Áine (awe-nya) and Rema - Two Froglets who went to University.
And had fun getting ready for Hallowe’en
If this post is too long for email click through to read on Substack. Also click on photos to see all of them, some in galleries aren’t fully displayed.
Quick house keeping note - if you are here for poetry and writings I’ve set up a new Substack - The Shadow Mirror pop over and find them there. This Substack is now a knitting and arts and crafts blog.
(I have been using patterns by Claire Garland from Dot Pebbles Knit for most of these little animals. She has a fab Instagram account. Shoes are sadly not made by me but from various sellers.)
Hello Knitting Cabbage Heads,
(I write up the story of these froglets because their stories happen mainly over on Notes, and I know some people only see posts not Notes)
These two little ones were a commission for two friends. Celebrating the times they spent together. They appear together and sat in this small bowl whilst waiting for their limbs. Who could resist those pleading eyes?
I do love it when the fingers behave and come along into a nice form without too much persuasion .
Once one frog had arms they cuddled the other whilst they waited, they already had a bond.
Soon both had arms.
At this point I went to Cumbria for 3 days and took the froglets with me. Our room was a little meh, but the view out of the window lovely and the froglets loved it, spending a lot of time on the window ledge gazing out.
‘Stop resting’ they said. ‘Look! Look at the view! Make our legs so we can explore!’
I gave up resting from the journey and knitted a little before our dinner. Froglet 1 - Áine (said awe-nya) showed me how happy they were and how flexible! Posing on the required white duvet cover of the hotel linen.
As the sun began to go down the froglets waited for the sunset. When you have legs you give your sibling a piggy back. Or should that be a froggy back!
The next day after the human adventures I made the second set of legs. Now this is an example of tired versus not tired knitting, not tired also in good light, and tired in not so good light. At home I have a crafting light, there in the hotel room I did not. Froglet 2 - Rhea - on the left (still awaiting smile at this point) has longer legs despite it being the same yarn, same number of rows etc. I was tired and the light was bad so the stitches ended up that teeny tiny bit larger. Over 25 rows it added up. Áine on right (with smile) has tighter stitches and so is just that wee bit smaller. All of my frogs are one offs and individuals, this is one of the reasons why. It’s a nature versus nurture thing I suppose.
Now the froglets were getting a bit restless but I was reluctant to take them out with me in case I lots the shoes at the best and them at the worst, but little did I know. I seriously underestimated their resolve. The next day we humans trundled off to Beatrix Potter country and explored her house and whilst we were away the froglets did play. So whilst we were out today looking at Hill Top (the home of Beatrix Potter) the frogs took it upon themselves to explore the mini version in the miniature village that sits by our hotel. Rather ingenious of them I say. They had great fun clambering over the buildings (shh, they should not have been doing that, but what harm can two yarn frogs really do?!) that are all depictions for real places in the Lake District.
Eventually we had to come home and I could make clothes for them. I was given a brief and decided to make jumpers that represented the colleges they enjoyed being at the most. So Harvard and Bryn Mawr in the USA and scarves to top off the outfits.
Then it was onto the accessories. Both are academics and like sport, but I am not good at making sporting accessories so I went with books. Russian, plays, birds.
I set up a little vignette of them meeting at uni at either a library or a book sale. My ankle is quite swollen after falling down the stairs so it’s not perfect, I may redo before these are off to their new homes in the US. Both have little bags, Áine has a backpack, and Rema a should bag. They will be leaving for their new homes with a collection of books ready for study.
Before they got ready for their journey overseas they agreed to help me set up the Hallowe’en coffee shop. All a bit of fun for them.
And then here they are, all snuggled up and ready to be packaged up for their journey.
And so that’s all folks. Till next time, Tx
Froglets🐸, other animals🐇🦊🦡🐭🐘🦏🦎🦥🦧etc, and other miniatures are (or will be) available from me on here (message me). You can also find them at My Website. They are considered collectibles, are unsuitable for under 14s due to the wires, are not CE/UKCA tested (collectibles do not need to be), and are therefore priced as such. Also contact me here if you fancy something you see or don’t see, I’m always open to suggestions. I do have ME/CFS and making and photographing them etc all takes a lot of energy and is a very slow process. I do knit to order too, but be aware a froglet with a jumper takes up to a week for me to make on average. The smaller they are the longer they take as they are more intricate and fiddly. Thank you muchly.
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