The standard Edward’s Menagerie animal is worked in Double Knitting (DK) weight yarn on a 3mm crochet hook (for US crocheters: light worsted/8ply yarn on a C2 or D3 hook). The beauty of the pattern is that you never need to change the hook size and you need only one tool to make all forty animals featured in this book!
All the figures given here are approximate and based on my experience in working with TOFT pure alpaca and wool yarns. You could make any one of these animals in any thickness of yarn, but with the Level 3 animals you may find some parts become quite demanding when worked in very fine yarns. Thicker yarns and bigger hooks may suit beginners best, as it is easier to see the stitches.
These quantities are based on using TOFT pure alpaca or pure wool yarn. If you use another brand, the quantities required may vary significantly depending on the composition of the yarn. Animals that use the fur stitch or chain loops to add details such as manes or top knots will take considerably more yarn than others.
Your hook size needs to be selected based on yarn thickness but also considering your own personal tension. Adjust your hook size to accommodate your tension and thickness of yarn ensuring that your fabric is dense: if it is too loose your stuffing will show through; if it is too tight your animals will be stiff and hard to work. The tension measurements below are approximate and measured over standard double crochet stitches worked in a spiral.
The size given in the box is for a standard body animal in a sitting position measured from its bottom to the top of its head – all ears, horns and hair are additional to this.
I have used British English crochet terms throughout. ‘Double crochet’ (dc) is the same as the American English ‘single crochet’ (sc). For clarification on which stitch this refers to, see the instructions for Double Crochet in the Technicals section. All other abbreviations are the same in both British and American terms.
| SMALL | ||
| YARN WEIGHT | UK | FINE |
| US/AU | SPORT/4PLY | |
| QUANTITY | G | 30–50 |
| OZ | 1–1¾ | |
| HOOK SIZE | MM | 1.75 |
| US/AU | n/a | |
| FINISHED SIZE | CM | 12 |
| IN | 4¾ | |
| TENSION | CM | 2 x 2cm = 6 sts x 7 rows |
| IN | ¾ x ¾in = 6 sts x 7 rows | |
| STANDARD | ||
| YARN WEIGHT | UK | DK |
| US/AU | LIGHT WORSTED/8PLY | |
| QUANTITY | G | 60–100 |
| OZ | 2–3½ | |
| HOOK SIZE | MM | 3 |
| US/AU | C2/D3 | |
| FINISHED SIZE | CM | 18 |
| IN | 7 | |
| TENSION | CM | 3 x 3cm = 6 sts x 7 rows |
| IN | 1¼ x 1¼in = 6 sts x 7 rows | |
| LARGE | ||
| YARN WEIGHT | UK | ARAN |
| US/AU | WORSTED/10PLY | |
| QUANTITY | G | 300–400 |
| OZ | 10–14 | |
| HOOK SIZE | MM | 5 |
| US/AU | H8 | |
| FINISHED SIZE | CM | 24 |
| IN | 9½ | |
| TENSION | CM | 5 x 5cm = 6 sts x 7 rows |
| IN | 2 x 2in = 6 sts x 7 rows | |
| GIANT | ||
| YARN WEIGHT | UK | CHUNKY |
| US/AU | BULKY/12PLY | |
| QUANTITY | G | 600–1000 |
| OZ | 20–35 | |
| HOOK SIZE | MM | 8 |
| US/AU | L11 | |
| FINISHED SIZE | CM | 34 |
| IN | 13½ | |
| TENSION | CM | 7 x 7cm = 6 sts x 7 rows |
| IN | 2¾ x 2¾in = 6 sts x 7 rows | |
