Down By The Pond

I've been wanting to add a small, simple frog with lots of character to my pattern collection for some time. My grandmother (I called her "Nana") loved frogs, and as one of the chief crafty influences in my life, I was hoping to come up with something that she would like.

My Nana wasn't your run-of-the-mill kind of grandmother. Oh, she could bake up a storm, but she also drank beer, was probably responsible for teaching me some of my first curse words, and her hands never EVER stopped moving. She made beaded ornaments, crocheted, quilted, made entire plastic canvas villages, and then some. My great uncle tells us that even in her last days in the hospital, Nana's hands were moving -- working on an invisible quilt in her dreams.

I think Nana would have liked the grumpy frog. He's got lots of personality -- just like she did.

But once I got that first grumpy frog done, I just couldn't leave well enough alone (call it a case of Nana's busy hands, if you will). Before I knew it, the frog had a home (lily pad), some fashionable decor (a water lily) and even a friend (a seriously grumpy fish).

The whole set is crocheted with an E hook in Caron Simply Soft -- though you can use just about any kind of acrylic yarn.

The pattern is already loaded to Ravelry and you can get it in an instant download for only $4.00 from the pattern page. It's a real deal at only $1.00 per pattern piece.

And as always, I love seeing your finished projects and I check Ravelry often to see what you've been up to. You're also welcome to email me finished photos at ibscrochet@gmail.com -- with your permission, I may even share them on my Facebook page.

Happy (not-so-grumpy) crocheting!