The Story Behind Tink & The Frog Yarn
I had no idea I wanted a Tink & The Frog yarn.
Honestly, I didn’t even think it was possible. In my head, having a store yarn would mean a whole lot of manual labor, complicated logistics, extra decision-making, and probably several things I absolutely do not have time to do. And then I went to h+h.
While I was there, I was spending time with some of my fellow yarn store owner coaching friends. My friend Kate, who owns Harriet & Alice, took me to meet a small, woman-owned indie dye studio that our friend Shannon had told us about. It turned out they do the dream version of this: they help yarn store owners create a custom color palette, and then they handle the dyeing and labeling.
Perfect for the yarn store owner who is already eyeball-deep in everything else.
Suddenly, this idea that had never felt realistic became possible. I could create a yarn that felt like Tink & The Frog without having to become a dyer myself. I could do the parts that felt fun and meaningful: choosing the yarn bases, dreaming up the colors, naming the colorways, and imagining what this collection could become.
That’s how Lily Pad Sock and Frog Pond Minis came to life.
When I started thinking about what a Tink & The Frog yarn should feel like, I knew I wanted it to be colorful, joyful, a little whimsical, and full of project possibilities. I didn’t want it to feel random. I wanted the colors to feel connected to the shop — to the people, the stories, the projects, the inside jokes, the cozy corners, the cheerful chaos, and all the little moments that make this place feel like home.
Then those inspirations turned into a color palette.
And then that color palette became yarn - actual yarn! With our name on the label even!
That feels magical.
Lily Pad Sock
Lily Pad Sock is our hand-dyed sock yarn base. It is beautiful for socks, of course, but it is also wonderful for one-skein shawls, lightweight cowls, scarves, gift projects, colorwork accents, and anything that lets a hand-dyed skein shine. This is the kind of yarn you can use for a practical project, but it still feels special. It’s colorful, project-ready, and just the right amount of treat-yourself.
Frog Pond Minis
Frog Pond Minis are our mini-skein sets, and they are pure fun. Minis are perfect for contrast heels and toes, stripes, colorwork, shawls, scrappy projects, and adding a little pop of Craft Joy. They’re also extremely fun to collect, which is not technically a project plan, but I totally endorse it.
Two of the first Lily Pad Sock colorways are named after my favorite Junior Yarn Associates: Rose and Elanor. These colors feel so much like them, and seeing customers connect with them has made this first collection feel even more special.
A New Store Staple?
We’ve already ordered restocks of our best-selling colors, along with brand-new colorways. So if you missed a favorite, more is coming. And if you love being surprised by new colors, there will be more to look forward to soon.
When you knit or crochet with Lily Pad Sock or Frog Pond Minis, I hope it feels like you’re carrying a little piece of Tink & The Frog with you. I hope it feels joyful and inspiring. I hope it makes you want to cast on something beautiful, playful, useful, or completely unnecessary but delightful.
Most of all, I hope it feels like Craft Joy.
Because that’s what this yarn is really about. Not just yarn with our name on the label, but a little piece of our shop, dyed into something you can take home and make your own.
We’ve put together project idea collections to help you start dreaming. You can browse our hand-dyed sock yarn projects bundle or you can browse our mini-skein project ideas bundle here:
You can watch me share about A Yarn of Our own on YouTube (did you know we have a YouTube channel? It's new!).
Thank you for making this first round of Tink & The Frog yarn so special. I can’t wait to see what you make with it!
