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.

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!