lemmings!
Okay, I can’t spin out the suspense any longer – I have to show you what I’ve made… It seems like there are a lot of Mario or PacMan inspired crafts going on at the moment, but I can’t imagine why nobody has thought to make these before: amigurumi Lemmings!
Gamers of the ’90s probably remember the classic Lemmings video game franchise – those hapless green-haired troops who followed each other in a line and would walk straight off a cliff to their doom if you didn’t create a path to safety for them. It was an original and engaging puzzle/strategy game with really cute music. I used to love playing it on my cousins’ Amiga, and later the tiny black-and-white version on my original GameBoy.
The way to play the game was to assign skills to some of the many lemmings in order to help as many as possible to safely navigate their surroundings and make it through each level. There were 9 different skills:
- Walker: The basic model lemming. Walks and walks until he hits a wall or falls off a cliff
- Blocker: Stops other lemmings from passing
- Miner: Digs a tunnel with his trusty pickaxe
- Floater: Falls from any height without damage thanks to his handy umbrella
- Builder: Builds a bridge using the boards he carries in his backpack
There were also Digger, Climber, Basher & Bomber lemmings, but I didn’t make those because they didn’t have any interesting props.
Please click through to see the full-size image – it looks so much better that way!
I crocheted all the Lemmings using my free Mop Top Mascots pattern, and I improvised their accessories to make them into the appropriate lemming. I crocheted around floral wire to make the pickaxe and umbrella handle, and I made a little stand for Builder’s bridge out of black polymer clay (a crocheted bridge isn’t stiff enough to support a lemming!). I also made a stand out of floral wire for Floater (you can see the base of it in the group shot), so he really does hang in the air.
Click through to see the full-size image
It was such a fun project. My favourite parts to make were the umbrella and the builder’s backpack – tiny accessories are just so cute!
Retro-game geek June signing off… Please leave me a comment if you like my Lemmings!
ETA: Just to make it clear, if you’d like to make your own lemmings, the basic lemming body uses my Mop Top Mascots pattern, and you can improvise your own accessories for them!
ETA: Bowing to pressure, I’ve added details for how I made the accessories in the next post…
ETA: If you are interested in commissioning any lemmings from me, please see this post!
meneame.net said
Lemmings… ¡de ganchillo!…
Lemming caminante, bloqueador, minero, paracaidista, constructor de escaleras… ¡de ganchillo!…
THE ARCADES» Blogarchiv » Gehäckelte Lemmings said
[...] Link (via) [...]
Cadeaux geeks : les Lemmings | LostInBrittany - Le blog d'Horacio Gonzalez said
[...] jour je suis tombé, presque par hasard, sur des amigurumi1 lemmings (que j’hésite à qualifier comme comble de geekitude mignone ou comble de [...]
vian said
These are absolutely, adorably, nostalgically inspired! Off to buy yarn now. I might even attempt a bomber with a number above its head. (“Oh no!”)
Crochet + Lemmings = Win | Team Teabag! - Home of the Latest Gaming, Technology, and Gadget News, Reviews, and Previews. said
[...] on over to Planet June for the [...]
randomlinkage » Retro Crochet Corner said
[...] crochet items for their new-found minions. Alas this won’t happen but we have the plans from Planet June so Mr Trench and I are in for some scintillating evenings of red hot crochet action. My needle is [...]
Hurt Me Plenty: Middle-brow gaming culture. said
[...] of 5 wool lemmings. [src] No [...]
Links I like: Week 9, 2009 | 73% geek, the rest is girly-bits said
[...] Lemmings! A fantastically cool, pattern for making amigurumi lemmings. If you click on that link and *don’t* expect little green-haired dudes in blue dresses, don’t come running to me. You are obviously sorely lacking in basic 90’s gaming knowledge. I think my favourite is the floater, he is seriously cute with that umbrella. [...]
Kultig: Gestrickte Lemminge | GamerGadgets said
[...] aber selbstmörderischen Tierchen nicht kennt, hat in den 90ern geschlafen. Leider sind die Lemmings! von PlanetJune nicht [...]
Angelica Bays said
Hey June!!
i don’t know how i got onto this page, but i’m glad I did. I’ve been trying to figure out how I’m going tofashion ami eyeglasses for a custom order…
Floral wire! Genius! Thanks so much for the tip!
Walt Snider said
I’d love to buy the builder!
www.pinoyscoop.com said
PlanetJune by June Gilbank » Lemmings!…
Remember Lemmings game?…
Kore Geek 33 – Zombie Deathstar | Kore New Media's Podcast Show Notes said
[...] Links: Pixelated Building LEGO Table Foosball Table Top PlanetJune’s Lemmings! Star Wars: Death Troopers (Hardcover) A Day in the Extra Life LaCie iamakey 8 GB USB 2.0 Flash [...]
JS said
Thought you might be interested to know that HUNDREDS of these little critters are now doing all sorts of Lemming’y things around the information technology building of Helsinki University of Technology.
Elaborate practical jokes are a tradition in Finnish technology schools, and the girls crafts club of HUT IT students has apparently been crocheting these things for FIVE MONTHS in secret… best pics I’ve seen of the prank are at http://idis.1g.fi/kuvat/Lemmings/ and blog of the conspirators chronicling the planning of the “strike” at http://virkut.blogspot.com/ (but it’s all in Finnish)
PlanetJune by June Gilbank » lemming invasion! said
[...] this is just too cool not to share: JS left me a comment on my original lemmings post to tell me about a project planned and executed to perfection by the [...]
Brooke Condolora » Make Month: Day 5 said
[...] can make your own, but be sure to keep some blocks handy. I can’t seem to keep Psyg away from dropoffs… [...]
Shaun said
My gran’s made some a bit like yours – I persuaded her to try them! They’ve come out quite well, I think: http://www.shauncampbell.co.uk/blog/?p=15
Ariel said
Do you sell those? I would really love to buy a set from u!!
Contact me on tota5forever@gmail.com if interested
Lemminge zum Selbermachen! « nonstyler said
[...] um ein Renner zu werden, das Merchandising ist wohl anderer Meinung gewesen. Aber June Gilbank von PlanetJune hat es nun [...]
PopoZero said
They are sooooo cute…
Brings me far in the past ooohhh yes…
I just visit “nerdigurumi blog” and i am so happy i am not the only one in the world who love old (and less old) games and amigurumi,so why not marry them together…
Your lemmings are the cutest thing for a geek-birthday, i think.
<3
judy said
I enjoyed seeing this on stumbleupon and reading all the other comments that were left
Things I covet: Amigurumi Lemmings « a stitch in lime said
[...] after posting the other day about the Shrinky Dinks rings she made) really caught my eye. Why? She made freaking LEMMINGS. Does anyone remember Lemmings? It was probably one of my earliest video/computer game [...]
-STR/+CHA » Blog Archive » Spelnördig amigurumi-virkning said
[...] är en spelserie som många minns med värme i bröstet. June Gilbank har skapat de här jättefina virkade Lemmingsarna. Hon är dessutom generös och delar med sig av [...]
Link party no 12 – Amigurumis « Husflit said
[...] little white ”troll” – from PlanetJune - pattern in [...]
Oh No! More Lemmings… | NTgamer said
[...] detailgetreu nachzubilden. Fotos seiner selfmade Lemmingkollektion finden sich auf seiner Website. Zu den insgesamt fünf erstellen Figuren zählen der Walker, der Builder, der Floater, der Blocker [...]
Wednesday Geek Craft #1: Crochet Lemmings! « TacoMagic's Random Insanity said
[...] week it’s PlanetJune’s (The talented June Gilbank’s blog) Lemmings! pattern. Also known as the Mop Top Mascot pattern as linked on the Lemmings page. Onward to [...]
Tania said
Wow, these are amazing! And I love the way you photographed them. I realize I’m commenting on an old post, but just had to!