PlanetJune Blog: Latest News, Patterns and Tutorials

I have someone who’d like to say hello: it’s my newest commissioned design, the Sloth!

He’s fully poseable with his jointed limbs and feet that can be clipped together, and I had a very fun photoshoot setting him up in different positions in the tree in my garden 😀

Sloth Fun
Sloths are very popular in internet culture at the moment, and my sloth wanted to get in on the action by replicating some famous sloth memes…

You can see that his poseability makes him extra-fun – he can hang by all 4 legs, dangle by his front or back legs, hug and hold onto things, and more! (A special thanks goes to Maui for tolerating being draped with a sloth for long enough for me to take the top right photo…)

Sloth Fun Facts

• Sloths live in the rainforests of Central and South America.
• They live, move and eat very slowly, and spend almost all their time hanging from branches by their specially-adapted hands and feet.
• Sloths have special slow digestive processes that let them get maximum nutrition from the tough leaves they eat.
• Sloths’ arboreal adaptations (long limbs and claws and weak hind legs) mean they are unable to walk on the ground and have to drag themselves along by their front feet, but they can swim!
• Algae grows on their fur, so sloths often appear green-tinged – this makes excellent camouflage in the trees.

Sloths are Strange!
As part of my research, I always take a look at the soft toys that already exist for the animal, and this time I found that all the manufactured sloth toys look very unexpected: even respected toy companies like Hansa and Folkmanis, who usually do a good job with realistic animals, seem to think a sloth is a bear with elongated limbs and no ears:

Two stretched earless bears from Hansa and what appears to be an earless panda from Folkmanis – these are all sold as sloths, but I don’t see it…

Sloths are bizarre-looking and unlike any other animal on earth! These qualities also make them extremely difficult to replicate, as you can see from the toys pictured above. Coming up with my design hasn’t been easy – real sloths look different in every photo I see – but I’m very happy with my result and I think I’ve captured that indefinable slothiness…

About my Sloth design:

• My sloth has a pale face with distinctive slanted eye stripes and that never-ending enigmatic sloth smile.
• His long legs have crocheted-in knee shaping so they don’t just look like tubes.
• His shoulders and hips are jointed (I’ve also provided instructions for a non-jointed version) and he can hang around like a real sloth thanks to almost invisible hook-and-eye fasteners on his feet (optional, and I’ve also suggested alternative fasteners).
• Note: You could brush your sloth to give him a shaggier look that would be even more realistic, but I opted to leave mine with clean lines so you can see him more clearly.

Want a Two-Toed Sloth? I based my design on the more popular Three-Toed Sloth (those eye stripes were irresistible). If you’d like to make a Two-Toed Sloth (like the photobomb sloth pictured above), do let me know – I’ve done my research and made sketches for both sloth types, so if I get enough requests I can easily design a Two-Toed Sloth Expansion Pack for you 🙂

So now the question is: can you resist making a sloth right now?! You can pick up the Sloth amigurumi crochet pattern from my shop and get started this minute! Or, if you’re not quite ready to buy, why not favourite/queue it on Ravelry so you don’t forget about it?

It’s important to me that PlanetJune CALs are always inclusive and supportive, no matter your skill level or how much time you can afford to spend: you can enter with your first ever attempt at crochet, or if you’ve been crocheting for decades; with a quick pic you snapped on your phone, or with a beautifully-composed photo you spent ages setting up to perfection.

Crochet-alongs are supposed to be fun, and an enjoyment of crocheting is the only requirement to join a PlanetJune CAL! If you’ve been too shy to join in until now, I hope you’ll reconsider – I can guarantee you’ll be met with support and encouragement if you do 🙂 (If you’re interested, see the end of this post for details of the next CAL…)

Now for this month’s roundup! We added a last-minute bonus Fruit-Along CAL for July, to include all my fruity patterns:

These one-piece patterns are so quick to work up that almost everyone couldn’t stop at just one or two and made lovely fruit collections! Take a look:

There are millions of teddy bear designs out there, but what about bear-shaped bear patterns? I think real bears deserve some appreciation too! I already have my Polar Bear pattern, but they aren’t shaped like other bears, so I decided it was time for a series of realistic bear designs:

Which bear is your favourite: Black, Polar, or Brown?

(Ready to buy already? Pick up the 3-for-2 Bears Multipack, or the Brown/Grizzly Bear, Black Bear and Polar Bear individual patterns. Or keep reading to find out more…)

Spot the Difference?

I must confess that I wasn’t much of a bear expert, going into this project. I had no idea of the differences between Black, Brown and Grizzly Bears, apart from the obvious (colour) – and it turns out I didn’t even get that right… For a start, Brown and Grizzly are two names for the same bear – you can use them interchangeably. And here’s where it gets really surprising: despite their names, you can’t reliably tell Black and Brown Bears apart by their coat colouring; both are found in a wide spectrum of colours.

If Black Bears can be brown, and Brown Bears can be black, how do you actually tell if you’re looking at a Brown Bear or a Black Bear? I took an online course (actually intended for hunters – boo – but I had a much nicer reason for my study!) and here’s the lowdown:

Bear Identification Tips

1. Ears

Brown bears have short round ears.

Black bears have taller, pointier ears.

2. Face

Brown bears have a dish (concave) face shape when viewed in profile.

Black bears have a straight face in profile.

3. Shoulders

Brown bears have a very prominent shoulder hump.

Black bears have no shoulder hump.

My Bear Designs

Put all that together, and here’s the result:

Realistically-shaped Brown/Grizzly Bear (top) and Black Bear (bottom) – mine are coloured the way you’d imagine they should be!

What about Polar Bears?
Polar Bears are more closely related to Brown Bears than Black Bears, but their bodies have adapted for their carnivorous diet and lifestyle in the frigic Arctic:

• small, low-set ears
• large feet with short claws
• sharp teeth (not included in amigurumi bears!)
• a more streamlined shape (for swimming)
• dense white fur with black skin beneath (to keep them warm)

Got all that? Then you’re ready to properly appreciate all three of my bear designs!

Adult and Baby Bears

One pattern, two sizes of bear: bulky weight yarn option (left); worsted weight yarn option (right)

The smaller Polar Bear you see in the photos above is made with the worsted weight option from my bulky weight Polar Bear pattern. You can easily make any adult bear and cub in the same way, by using a larger hook and thicker yarn for the mother bear, and a smaller hook and finer yarn for the baby bear. (See my Resizing Amigurumi article for more information.)

Tip: Using proportionately larger eyes for the smaller bear, as I’ve done here, will give it a cuter, more babyish, cub-like appearance.

Special Deal!

I’ve set up an amazing deal for these bears: the Multipack is only $10 – that’s buy two bear patterns, get the third free!

Note: If you’ve already bought the polar bear, you don’t have to miss out on this deal! Just buy the Multipack (or the remaining 2 bears in one order), then email me with 1) your bears order number and 2) the order number (or date) from when you bought the polar bear, and I’ll send you a coupon for $5 off your next order of $10 or more. (The coupon will remain valid for a whole year, so don’t worry if there’s nothing else you want to buy right now!)

Or if you only want your favourite bear, you’ll find each pattern individually in my shop too 🙂

Handy Links:

• 3-for-2 Bears Multipack
• Brown/Grizzly Bear pattern
• Black Bear pattern
• Polar Bear pattern
• Black Bear on Ravelry:
• Brown/Grizzly Bear on Ravelry:

Yay for toy bears that look like real bears – I hope this may be the start of a new trend in toys! Which bear design do you like best?

The Reptiles & Amphibians CAL included all my dinosaur, lizard, turtle and frog patterns:

I don’t think we quite have one example of each design included in the roundup below, but it’s pretty close – there’s a lovely variety of animals, colours, and pattern modifications to enjoy 🙂

Now, roundup time! (And don’t forget to keep reading to the end for the next CAL details…)

Exciting News…

Time to let the cat out of the bag: I’ve just signed the contract to write a new crochet book! This is the first book offer I’ve actually wanted to accept since writing the Complete Idiot’s Guide to Amigurumi, and I’m already giddy with anticipation about this new book; it’s exactly the book I wanted to write next.

My goal as an author is to write books that become valuable long-term reference sources on your bookshelf, not just collections of patterns. And that, I’m afraid, is all I’m saying for now – I’ll share more details as we near the publication date!

But, of course, I have many months of work ahead of me before I can share my fabulous new book with you, so please excuse me if I’m slower to respond to questions, and less prolific with new designs, for the rest of this year; I’m going to be working very hard to get all the pieces of the book ready so it can be published in late summer 2014 (if you’re familiar with publishing schedules, that’s a pretty fast turnaround)!

If you need crochet help while I’m in the book-writing zone (or at any time), I recommend the PlanetJune Ravelry group as your first port of call – you’re guaranteed to get fast and friendly advice there, and I’m always lurking to weigh in if nobody else has an answer for you 🙂

And, in other news…

Review and Win contest

June’s ‘Review and Win’ winner is Susanna V, with her review of my Fruit Bat:

This was the first PJ design I ever bought and it’s still probably my favorite. I love bats, and this guy is the perfect mix of realistic but still cute. It’s actually fairly easy to crochet and the shapes are basic. The most challenging part for me was sewing the wings on straight; it’s very easy to start angling without realizing it. Also, if you’ve only ever done amigurumi, you’ll need to know how to do standard crochet rows for the wings, but it’s very easy and the simple trick for making the points on the wings really adds a lot to the design. I’ll never tire of making this one!

Congrats, Susanna – I’ll email you to find out which pattern you’d like as your prize 🙂

Fruit-Along CAL

If you feel like a fast and refreshing crochet project, we decided to have an extra crochet-along throughout July, featuring all my fruit designs:

As a bonus, my Apple, Pear, and Citrus patterns are all donationware, so you can pay as much or as little as you like for the patterns (or nothing, if you can’t afford to pay at all!) Join the fruity fun in the PlanetJune group on Ravelry 🙂

* * *

Okay, now I’d better get back to working on the new book! (Eek!)

It’s Donationware time again! Celebrate summer with my Amigurumi Citrus Collection:

Make your own amigurumi fruit bowl with an entire collection of life-sized and realistically shaped citrus fruits: orange, lemon, grapefruit, lime and clementine patterns. Crochet a realistic fruit selection, or make a cute fruit family by giving each fruit a face – the choice is yours. As these are one-piece patterns, they work up really quickly, and are equally perfect for decoration or play!

Each amigurumi citrus fruit is the size and shape of its real counterpart.

This generous super-sized donationware pattern is a special thank-you from me to you for sticking with me through my challenges this year 🙂

As I like to reward people who chose to donate for my donationware patterns, the PDF version of this pattern includes a bonus citrus leaf pattern, in both written and stitch diagram versions, with full instructions on how to add a crocheted leaf to any of your citrus fruits! As always, the pattern is free for you to use, and you need only donate if you’d like to thank me for my time in creating it, or if you’d like the easy-to-print PDF version.

Send me a donation and you’ll get the citrus leaf pattern as a bonus reward.

I hope you enjoy my fresh and fruity Citrus Collection pattern!

Go to the Amigurumi Citrus Collection pattern >>

My latest commissioned design – Red Panda – is ready at last! I’d like to thank my commissioners for their patience when unforeseen personal circumstances meant I couldn’t complete the pattern writing as quickly as I’d hoped to. I hope you’ll think the end result was worth the wait…

Red Panda Fun Facts

• Red Pandas live in mountainous regions of China and the Himalayas.
• Like their Giant Panda namesakes, Red Pandas primarily eat bamboo.
• Red Pandas are more closely related to Raccoons than to Giant Pandas!
• Red Pandas are about the same size as a large domestic cat.
• Their thick fur and bushy tails help to protect them from the cold.

Real red pandas have at least 6 colours (white, cream, light red, dark red, brown and black) but I’ve intentionally simplified the colours to use only the bare minimum of three – the fewest I could get away with! Of course, you can also substitute black and a paler orange/red for some of the brown and red areas, just as you’re welcome to modify any of my designs to add extra details or personalise your creations.

I think my design gives you the best of both worlds – the distinctive look of an adorable red panda without too much colour changing; I’ve limited the detailed colour changes to 6 rounds that make the all-important face patterning – it’s not a red panda without those face colours!

Once you’ve finished those, you should be able to fly through the rest of the crocheting and enjoy the clever leg construction and overall shaping. I opted to make my panda nice and chunky to imply the fluffiness without needing to brush him, but of course you can make yours extra-fluffy by brushing the tail, or the entire panda, if you like.

A tip for finding a good shade of red yarn: I spent weeks looking at photos of red pandas in preparation for my design, and I’ve realised that they come in all different shades from pale to dark, and from very red to orange to almost tan or brown. So don’t worry about finding a yarn to match the shade I used; you can make a red panda in any natural-looking shade of red, orange, rust, or reddish-brown you can find and it’ll be recognisable and realistic – and lovely!

I hope you’ll enjoy my latest pattern! Are you ready to get started on your Red Panda? If so, you can pick up the Red Panda amigurumi crochet pattern right now from my shop. Or, if you’re not quite ready to buy, why not favourite/queue it on Ravelry so you don’t forget about it?

Today’s PlanetJune Story comes from Aleksandra in Poland, who many of you will be familiar with as petrOlly, one of the much-appreciated moderators from the PlanetJune ravelry group! This is a really wonderful story and I hope you’ll take a couple of minutes to read it. Over to you, petrOlly…

My PlanetJune story started as a very spontaneous idea but it turned into a long-term project. In November 2012 I learnt about an art contest for 10-12 year olds at the Polish Geological Institute – National Research Institute. The semi-finals were to be held in the Marine Geology Branch in Gdansk in May 2013.

Official logo of the contest “The predatory face of the Earth”

Some of the award-winning artwork from the contest

I’ve known and seen myself as a part of the Institute since I was a kid – my mother has worked there for as long as I can remember, I helped out there on several occasions during my studies, and I’m a huge fan of their Geological Museum in Warsaw.

As the subject of the contest was “The predatory face of the Earth” (Polish: “Drapiezne oblicza Ziemi”), I instantly thought about June’s dinosaurs making a superb addition and an extra prize for the winners. All I crocheted between November 2012 and April 2013 was dinosaurs – I ended up making 30 of them, and luckily this was enough for all the kids whose stunning artwork was awarded. Phew!

Thirty dinosaurs made by petrOlly as additional prizes for the contest

The thirty dinosaurs

Each dinosaur included a note with facts about it

Each dinosaur included a note with facts about it

Although I wasn’t there in person for the ceremony, it was a very exciting day for me as well 🙂

Vice-director of the Marine Geology Branch and the dinosaurs minutes before ceremony

The auditorium was full – a total of 780 entries were received, including 658 pieces of art!

Later that day I talked on the phone with co-workers at the Institute in Gdansk and they told me all about the ceremony. My dinosaurs were a huge hit! People (mostly adults – the kids’ teachers) were asking where they could buy more of the toys as they would like a whole set for the school. And – what was most important for me – the kids loved the dinos as well.

Contestants from a school in Elblag and their teacher asking the director of the Marine Geology Branch questions about the dinosaurs / More artwork awarded in the contest

One story touched me especially: a boy came to collect the prize his friend won, and he was sad, as he would have to give the dinosaur away. Luckily, there was one last dino left and he got his own toy, which he received with tears in his eyes.

Listening to this story gave me the most rewarding feeling. I could never have hoped my work would be appreciated that much. For that I have two people to thank: my mother, who taught me how to crochet, and June, for the awesome patterns.

I hope that – if I ever participate in an event like this again – I will be able to make it to the award ceremony 🙂

Participants and the co-workers of the Institute in the foyer after the ceremony – notice the great work from previous contests hanging on the walls

Winners and participants after the award ceremony in front of the Institute’s building in Gdansk

You can see all of the award-winning artwork and more photos from the award ceremony here.

(Back to me, June, again!) I love this story on so many levels – not only seeing my designs being enjoyed by petrOlly while she crocheted them and then by the award-winning children, but also that my work is somehow helping in some small way with education, and the children are learning and being encouraged to express that through creativity. Thank you, Aleksandra, for your generosity in giving away all your beautiful dinosaurs, and for sharing such a lovely account of the contest with us today 🙂 Please leave petrOlly a comment if you’ve enjoyed this post!

Do you have a PlanetJune Story you’d like to share? I’d love to hear it! Please email your story to june@planetjune.com, together with one or more high quality photos showing what you’ve made from PlanetJune patterns. If I choose your story to feature here on the blog, I’ll send you your choice of pattern from my shop to say thank you!

And if petrOlly’s lovely work has inspired you to crochet some dinosaurs too, please join the Reptiles & Amphibians CAL – it runs for another month so you have plenty of time to make some lovely dinos of your own 🙂

You’ll find all these patterns here!