It’s Donationware time again! I’ve created a set of 2 beautiful shamrocks for you to crochet for St Patrick’s Day, or any time you want a splash of green in your life.

Shamrocks is a clever little pattern to make sweet shamrocks with a dimensional 3D effect, in two sizes: a realistically-shaped design, and a tiny miniature version. String them into a garland, attach one to a greetings card, add a pin back to make a cute brooch or lapel pin, or layer them for a novel look.

This pattern comes a few days later than I’d planned, thanks to a catalogue of disasters including broken internet at home (I’m currently in Dave’s office so I can actually post this!) but luckily, my shamrocks work up in minutes, so you still have plenty of time if you’re planning on some St Patrick’s Day decorations.

If you’ve made my ever-popular Love Hearts pattern, you’ll have no problem making Shamrocks – just like the Love Hearts, all the stitches of Rnd 1 are worked directly into the magic ring. The difference with the Shamrocks is that both sizes of shamrock are completed in just one round each, which makes them very, very quick to complete! I timed myself making the Mini Shamrock and it took 90 seconds (excluding weaving in the ends)…!

I really love this pattern – I hung the garland over my fireplace for this photo, but now I think I’m going to leave it up there for a while; it’s just so cheerful!

As I like to reward people who chose to donate for my donationware patterns, the PDF version of this pattern includes bonus crochet stitch diagrams for both shamrocks, in both right- and left-handed versions. 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.

I hope you enjoy my Shamrocks pattern!

Go to the Shamrocks pattern >>

Crochet-Along with us…

And here’s a bonus – a Shamrock is a definite sign of spring, so that means you can enter your crocheted shamrocks into this month’s Spring/Easter CAL – and maybe win the Suncatcher Eyes CAL prize! Check the PlanetJune Ravelry group for all the details 🙂

If you saw my chameleon photoblog the other day, you’ll know I have lizards on the brain. I’ve already designed a gecko and a chameleon though, so I needed a different type of lizard to complete my lizard crochet pattern trilogy. An iguana seemed like the obvious choice, with lots of fun details to include, so that’s what I’ve made:

Iguana Fun Facts

• My design is based on the Green Iguana, which lives in rainforests in Central and South America (although if you change the colour you could make different types of iguana).
• Other types of iguana are adapted for different environments, such as the Marine Iguana from the Galapagos islands (which eats seaweed and algae and is an excellent swimmer), and the Desert Iguana from the southern US and Mexico (which can withstand high temperatures and burrows into sand to keep cool).
• The Green Iguana is about 2 metres long, and is easily recognised by its dewlap (the loose skin under its chin), the row of spikes down its back and its very long tail.
• Despite its size and fearsome appearance, the Green Iguana, like other iguanas, is primarily a herbivore.

I think I struck a good balance with this design between realistic and cute, detailed and easy to crochet. He’s worked in two shades of green, although a single-coloured iguana would look nice too; you’d just lose the tail striping. He’s an incredible 15″ (38cm) long, although, don’t worry, most of that is tail – he’s only 9″ (23cm) long excluding the tail 🙂

Let’s look at that tail for a moment – it’s a perfect excuse to practice my seamless, jogless Perfect Stripes: No-Cut Join technique, although the pattern includes a standard jogless stripes technique for those who aren’t feeling adventurous and don’t mind a slight visible seam in the tail.

The realistic legs are wired with pipe cleaners, but the pattern also includes tips for omitting the pipe cleaners if you want your iguana to be baby-safe.

As with all my crochet patterns from now and going forward, any pieces not worked in simple amigurumi style include a stitch diagram in addition to the written instructions, so you can use whichever instructions work best for your learning style. And, as always, photos aid with every step of the assembly, so you can be confident you’ll be able to make a perfect iguana too.

I hope you’ll enjoy my latest pattern! If you’d like to jump right into iguana-making, you can pick up the Iguana 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?

Make your own aquatic nursery with my new Baby Cephalopod collections: Octopus & Squid, and Cuttlefish & Nautilus. A perfect use for yarn scraps, these mini amigurumi take only 25-30m of yarn apiece, and work perfectly in any colour.

Cephalopod Fun Facts:

• Cephalopods are a type of mollusc, which means they have no skeleton and are related to snails.
• Cephalopod means ‘head-foot’, referring to the fact that their arms and tentacles are attached to their heads, not their bodies.
• There are only 4 types of cephalopod, so you can crochet a complete collection if you buy my patterns!
• Only the nautilus has a visible shell; squids and cuttlefish have an internal shell, and octopuses have no shell at all.
• In real life, each cephalopod has a different pupil shape: Nautilus (tiny pinhole), Squid (large and round), Cuttlefish (‘W’ shape), Octopus (horizontal slit). In amigurumi world, big black eyes are just fine though 😉

Meet the Cephalopods:

Baby Octopus has long curling arms and a realistic body shape:

Fun Fact: Octopuses are completely soft, with no bones or shell, so they can squeeze themselves through tiny gaps barely larger than their eye!

Baby Squid has two long tentacles and swimming fins at the back:

Fun Fact: There are about 300 species of squid, ranging in size from a only few centimetres to over 10m long!

Baby Cuttlefish has an undulating fin all the way around its body.

Fun Fact: Cuttlefish squirt a brown ink called sepia – this is the source of the name of the colour sepia!

Baby Nautilus has a mass of tentacles and a shell with a hood.

Fun Fact: Nautiluses are ancient cephalopods known as ‘living fossils’ because they’ve remained virtually unchanged for 500 million years!

About the Patterns:

Baby Cephalopods are between 5 and 6.5″ long, including tentacles. Each design is crocheted in only 2 or 3 pieces, so there’s minimal finishing to do when you’ve finished crocheting. And, although each has different arms/tentacles, they all use the same basic method, so, once you’ve made your first cephalopod, you’ll be able to fly through crocheting the tentacles for the others.

I think the few pieces and fast assembly would make these designs perfect candidates for those of you who enjoy selling your crocheted items…

All the designs are very simple to crochet, except the Nautilus, which is slightly more advanced as the body and shell look like two separate pieces, but they are actually one piece – the hood is the only separate part. (I think you’ll enjoy my special technique though – it’s very clever! I’ve included lots of extra photos with it to make sure everyone will able to create the clever two-piece shell/body effect.)

As well as my usual step-by-step photos, any pieces that are crocheted in non-amigurumi style include crochet stitch diagrams in addition to full written instructions, so you can follow whichever method you prefer. (I’m hoping you’ll find the stitch diagrams to be a useful addition to my patterns; one diagram is clearer than a whole series of round-by-round photos.)

These designs are available as two sets of 2 patterns:

Left: Baby Cephalopods 1: Octopus & Squid
Right: Baby Cephalopods 2: Cuttlefish & Nautilus

But, because these baby best friends can’t bear to be apart, I’ve put together a multipack deal for you when you buy both sets: Baby Cephalopods 1 & 2 includes all four patterns for a bargain price.

Not ready to buy yet? Queue/heart them on Ravelry!
Set 1: Set 2:

I first sketched out these designs and picked out the yarn colours two years ago, before I left Canada. It’s taken all this time to simplify and perfect them. I think I’ll make a second set in more realistic colours, because, now I’ve finally finished the patterns, they’re irresistibly quick and fun to crochet! I hope you’ll enjoy making them as much as I do…

Thanks to my Commissions system, it’s time to launch my 21st dog crochet pattern, AmiDogs Scottish Terrier:

Queue or favourite Scottie on Ravelry:

My Scottie Dog completes Set 7 of the AmiDogs, for what it’s worth – I mostly just make the sets now for my Etsy shop, as almost everyone takes advantage of the mix-and-match Custom Set for the same price in my shop. But, if you’ve been waiting for AmiDogs Set 7, here’s the group shot of #19 Basset Hound, #20 Rottweiler, and #21 Scottish Terrier:

I made my Scottie’s collar in red and green to hint at a Scottish tartan, but I don’t know if that comes through on such a small scale! Either way, it adds a nice splash of colour to an all-black dog with black eyes and a black nose…

Here are the other 20 AmiDogs breeds:

Don’t forget to download the re-released patterns of any of these you’ve already purchased! The new layout saves 1-2 pages on average, and the updated patterns include details like finished size info and US/UK conversions; they print equally well on letter- or A4-sized paper, and they’ve been updated with extra information and tips. Just log back into your PlanetJune account to re-download the new versions of your patterns. (If you originally ordered through Etsy or similar, see yesterday’s re-release announcement for how to get the new versions.)

After the epic task of re-editing and re-formatting all my prior dog designs, plus creating the new Scottie, I feel a bit dogged-out now – I definitely need a break before I design any more AmiDogs! You can still commission new designs though, if your favourite dogs are missing from my collection – I have 4 fully pledged commissions in the queue, so, even if another new design was commissioned today, it’d be months before I get to it.

If you know someone who loves Scotties or has a Scottish connection, you can pick up the AmiDogs Scottish Terrier pattern in the shop right now. Or, if you’d like to add several dogs to your pattern collection, I recommend my AmiDogs Custom Set – you can choose any 3 dog breeds for a bargain price. And you’ll get the AmiDogs Collar pattern as a free bonus with any AmiDogs purchase 🙂

Thanks to everyone who commissioned me to make this design – if you haven’t already, you can log into your PlanetJune account to download your pattern! Next up on the commissions list: the Killer Whale (Orca) – I’ll be collecting pledge monies on Monday for that one, and then I can start figuring out those lovely black and white markings…

I’m updating my entire back catalogue of patterns with extra information and tips and a new space-saving layout, and re-releasing them in batches as they are ready. Please see Crochet Pattern Re-Releases for more information.

Today, I’ve re-released all the AmiDogs patterns, so the new versions of any you’ve previously purchased are ready for you to download! Log back into your PlanetJune account at any time in the next 2 weeks, and you’ll see the download buttons for all your past AmiDogs pattern purchases have been re-enabled so you can click and download the new versions.

Free Collar Pattern

From today forwards, all AmiDogs patterns will now come with a free bonus 1-page PDF with instructions for crocheting a simple but effective collar for your dogs, pictured below. This pattern is a separate download (automatically included with each order), so, if you buy more than one AmiDogs pattern, you need only download the collar pattern once – it’s the same pattern for all the dogs.

The new collar pattern. And, ooh, look – a sneak peek of AmiDogs #21, Scottish Terrier! Stay tuned: the Scottie Dog pattern will be coming tomorrow 😉

Now, what I didn’t realise until a moment ago was that your previous orders can’t be updated to include the free collar pattern – oops. So here’s what I’m going to do:

• I’m putting the Collar pattern up as Donationware for $1 in the shop, but I don’t expect you to pay for it. (If you want to send me a donation, of course that’s always appreciated, but that’s not my intention here.)
• If you plan to buy more AmiDogs, please just wait until you order your dog pattern(s), and you’ll get the collar pattern automatically.
• If you’ve bought all the AmiDogs you want but would like the Collar pattern to go with them, please email me within the next 2 weeks and include the order number of a previous order that included an AmiDogs pattern (you’ll find the number in your order confirmation email, and in your list of orders in My Account). I’ll email you back with a $1 discount code off the Collar pattern, so you can ‘buy’ it for a dollar with a $1 discount, i.e. you’ll be able to get it for free.

Sorry it’s a bit convoluted! But it should work 🙂

Don’t Miss your Free Updates

Never miss the two-week pattern re-release window: sign up for the Crochet Pattern Updates mailing list. This list is just for pattern re-release announcements, and, if you sign up for it, you’ll get a short email notification every time a new batch of patterns has been re-released and is ready to download (no more than one or two emails per month until the reformat project is complete).

Missing Orders

Once a pattern has been re-released, all new orders for that pattern will automatically receive the updated version, and, if you’ve already bought the pattern, you can download the re-release for no additional charge from your PlanetJune account. But not all orders are there – here are a few reasons why you may have received patterns by email instead:

• You commissioned a pattern.
• You won a pattern (through ‘Review and Win’, a CAL prize, etc).
• You ordered patterns prior to July 2008 (when I replaced my PayPal shopping cart with my fully-featured shop).
• You ordered patterns through Etsy (or another online storefront).

If any of these (or another reason) apply to you, you can still get your pattern re-releases! I just need a few details from you so I can set up a dummy order in your PlanetJune account, including all your ‘missing’ patterns. I do not have time to email re-releases to anyone; if you want the new versions you must email me so I can set up your dummy order, or re-purchase them.

Instructions for Missing Orders:

1. Make a list of all your PlanetJune patterns that do not show in your PlanetJune account (one per line, please) together with where you bought/won them (for each pattern, just put Etsy, commission, which contest, etc). I need this info so I can verify your purchases.
   • Tip: to quickly see all your PlanetJune Etsy orders, click this link: Search for all planetjune purchases in your Etsy account
2. If you don’t already have a PlanetJune account, create one now.
3. Email me (that’s To: june@planetjune.com, Subject: Missing Patterns) and include:
   • The list of your missing patterns and where you bought/won them from
   • If you ordered through Etsy, your Etsy username
   • The email address you use to login to your PlanetJune account (if different to the one you’re emailing me from)

Depending on demand, it may take me a while to input all these dummy orders! I have no idea how many people will take me up on this offer, but there are potentially thousands of orders to input, so please be patient if it takes me a while to get to yours. I’ll verify and process them when I have time, and they will all be ready by the time all my patterns have been updated and re-released. At that point, I’ll unlock all your orders so you can re-download the updates.

If you send your email quickly, I’ll be able to process it before I get swamped with requests, and you’ll be able to download your patterns as soon as I complete each batch of re-releases. Please do get your list to me as soon as you can.

Phew! Okay, that’s it for today; I’ll be back tomorrow with the Scottie pattern! Until then, enjoy your new and improved AmiDogs 😀

Dear Readers, this is my Christmas present to you: a super-fast free crochet pattern that might just be the solution to all the last-minute gifts still remaining on your list! Just look at all the variety you can create using this one simple pattern:

Based on a Möbius strip, the Chunky Moebius Cowl is worked in one continuous spiral from the centre outwards – an ingenious construction that makes it very fast and simple to crochet once you’ve made and joined the foundation row.

Although I didn’t have anyone else available to model for my photos, this pattern is most definitely suitable for men too (in a suitably non-fluffy yarn; see the green version below for an example) – the stitch pattern has a simple but bold texture and the cowl is easily customized to fit any size – men, women, or children.

My top 3 reasons to love this unisex pattern:

1. Quick and easy: With simple stitches and no turning or seaming, this pattern is amazingly fast to work up using a large crochet hook and bulky yarn. I can make one in under half an hour, so I’m pretty sure even the slowest crocheter can whip one up in couple of hours or less!
2. Infinitely versatile: I’m calling this pattern a cowl, but I could just as easily have called it a neckwarmer, infinity scarf, headband, earwarmer… The pattern is easy to customize to any length and width.
3. Stashbusting: One cowl only takes one skein of yarn or less, so it’s a perfect way to use a single skein of bulky yarn or to use up some of that novelty or textured yarn you have lurking about! Or, hold 2 strands of a finer yarn together to make your own custom colour-blend (as I did in my red/purple version below).

Looks good in any yarn! L-R: fluffy #6 super-bulky yarn; normal plied #5 bulky yarn; 2 strands of #3 light (DK) yarn held together; soft textured #5 bulky yarn.

I hope you’ll enjoy this pattern!

Go to Chunky Moebius Cowl pattern >>

Crochet-Along with us…

If you’d like to make one (or more – it’s pretty addictive once you’ve made one and seen how easily it comes together!) please join the PlanetJune Accessories Crochet-Along and show us what you make, by posting to the Accessory-Along CAL thread in the PlanetJune Ravelry group.

The CAL runs until the end of the month, so perfect timing for those mad-dash-to-the-finish gifts you may or may not need to make – and if, for some reason, this cowl doesn’t grab you, you might like one of my other donationware scarf patterns that are also pretty fast to work up (although nothing beats this cowl for speed!):

Frosty Windows Scarf and Scalloped Scarf

It’s time to present another commissioned design: Giant Panda!

This pattern is a little later than scheduled, both because I’ve been sick and because I wanted to take some extra time to really perfect this design. Some designs come easily, and some take extra time and care to get just right. With an animal as iconic and well-known as the Giant Panda, there were a few criteria I knew I had to include in my design; every crocheted panda I’ve ever seen is just a basic toy bear shape with black circular patches added around the eyes, and that’s not the way I wanted to go.

My panda needed realistic shaping – the sloped back of head and neck, the iconic comfy seated pose – as well as some clever colourwork to give the shaped markings around the shoulders and realistic, symmetrical eye patches. I also had to strike the right balance between including all the features I wanted and making a pattern that isn’t ridiculously complicated to follow. With all those factors to juggle, I ended up making three complete pandas before everything came together perfectly!

In the final design, there are only 8 rounds of follow-carefully colour changes, and the pattern includes lots of tips – specific to this pattern – to make the colour changing easier and ensure you’ll get a beautifully tidy result. I’ve introduced a few new simple but effective shaping techniques too that are built right into the crocheting – I think you’ll enjoy how easily they come together when you make your own panda…

I should mention that the bamboo my panda is holding is not included in the Giant Panda pattern – it’s taken from my Lucky Bamboo pattern, which you can buy separately. However, the Giant Panda pattern does include the modifications for turning the standard Lucky Bamboo pattern into the freestanding panda-sized bamboo stalk you see pictured above with my panda. 🙂

(Btw, my newsletter is going out later today with an exclusive discount coupon for the Lucky Bamboo pattern. I’ll be re-sending that update to new subscribers on Monday, so sign up this weekend and you won’t miss out!)

If you pledged towards the Giant Panda commission, you should have already received your copy of the pattern, and the panda’s bamboo as a special commissioning bonus. Otherwise, if you’d like to make a panda of your own, you can now pick up the Giant Panda crochet pattern from the PlanetJune shop!

If you’re not quite ready to buy though, how about queuing Giant Panda on ravelry so you don’t forget about it?

What could be better than my 9 amigurumi dinosaurs? How about 18 amigurumi dinosaurs?!

Click image to enlarge! The 9 new dinos are on the left in this picture, with the original 9 on the right.

This project has been a long time in the making; I kept getting requests for more dinosaur designs, but a lot of dinosaurs look fairly similar and I didn’t feel comfortable with the idea of changing a few parts and calling it a whole new pattern – that doesn’t seem fair to my customers! – so my Expansion Pack (EP) idea was born.

What’s an Expansion Pack?

• An Expansion Pack (EP) is an add-on to an existing PlanetJune pattern.
• The EP lets you modify or add to the original pattern to create something else.
• You cannot use the EP alone – you must also purchase the original pattern in order to be able to complete the pictured items in the EP pattern.

I put on my research hat and investigated all kinds of dinosaurs to find the most interesting types to add to the collection, and now I’d like to introduce them to you…

Meet the New Dinosaurs

Dinosaurs Set 1X, L-R: Amargasaurus, Kentrosaurus, Pentaceratops

• Amargasaurus was small for a sauropod, at only 33 ft long. It could easily be recognised by its impressive neck and back spines. It was a herbivore and lived in the early Cretaceous period.
• Kentrosaurus was 17 ft long – only half the size of its better-known relative, Stegosaurus. It was well-armoured with a spiked tail and shoulders. Kentrosaurus was a herbivore and lived in the late Jurassic period.
• Pentaceratops was a 28-ft long relative of the Triceratops. Its name means ‘five-horned head’, but its large elongated neck frill was even more impressive than its horns. It was a herbivore and lived in the late Cretaceous period.

Dinosaurs Set 2X, L-R: Dimorphodon, Kronosaurus, Spinosaurus

• Dimorphodon was a member of the Pterosaur family. (Pterosaurs aren’t actually true dinosaurs, but flying reptiles that lived in the same time period.) Dimorphodon was a small pterosaur, with only a 4 ft wingspan, but had a large head, a puffin-shaped beak and a long tail with a diamond-shaped tip. It ate fish and lived in the Jurassic period.
• Kronosaurus was a huge 30-ft long member of the Plesiosaur family. (Plesiosaurs aren’t actually true dinosaurs, but aquatic reptiles that lived in the same time period.) Kronosaurus was a short-necked plesiosaur from the early Cretaceous period. It lived in the sea and ate cephalopods.
• Spinosaurus was 40-50 ft long – even larger than a Tyrannosaurus Rex! A long crocodile-like skull and the spines which formed a sail on its back made Spinosaurus instantly recognisable. It was a carnivore from the middle Cretaceous period.

Dinosaurs Set 3X, L-R: Protoceratops, Iguanodon, Panoplosaurus

• Protoceratops was a small herbivorous dinosaur, at only 6-8 ft long. Unlike its relatives (including Triceratops and Pentaceratops), it had no horns, only its ridged neck frill. It lived in the late Cretaceous period.
• Iguanodon was a herbivorous dinosaur from the early Cretaceous period. It was 30 ft long and weighed 4-5 tons. It could walk on all four legs or run on its back legs. Its name means ‘iguana tooth’ (as its teeth resemble those of modern iguanas).
• Panoplosaurus was a 23-ft long ankylosaur from the late Cretaceous period. It was a herbivore with a heavily armoured back, a row of spikes along each side, and extra-long shoulder spikes. Unlike the related Ankylosaurus, it did not have a tail club.

EP Pricing Info

These expansion pack designs keep about half of the original pattern, and the other half is new, so I’m charging only $2.50 apiece – half the price of the original. And it gets even better if you buy a multipack set: only $6.50 for a set of 3.

The multipack EP sets correspond to Dinosaurs Sets 1, 2 and 3, so I’ve called them Dinosaurs Sets 1X, 2X and 3X to make it clear which EPs match up with which original set. And, for this launch week, you’ll only pay $6 each for any (or all!) of the three 3-pack expansion packs – a real bargain for 3 new dinosaur patterns! (No code required – the additional discounts are already set up in the shop, for this week only.)

Original Dinosaur Re-releases

All 9 of the original dinosaur patterns have now been given their makeover. If you log into your PlanetJune account, you can download the new versions of any dinosaur patterns you’ve already purchased, for no additional cost, for the next 2 weeks. (If you order any dinosaur patterns from today onwards, you’ll automatically get the updated versions.)

18 dinosaur patterns – all in the new and improved format!

Future Plans

As I moved further into designing the Expansion Packs, I realised that the dinosaur I’ve had most requests for – Velociraptor – wouldn’t be possible here: in order to make a raptor, every component of the closest pattern (T rex) would have to be rewritten, which means it’s not an EP; it’s a whole new pattern! So, although 18 dinos is already an impressive collection, if these EPs sell well, it may not be a completely crazy idea for me to design Dinosaurs Set 4 (and maybe even Set 4X?) before I call this range complete 😀

Handy Links

• If you’ve already bought the original Dinosaur patterns, you can pick up the new Expansion Packs (individually or in sets) from the Expansion Packs section of my shop.
• If you’d like to pick up any original Dinosaurs + EPs, you’ll find each relevant EP as an add-on for the original patterns and sets, in the Prehistoric & Mythical section.
• If you’d like to add any of the 9 new dinosaurs to your Ravelry queue and/or favourites, there’s a link from each individual pattern page in my shop.
• If you’re admiring the colours of my dinosaurs, they are all made from Lion Brand Vanna’s Choice yarn – it has the best range of beautiful colours, and nothing in the range clashes with anything else, so you can’t go wrong.

Oh, and if you’re intimidated by the thought of crocheting the thin spikes on some of the dinos, don’t worry – those will be the subject of my next video tutorial, coming later this week! And then I may just need to collapse for a little while and recover from this mammoth project…

I really hope you love my new (and improved) dinosaur collection!