If there are other crochet techniques you’d like me to cover in future videos, please leave a comment below, or email me (june@planetjune.com) with your suggestions!

If you’ve ever struggled to find the perfect eyes for your smaller amigurumi, you’ll love my technique for making tiny yarn eyes. In my latest video, I’ll show you my foolproof method for making a pair of perfectly matched tiny child-safe yarn eyes with a lifelike sparkle.

This technique is an embroidery-free foolproof method for making tiny yarn eyes, spots and dots for amigurumi. It works especially well for amigurumi that are too small for safety eyes. Yarn eyes are a child- and pet-safe alternative to plastic eyes, and this method gives you more control than embroidering French knots, so you can make sure you have a perfectly matched pair of eyes.

L: tiny yarn eyes, R: plastic eyes

My Baby Snake pattern is a perfect use for these tiny eyes – it’s not easy to fit the shafts and backs of plastic eyes into such a tiny head, and the yarn eyes look so bright and lifelike!

Although there’s no actual crocheting in this video, I’ve made right- and left-handed versions anyway, so you can see how I use the needle exactly as you’ll see it when you do it yourself. (I’ve also added text instructions with photos for those of you who prefer to read written instructions.)

Go to the Tiny Yarn Eyes for Amigurumi video tutorial >>

I’m so excited to have a new design to share with you today! I was a little worried that my amigurumi design mojo would be gone forever after pouring everything I had into The Essential Guide to Amigurumi, but, after a little time off after Christmas, it all came flooding back and I’m so happy to be able to present the first new PlanetJune pattern of 2024: Duck and Goose!

Duck and Goose Fun Facts

Ducks and geese are both members of the family Anatidae (together with swans). They have a similar appearance and features, including webbed feet for swimming and waterproof feathers. But look closely and you can see the differences:

• Ducks feed mostly in the water, and have a broad flattened bill adapted for dabbling in the water to find and filter their food (primarily aquatic plants and small invertebrates).
• Geese feed mostly on land and have a strong pointed beak with sharp edges that are used for tearing their food (primarily grass and other vegetation).
• Geese have a much longer, more slender neck than ducks, which lets them easily reach down to the ground to eat grass.
• In real life, you can also tell ducks and geese apart by their relative sizes, as most geese are much larger than most ducks. (But that doesn’t apply to the amigurumi versions!)

About the Pattern

For this design, I concentrated on the distinctive shapes of real ducks and geese, paying close attention to what the two birds have in common and what makes them different, to create a pair of perfectly proportioned waterfowl.

The end result is a lovely low-sew pattern, with very little assembly needed – apart from the beak and feet, there are only two pieces to crochet! The realistic shaping is built right in, so all you need to do is follow the pattern and a beautiful Duck or Goose will magically appear beneath your fingers as you crochet.

Both the duck (pictured above) and goose (pictured below) options are included in the same pattern. You’ll start by choosing whether to make the duck or goose head, neck and bill, and then continue to the body and feet. As always, every step is clearly explained, with photos wherever needed to aid in the assembly.

Buy Now

Ready to get started? Pick up the Duck and Goose crochet pattern from my shop right now.

Or, if you’re not ready to make one just yet, add them to your Ravelry queue or favourites so you don’t forget:

More Ducks and Geese..?

There’s lots of scope for me to design Expansion Packs for this pattern that would let you make specific varieties of distinctly coloured ducks and geese… Would you like a Mallard pattern? Or maybe a Canada Goose? If this pattern sells well I’d love to expand the collection with some expansion packs for different ducks and geese. (Please leave your requests in the comments so I’ll know what you want me to make next!)

I can’t wait to see your ducks and geese – please share them in the PlanetJune Community groups (it’ll be like a waterfowl CAL!)

I’m so happy with these sweet and shapely birds, and I hope you’ll love this pattern as much as I do. 🙂