the .pdf content while waiting for your printed copy to arrive.
At TOFT we take pride in our patterns being concise and easy to follow. If you are having any trouble at all with a pattern, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with our Customer Care team via [email protected], who will be happy to help you.
SKILL LEVEL
At TOFT we break our patterns down into three different levels:
LEVEL ONE: COMPLETE BEGINNER
Projects at this level are suitable for complete beginners who have never crocheted before and just require learning one or two types of stitch.
LEVEL TWO: EASY
Projects at this level involve simple techniques and are a great next step for anyone who can understand a beginner pattern.
LEVEL THREE: INTERMEDIATE
Projects at this level involve additional more complex techniques and are suitable for confident beginners or those with a little more experience.
BRITISH AND AMERICAN CROCHET TERMS
TOFT patterns are designed using British crochet and knitting terms. For crochet patterns and Edward’s Menagerie patterns, here is a breakdown of the most commonly used UK terms and their US translations.
TENSION
Tension is the number of stitches and rows required to achieve a given unit of measurements using a specific pattern, yarn weight and needle size. It is the foundation of a pattern and is used to determine the size, density and drape of a project. Your tension can be affected by a variety of factors including the way you hold your yarn, how you are feeling and whether you are using the correct yarn stated in the pattern, and it can ultimately affect the amount of yarn you use, resulting in running out on some occasions.
We recommend always checking your tension before beginning a project to avoid disappointment. Each TOFT pattern will state the tension that project is worked to so you can make a small square (usually 10x10cm) to check that your tension is correct. If the square is too small, your tension is too tight – you’ll need to increase your hook or needle size. If the square is too big, your tension is too loose – you’ll need to decrease the size of your hook or needle.
You can view our guide to TOFT yarns HERE, where you will find the standard tension across all of our yarn weights. Please check your individual TOFT pattern for the tension required to make your project. TOFT cannot be held responsible for any issues that occur as a result of incorrect tension, such as running out of yarn or a finished project that is not the right size.
ABBREVIATIONS
Many knitting and crochet terms are abbreviated to make patterns quicker and easier to follow, but it can look like a different language to begin with! For a detailed list of the abbreviations you might find in our patterns, please click HERE.
VIDEO TUTORIALS
If you’re having trouble with written instructions, don’t worry! Kerry Lord demonstrates a great number of the techniques used in the Edward’s Menagerie patterns, as well as some other knitting and crochet methods. You will find these on our video tutorial pages HERE.
If you can’t find the technique you’re looking for, please let us know as it may be within another video we have already recorded. If not, we are constantly looking for opportunities to record more helpful videos, so please do get in touch and tell us what’s missing.
CHOOSING A SIZE
Some of our patterns have been graded to fit a number of different sizes. A size chart in the pattern will give you the best idea of the garment’s measurements, or you can find our size guide HERE. Please note that all measurements are a guideline and will vary with each garment dependent on style and fit. Please check your tension before beginning your project to achieve the best result.
STANDARD TENSIONS
The standard crochet tension for an Edward's Menagerie and Alexandra's Garden pattern made with TOFT DK yarn is 6 sts x 7 rnds to 3cm on a 3mm crochet hook. If you are working with TOFT yarn or one of these patterns for the first time, we recommend starting with a leg (or a body if you're making a mini). Once you’ve made a leg, flatten it and hold it against a ruler and it should measure 9cm for a standard animal or 5cm for a mini. If it is too big, try holding your yarn tighter when working the stitches or using a smaller hook. If it is too small, try holding your yarn looser or using a bigger hook. Please check your tension before you start your project; you should not be able to see any stuffing through your stitches. If your tension is not quite right your finished animal might be too large or too small, and use more yarn in the process. We've included some helpful information in the below tables for your reference.
If you have a TOFT complete kit, we've photographed the standard tension and printed it onto the kit for you – so you'll just need to hold up your body part (we recommend a leg) to your box and you can see if the size of the stitches matches.
Please note that TOFT cannot be held responsible for issues that occur as a result of incorrect tension, such as running out of yarn or stuffing showing through the fabric.
RUNNING OUT OF YARN
At TOFT we test our patterns to ensure that you have enough yarn to complete your project. We also understand that it can be frustrating when you have too much yarn left over, so we've done our best to make sure the yarn included in our Edward's Menagerie crochet kits is just the right amount. If you were to weigh your animal parts before adding stuffing, you will find that the majority of animals add up to around 75g. Most of our kits come with 75-100g of yarn for you to complete your project, allowing for techniques like loop stitch, and adding any features such as chain loops or slip stitch spines once the animal has been sewn up.
The amount of yarn used will vary for each animal, as well as being affected by the maker's tension. If you find that you have run out of yarn and your tension is measuring as correct, please get in touch with our Customer Care team via [email protected].
SIZING
If you're wondering how big an animal will be once you have finished crocheting it in TOFT DK yarn, we've broken down each Edward's Menagerie collection for you in a handy table below. Please note that all measurements are approximate and can vary depending on additional features such as ears, manes, hats etc. The size may also be affected by your tension and if you are crocheting with a different yarn. There are some characters from the Edward's Menagerie collection that do not fit in to the table below, such as Graeme the Octopus or Hope the Whale. In this case you will find an approximate measurement in the product description, but they are still likely to be close to the approximate measurements we have given below.
LARGE AND GIANT ANIMALS
The beauty of Kerry Lord’s Edward’s Menagerie patterns is that they can be easily made in different yarn weights using exactly the same pattern. You simply need to purchase enough yarn in a different weight (indicated on Ed’s Index) and you can then make the animal in a larger (or smaller) size.
You can view the approximate animal size for each yarn weight on our size guide page HERE.
All of Kerry Lord and TOFT’s patterns (print and digital) are subject to copyright and are designed for private, personal use only. Copyright law entitles the owner of a pattern to control how their pattern is distributed – who can sell it, and where they can sell it. TOFT patterns (print and digital) are sold as part of kits by TOFT and verified stockists. They are not intended to be sold separately. If you have any questions about this, please get in touch with us via [email protected].
SHARING TOFT PATTERNS
Kerry Lord’s patterns are designed for private use only. They should be enjoyed only by you and your friends and family.
SELLING TOFT PATTERNS
TOFT patterns are subject to copyright and are for personal use. You cannot sell TOFT patterns or reproduce them for commercial gain.
SELLING FINISHED PROJECTS
All TOFT patterns are subject to copyright and cannot be used for commercial gain. They are for personal use only, so you cannot sell any products that have been made using a TOFT pattern.
CHARITY DONATIONS
If you would like to sell products that have been made using a TOFT pattern in order to fundraise for charity, this is acceptable provided you gain our permission and credit Kerry Lord and any publication you found the pattern in (for example Kerry’s Edward’s Menagerie books) where possible.
Some patterns may retain exclusivity to a certain subscription or retailer, usually for a period of weeks or months. If you have a question about the exclusivity of a pattern, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with our Customer Care team via [email protected].
SUBSCRIPTION EXCLUSIVITY
Some TOFT subscriptions may have an exclusivity period that covers a given time from the release date of a new pattern. After this period of exclusivity the pattern may be made available through other channels such as kits and bundles. We generally apply a 6 month exclusivity period to some club patterns before general release, but there are exceptional circumstances that may arise resulting in a reduced or increased period.
TOFT reserves the right to change exclusivity timescales for specific products at our discretion.
RETAILER EXCLUSIVITY
Occasionally a TOFT kit or pattern may be exclusive to a specific retailer for a given time. This is a contractual agreement between TOFT and the seller in question, and as such we are unable to sell the product through our own channels until the specified exclusivity period has ended. The only way you will be able to purchase the product during this time period is via the retailer.
TOFT reserves the right to release products previously exclusive to sellers at our discretion.
EVENT EXCLUSIVITY
TOFT may occasionally release a kit for a specific event or yarn show. This is a contractual agreement between TOFT and the event in question, and as such we are unable to sell the product through our own channels until the specified exclusivity period has ended. The only way you will be able to purchase the product during this time period is at the event.
TOFT reserves the right to release products previously exclusive to events at our discretion.
While we do our best to check and double check our patterns, the occasional error does slip through into our published content. We’re sorry if you have found a mistake in one of our patterns. Please get in touch with our Customer Care team via [email protected] and we’ll be happy to help you.
PATTERN UPDATES
We ensure that our digital patterns are kept up-to-date with the latest error free versions on our server. If you find an error in a pattern you are working on, please check your My TOFT Area for the latest version. If it has not changed, please get in touch with us via [email protected] stating the pattern and the error you have found, and we can update the pattern as quickly as possible.
Please note that if you are working from a printed version of a TOFT pattern, we are unable to replace this for you. However, on most occasions you will have the latest digital copy in your My TOFT Area that you can refer to.
BOOK ERRATA
If you have purchased a previous edition of one of Kerry Lord’s books in the Edward’s Menagerie series, you may find an old error that has since been corrected. Please visit the errata page of our website HERE to view corrected patterns.
If you cant find the correction you’re looking for, please get in touch with us via [email protected] and we can look into it for you.
