🧶🐸I need the people of Ribblr’s help and opinions

[DucksRCute]

Okay, so I was thinking about this earlier today, and the more I thought about it, the more I realized I genuinely have NO IDEA what I should do.

So I decided to ask the people of Ribblr because who better to ask than a bunch of other crocheters?

Basically… I have two crochet businesses/brands, and I’m trying to figure out whether I should keep them separate or combine them.

Let me explain because there’s a LOT of context here.

FROGTASTIC CROCHET

Frogtastic Crochet is my more established crochet brand on Ribblr.

This is where I make and share FREE crochet patterns, and it’s currently the name of my Ribblr shop.

I mainly want Frogtastic Crochet to stay focused on patterns because I really enjoy designing them, and I want people to be able to find my free patterns in one place.

I also already have a community built around Frogtastic Crochet! I’ve been using the name on Ribblr for a while and currently have around 180 followers, so there’s already some recognition behind the name.

The branding is also very different from Waddle & Wool.

Frogtastic Crochet has more of a cartoony/playful look, with a frog surrounded by yarn.

So when people see the frog, I want them to think:

“Oh! That’s the person who makes those crochet patterns!”

Sorry for low quality

WADDLE & WOOL

Then there’s Waddle & Wool.

Waddle & Wool is my newer crochet business, and this is where I SELL my finished crochet items.

I’ve been using Waddle & Wool for my markets, and eventually I’d like to have an Etsy shop where I can sell my finished items online and ship them to people.

I’d also love to maybe have my own website someday, but I’m honestly not sure if that’s realistic right now.

Between school, homework, crocheting, making products, markets, and everything else, I don’t exactly have unlimited time.

And I also don’t really have the money or time right now to build and maintain a website through something like Squarespace, Shopify, Base44, or another website builder.

So for now, I’m mainly thinking about Etsy + markets, and then MAYBE a website wayyy later if it actually makes sense.

Waddle & Wool also has a completely different aesthetic from Frogtastic Crochet.

It’s more rustic, cozy, and cute, with a duck surrounded by yarn. Some versions of the logo even have the duck crocheting!

And Waddle & Wool is the brand I REALLY want to focus on building.

I currently have around 40 followers on the Waddle & Wool Instagram, and I want to start posting more consistently and actually build that account into something people recognize.

Obviously, school is making that a little difficult because I have approximately 9000 assignments at all times.

But I still want to make an effort to post whenever school allows and slowly grow Waddle & Wool into an actual recognizable brand.

SO… WHAT’S THE PROBLEM?

Right now, I have:

Frogtastic Crochet
→ Ribblr
→ ~700 followers
→ Free crochet patterns
→ Pattern testing/designing
→ Cartoony frog + yarn branding

AND

Waddle & Wool
→ Markets
→ Finished crochet products
→ Future Etsy shop
→ Instagram with ~40 followers
→ Hopefully more online selling eventually
→ Rustic/cute duck + yarn branding

And honestly…

I LIKE THEM SEPARATE.

I like having one name for my patterns and another name for my finished products.

It makes sense in my head.

Frogtastic Crochet is:

“Here’s a pattern! Go make it yourself!”

Waddle & Wool is:

“I made this! You can buy it!”

BUT I’m starting to wonder if I’m making things unnecessarily complicated.

Because there’s one thing that keeps coming up…

INSTAGRAM.

People on Ribblr have started asking me to tag them on my Instagram, which is really sweet!

But then I have to say:

“Oh, my Instagram is actually under a different business name…”

And THAT is where I feel like things could start getting confusing.

Someone finds my pattern on Ribblr under Frogtastic Crochet.

Then they want to tag me on Instagram.

But my Instagram is Waddle & Wool.

Then they go to Waddle & Wool and see a duck instead of the frog.

Then they might wonder:

“Wait… are these even the same person?”

And if I eventually have an Etsy shop, that could make it even more confusing.

Frogtastic Crochet → Ribblr

Waddle & Wool → Instagram + Etsy + markets

And potentially someday…

Waddle & Wool → website?

At some point I feel like I’m going to have to explain my entire business structure just so someone can figure out where to find me.

BUT THEN…

If I combined everything under one name, it would probably be MUCH simpler.

One Instagram.

One main brand.

One name to put on business cards.

One place to send people.

One recognizable brand.

If someone finds one of my patterns, they can immediately find my finished products.

If someone buys something from me at a market, they can find my patterns.

And if someone asks:

“What’s your Instagram?”

I don’t have to explain why my Instagram has a completely different name.

BUT…

I DON’T WANT TO GET RID OF FROGTASTIC CROCHET.

I’ve already built up a community there.

I have around 700 followers.

People recognize the name.

I like the frog branding.

And I genuinely like having a separate place that’s focused on free patterns.

At the same time, I REALLY like Waddle & Wool and I want to build it into a recognizable brand for my finished crochet items.

So now I’m basically stuck between:

“Keeping them separate makes sense.”

and

“Combining them would make my life SO much easier.”

SO WHAT WOULD YOU DO?

If you were in my situation, would you:

KEEP THEM COMPLETELY SEPARATE

• Frogtastic Crochet = Ribblr + free patterns

• Waddle & Wool = finished products + Instagram + markets + Etsy

KEEP THEM SEPARATE BUT CONNECT THEM

• Keep both names and their different aesthetics

• But make it VERY obvious that they’re connected/sister brands

• Maybe something in the bios like “Frogtastic Crochet × Waddle & Wool” or something similar

COMBINE EVERYTHING

• Pick one main name

• Put patterns, products, Instagram, Etsy, etc. under the same brand

OR DO SOMETHING COMPLETELY DIFFERENT

And if you think I should keep them separate, I’d REALLY love suggestions for how to make the connection between them obvious without completely merging the brands.

Because I feel like I’m at a point where I can still change things without having to completely rebrand everything later.

But I also don’t want to spend a bunch of time changing everything around just to realize I liked the original setup better.

And honestly, time is a HUGE factor for me right now.

I’m in school, and I want to grow Waddle & Wool by posting more often, but I also have homework, crocheting, pattern designing, markets, and approximately 47 other things going on at any given moment.

So whatever I do needs to be something I can actually maintain.

I also don’t have the budget right now to build some giant fancy website just because I feel like I “should” have one.

I’d rather grow things slowly and figure out what actually works for me.

So, Ribblr…

WHAT WOULD YOU DO?

Would you keep Frogtastic Crochet and Waddle & Wool separate?

Would you combine them?

Would you make them sister brands?

Have you ever had two different crochet accounts/businesses and had to figure this out?

I genuinely don’t know what the right answer is, so I want to hear your experiences and opinions!

Who better to ask than the people of Ribblr?

[peachyxtulips]

i would probably merge them! this is a lot easier, and you can just change your shop name here on ribblr.

[thecraftywitch333]

WOW

This is an interesting problem…my suggestion would probably be to try and combine the 2 brands, maybe mixing the logos together in some way so that each account is still recognizable but then choosing one of the names for everything?

If you end up not wanting to do that, I’d say just change everything to Waddle and Wool because you use that for more platforms!

Hope this helps you out and that you end up finding a solution you like!

[SkeinsofGrace]

I think if it were me I would connect them and maybe have both the frog and duck used for pfps and stuff but use the corresponding style for each brand

[strawberrycat49]

i think merge them!!

[WHALES812]

IM CRYIN

HOWD U TYPE ALL THIS anyway off topic here

I think keep them separate but if Insta is a problem then just make another Insta account for Frogtastic Crochet!

[Strawberrychocolate14]

I would keep them separate but make it so people know about both/ make it so that people know that they are sister brands.

[cr0chetdrag0n]

I would keep them separate but connect them!!!

[Bardia56]

Here is my thought. What I think I would do. As I can see they might be 2 different markets. Not everyone who may want to buy from you may know how to crochet. Some might, but not all.

I’d keep them as too separate entities , as two webpages. Of course if and when you’re ready you can make free websites that are not that hard to do

Then on each site I’d add a link to the other site. Either at the top ot bottom corner of the home page…

Eg in the corner of the Frogtastic Crochet page, I’d add a note saying that Frogtastic Crochet is also the owner of Waddle & Wool,( maker of beautiful home- crafted crochet products) with a little Waddle and Wool icon that people can click on to go there.

And conversely, on the Waddle & Wool page add in that Waddle & Wool is also the owner of Frogtastic Crochet ( home of amazing patterns you can make for yourself), with a Frogtastic Crochet icon that people can click on the go there.

Works as advertising for both sites too.

That is how I think I’d do it. Hope that helps

Btw, I just love both of your company icons. They’re just perfect

Also just thinking, for business cards, you could print on both sides of the card, one side for each company.

You never know when someone might take your card because they’re interested In one of your companies, then pass the card on to a friend who’s more interested in the other.

[Crystaldragon]

My choice would probably be to merge it under Frogtastic crochet bcos that has more followers and u just have a separate space on Frogtastic crochet like “Frogtastic Store”

[IMadeIt]

If it were me, I would merge them.

As you said, time is a huge issue for you, so having only one “business” to focus on will be much easier to manager.

If you keep them separate, you’d have double the work to do. For example, 2 websites to manage, 2 etsy accounts, 2 instagram, 2 facebook and so on. You would also have, double the fees to pay. For example, web hosting, etsy shop set ups, taxes etc.

By merging the 2, you automatically reduce your workload by half and eliminate/reduce expenses, leaving more profits in your hands.

Also, for the purpose of social media, you’ll have more material to use when you post if you combine them.

[Chomusukebakuretsu]

Off topic here but…

I actually have a ribblr shop AND an Etsy shop!

I use my ribblr shop to design free patterns so ppl can make it themselves and my Etsy shop to sell my finished projects!

They are both different logos and names so ppl wont rlly recognise me!

Its really sad though because its been a really long time and I haven’t sold a single froggingson on a log that I will make to order! (I have only listed that though)

Someone please help meeeee…

[nuggiemaster]

I would probably merge them together!

[LOTR0099]

This is my personal opinion, but I thing you should keep them separate but connect them! Because I understand how you want to keep the two different aesthetics, I would too. But if it is easier for you, then I think you could just keep them separate and then in the Desc of the shop or account you could say something along the lines of “also by @DucksRCute ”, that way there are two different brand names, but you dint have to explain them to people. But this is my opinion it’s up to you!

[Lunascrochet]

Here is what I do for the different branches of my work; maybe it inspires you to find a solution. My business name is Hold My Design, where I sell my handmade ceramic pet figures. When I was doing NFTs, I called it Hold My NFT.

​What I do is keep the main name, add a branch, and let people recognize the brand. I used this strategy because NFTs were all about trust, and I needed to earn it fast. I had already owned Hold My Design for about three years back then and had over 7k followers.

​But I also have businesses with very different names because I want to keep them separate. For example, I had a laser cutter (it caught fire) and had a brand called Perlaser. I didn’t want or need recognition from Hold My Design since it had a completely different niche and customer base, nor did I need to leverage the trust of Hold My Design’s audience.