Edward's Menagerie New Edition | Kerry Lord

Get ready to spend some time with a suave high-flying rhino, a lovesick elephant who knows her way around a kitchen and a seriously chivalrous tiger 

With just two weeks to go before baby Edward's due date, yarn enthusiast Kerry Lord picked up a crochet hook for the first time and a new obsession began. Over the next 12 months the collection of crochet animals expanded week on week until Edward's Menagerie was complete with 40 unique patterns.

Ten years on, the book has sold over a quarter of a million copies, while the collection has expanded and improved, prompting a new edition featuring fully updated patterns and a selection of brand new animals.

These cute animals with larger-than-life personalities are made using simple crochet techniques and the step-by-step instructions enable a complete beginner to get hooking straight away. Each animal also has a universal pattern where you can change your hook and yarn to create four different sizes, making 160 different possibilities.

Be warned that these unlikely characters made using a supersoft yarn in a sumptuous natural colour palette will become your new best friends as you hook your way through the whole menagerie