Belle and Beau - two larger frogs made for the Franklin book.

The birthing of two larger froglets

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 only you can set up what you receive by clicking on the relevant sections only. This post will go into the ‘Art Makes’ section. Deselect that section and you won’t get these posts. Visa versa don’t want poetry, deselect that section. This link takes you through the process here.

(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 emails not Notes)

I am so far behind on the retelling of all these birth stories - and for my froggy fans I apologise. Blame Franklin who needed to find a home and embarked on one of the most outrageous campaigns I have ever heard of, I mean who else gets a whole book written about him in an adoption effort? His book is available here.

Whilst ‘doing’ the prep work for the book I discovered these three yarn balls just a sitting minding their own business. The only three balls I had of that brand and size. I must have bought them in a sale for a project I had in mind and promptly forgot: that’s quite normal for me. Lovely merino yarn, so whilst incredibly busy I decided, of course, to make some slightly larger frogs, starting with that stunning blue. Isn’t it just lush? And then making another in the pink for the tadpole Pool of Life.

There was a little rivalry because the tadpoles. The little dusky pink and salmon coloured ones being rather impatient for their turn and having to wait. But I had ideas for the larger new ones (knitted on DK not fingering weight yarn and so larger needles and therefore larger bodies)

Legs and shoes for the blue. And then there were two. Beau and Belle. Belle was excited to be standing on the platform most little froglets get their first fully formed photo.

They then went to do their jobs, having been knitted for possible inclusion in the book for Franklin. They did their job well, and if you search the book you may find them.

Belle was the first to get clothes. She wanted something ethereal and floaty. So, butterfly wings, a floaty skirt and a butterfly necklace were in order. She has said her aim in life is to spin in circles getting that skirt to billow as much as possible. A laudable ambition.

Beau then needed clothing too, but not before helping me by posing for size comparison picture or two.

Here we have them standing with a a normal sized froglet in the red. And then with the largest froglet I’ve made (Aran yarn 4mm needles), the normal sized red froglet (4 ply yarn 2mm needles) and my tiniest froglet (3 ply yarn on 1.5mm needles). Job done it was onto choosing their clothes.

They wanted to rummage through my lace and ribbon box but I was confronted with a mess I’d failed to clear up after my last night in my dining/craft room.

They had to wait for at least 45 mins before they could start. They were very patient. Eventually we got the right box out and they spent a good while rummaging before narrowing the choice down to two.

After a good while Beau finally decided on the primary coloured one. That did mean we needed to change boot colour. Bright red it was! My favourite. I suggest a lovely blue waistcoat with red buttons to compliment and they agree.

Both Belle and Beau have found new homes in the US.

So that’s all folks. Till next time peeps, Tx

☕️ buy me a coffee here ☕️

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 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.

If you have enjoyed my ramblings I’d love for you to click the ❤️. It pleases the social algorithm, lets others know there’s something interesting here, as well as letting me know you liked it and giving me a little virtual hug. Without virtual hugs I have been know to get sad 😜. Shares are good too and a comment buoys me up even more 😁 A comment of what you liked, what you didn’t etc would be most gratefully appreciated.