Crochet Friends Forever

Create and customise adorable animal families, new for 2026

Stuart Hillard invites you to create an irresistible cast of woolly animal companions. Using a versatile base pattern, craft your own huggable families of rabbits, bears, mice, pandas and foxes in three customisable sizes.

Stuart Hillard invites you to create an irresistible cast of woolly animal companions. Using a versatile base pattern, craft your own huggable families of rabbits, bears, mice, pandas and foxes in three customisable sizes.

There is a special kind of warmth that comes from crafting a character from scratch – selecting the perfect yarn, shaping a friendly face, and choosing the outfit that suits their unique personality, from cosy picnic-lovers to weekend globetrotters.

Inside, you’ll find yarn suggestions and styling inspiration, alongside:

• One simple, brilliant base pattern to create heads, bodies and limbs – build all of your toys from the same foundation and customise depending on which animal family they belong to.
• More than a dozen wardrobe options that mix and match beautifully – think jeans and a baseball cap, flip flops with a sunhat and a gorgeous beach bag, or a classic duffel coat and Wellington combo.
• Plenty of cute accessories – treat your crochet friends to a mini acorn, a piece of cheese or a bottle of red.

These heirloom toys blend traditional charm with Stuart’s modern flair, ready to fill your home with warmth and joy. Whether you’re making a gift for a friend, crafting toys for the grandchildren, or building a woodland picnic in your living room – craft soft, huggable animal friends that you and your loved ones will treasure for years to come.