Crocheted Orangutan

I get a lot of questions about my orangutan (mostly of the “I love that orange monkey on your homepage – where can I get the pattern?” nature), so I thought I’d put this page together, with links to everything you’ve ever wanted to know about my orang (who, incidentally, is an ape, not a monkey!) 🙂

crocheted orangutan (montage) by planetjune

First up, let me say: this is a one-of-a-kind, freeform art project. There is no pattern, and there never will be a pattern – I’m sorry. You can’t pattern art!

My crocheted orangutan was a long-term project: for years, I wanted to make a life-size, realistic baby orang. The idea began to become reality when I found the perfect yarn way back in August 2007.

yarn for orangutan

I started working on the arms at the Creativ Festival in Toronto (Spring 2008)

creativ spring 2008

And then I had artist’s block and couldn’t get the head right for a long time. But I perservered and finally completed the orang of my dreams!

I blogged about some of the process and details that went into making him – there was a lot to it.

When I brought him to the following year’s Creativ Festival in Toronto (Spring 2009) he got a lot of attention!

planetjune at the spring 09 creativ festival

Now he sits happily in my craft room, with a delicious crocheted banana to snack on 🙂

orang and banana by planetjune

My orangutan was a winner in the 2010 Instructables/Lion Brand Critter Contest.

18 Comments »

Sima said

February 1, 2015 @ 11:44 pm

Hi there the pattern is here www.instructables.com/id/Crocheted-Orangutan/

Reply
- June said
  
  February 2, 2015 @ 3:52 am
  
  Not quite, Sima – there is no pattern, I’m afraid! My instructables page for the orang utan just gives some of the same info from my blog posts (linked above) – there are no further details.
  
  Reply
Janet said

November 15, 2013 @ 2:38 pm

Hi June –
I just finished an orang myself, but didn’t use eyelash yarn because I couldn’t see what I was doing and it just got bigger and bigger. So I just did it with regular yarn. I like him as is, but I wonder if I should do him again in wool and then brush it. In your book, you said that you have to use real wool, not acrylic, to do a brushing. I admire how you used such fluffy yarn so skillfully. I like your critters because they are realistic in many ways. Your book is always near by for consultation. Thank you.
Janet

Reply
- June said
  
  December 16, 2013 @ 1:44 pm
  
  Janet, I think you must have misread my book – you don’t need to use real wool to brush your crochet! Check p110 for more info 🙂
  
  Reply
Diane said

November 22, 2012 @ 6:08 pm

Hi there, I also wanted to mention that he’s just gorgeous. I am also wondering: isn’t that yarn terribly difficult to deal with? How can you see your crochets in it?

Reply
- June said
  
  November 23, 2012 @ 1:20 pm
  
  Thanks, Diane! Working with fuzzy yarns is a little tricky, but I’ve developed techniques that make them much more manageable! If you’re interested, you’ll find them at www.planetjune.com/fuzzy 🙂
  
  Reply
Terri said

August 21, 2012 @ 10:43 am

June,

You are amazingly talented to have created such an amazingly realistic orang. I was saddened after endless searching for the perfect ape or monkey that there is no pattern 🙁 my little boy is obsessed with monkeys and apes. Is there a pettern for the banana? I will need to feed my ape when I do create him. Going to just try to free style after I get a bit more practice making other stuff. Thank u for being an inspiration.
Terri

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Barb Miller said

April 3, 2012 @ 3:21 pm

www.youtube.com/watch?v=–szrOHtR6U

This might help with knowing the difference between a monkey and an ape! What an awesome orang! I can tell you, I’m going to try and figure out how you did it!

Reply
Heidi said

February 23, 2012 @ 9:42 am

Great job! That orangutan is amazing.

Reply
Johanna said

May 7, 2011 @ 9:38 am

Hi June i love amigurumi,i want to say there are so sweet.I have many amigurumis but i love yours.Can we please mail?

Reply
- June said
  
  May 8, 2011 @ 6:08 am
  
  Hi Johanna, nice to hear from you! You can email me at june@planetjune.com 🙂
  
  Reply
nicolette said

March 7, 2011 @ 4:43 pm

thanks 🙂

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nicolette said

March 2, 2011 @ 8:17 pm

hi June i absolutly looooovvvvvveeeeee pleseosauresus they are awsome and i would like a little plesiosaurus sooooooo much but i dont know how 2 get 1 i would really apretiate if u could please give me some feedback thanks nicolette

Reply
- June said
  
  March 5, 2011 @ 8:42 pm
  
  Nicolette, you can find the plesiosaurus crochet pattern in my shop: www.planetjune.com/shop/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=11_18&products_id=126 🙂
  
  Reply
emma said

December 5, 2010 @ 12:56 pm

Hello, june you have a beautiful name, any way…. i was wondering: are you selling these brilliant orangutans?

Reply
- June said
  
  December 7, 2010 @ 2:29 pm
  
  Hi Emma, I’m very sorry, but making my orang-utan was a one-of-a-kind, freeform art project, and he’s not for sale 🙂
  
  Reply
ncgibson said

October 7, 2010 @ 8:51 am

Hello June, I want to order the pattern for the orangutan, but I don’t see it on you website. My granddaughter would love it. I just love love your creations.

Reply
- June said
  
  October 7, 2010 @ 9:19 am
  
  I’m so sorry, but as I said in the post above, there is no pattern for the orang utan; he’s a one-off art piece. I’m sorry I couldn’t help!
  
  Reply