Kerry Lord

Hello, my name is Kerry, I’m the the founder of the TOFT luxury yarn brand and the author of twelve published crochet pattern books. My first best-selling book Edward’s Menagerie has been translated into over twenty languages and I love seeing my designs and wool being enjoyed by crafters all around the world.

I live in a small rural hamlet in Warwickshire, England called ‘Toft’ from which we take our name as a brand. It has grown and evolved as a business since 2006 from initially just being myself, to now being ran by a team of twelve full-time creative people. 

My path to crochet and knitting began when my parents purchased four alpacas when I was twelve years old.  That herd of alpacas grew up with me and we now farm 150 alpacas in the fields surrounding our office. As a child I did always enjoy art and creativity, although I also always excelled in maths and physics at school. I think these two things come together in crochet design!

My degree is in English Literature, which is why is many of my books the crochet characters have names and stories to accompany them. I was very lucky to finish university and stumble into what I do now.  I began as a knitter spinning yarn from alpaca fleeces from our herd and knitting hats to sell at craft fairs, but it was not until I was pregnant in 2012 with my first child that I discovered crochet. Crochet enabled me to be able to create 3D shapes in a way that knitting until that point had not.  

My first crochet projects were Bridget the Elephant and Emma the Bunny, who are still two of the most popular crochet kits in my collection.  What makes my early Edward’s Menagerie designs so special and successful is that I was a beginner crocheter making them for other beginners.  My most recent designs have more techniques, more detail and require additional stitches beyond just the double crochet to create, but the first fifty animals I ever crocheted truly were created with just one stitch. 

My journey with TOFT has been very winding and an incredible adventure. I love sharing my latest designs and am passionate about using natural materials for the best results for both the crafter and sustainability. Everyone can crochet!