Writing strings with escaped spaces for shell scripts

I am sure this is simple but how do i write stings in AS that include the escaped spaces needed for Shell scripts?

set folderlist to {("Move to Thumbnail" as string), "move to MktThumbnails", "Move to Graphics", "Move to Enlarged"}

tell application "Finder"
	if exists folder "~:Desktop:thefolder2:" then
		--Macintosh HD:Users:jbradfield:Desktop:thefolder2:
		
		display dialog "it exist"
	else
		--display dialog folderlist
		repeat with i from 1 to count folderlist
			set i to item 1 of folderlist
			do shell script "mkdir  ~/desktop/thefolder2/" & i
			display dialog "i made a folder for u"
		end repeat
	end if
end tell

I seem to come here to answer my own ?s

Quoted form of blah blah blah

but how do i make the if exists work correctly cause it right now it doesn’t?

set folderlist to {("Move to Thumbnail" as string), "move to MktThumbnails", "Move to Graphics", "Move to Enlarged"}

tell application "Finder"
	if exists folder "~:Desktop:thefolder2:" then
		--Macintosh HD:Users:jbradfield:Desktop:thefolder2:
		
		display dialog "it exist"
	else
		--display dialog folderlist
		repeat with i from 1 to count folderlist
			set x to item i of folderlist
			do shell script "mkdir  ~/desktop/thefolder2/" & quoted form of x
			display dialog "I made a folder for u"
		end repeat
	end if
end tell

Maybe this will work.

set folderlist to {"Move to Thumbnail", "move to MktThumbnails", "Move to Graphics", "Move to Enlarged"}
set ptd to path to desktop

tell application "Finder" to set exists_ to exists folder "thefolder2" of ptd

if exists_ is true then
	display dialog "it exists"
else
	do shell script "mkdir " & ((POSIX path of ptd) & "thefolder2/")
	repeat with item_ in folderlist
		set new_fol to quoted form of ((POSIX path of ptd) & "thefolder2/" & item_)
		do shell script "mkdir " & new_fol
		display dialog "I made a folder for u"
	end repeat
end if

– Rob