I’ve now been running my commissions model for 18 months. Thanks to your pledges, I’ve designed 10 lovely new animal patterns so far:

…and everything’s going swimmingly! Or, it would be, if I hadn’t unexpectedly been offered a crochet book deal I couldn’t refuse, a couple of months ago…

My process, whether for writing a new book or developing a new design, is always thorough and meticulous. Everything I do goes through research, planning, testing, refining and editing until I’m satisfied that it’s exactly the way I want it to be, and the best end product I can create. That’s just how I work – it’s time-intensive, and there’s nothing I can do to change that. And while, in an ideal world, I’d take a year or longer to write my book in leisure while continuing PlanetJune business as usual, the reality is that the book has to be completed before the end of 2013.

I can’t not put my best effort into this book (just as I can’t not put my best effort into anything else I do), so I’ve made the difficult decision to suspend the commissions process until January 2014. If you’re paying for a commissioned design, you want 100% June effort going into that design, not whatever dregs of energy I can muster in rare moments when I’m not concentrating on the book! And dregs are all I could offer for the remainder of this year. I’m not willing to do that, and I’m pretty sure you wouldn’t want me to either…

The Plan

• My Commissions Page will remain open for new pledges throughout this time.
• All existing commissioned designs will remain in the waiting list until January. (Nobody has paid for anything they haven’t received, so I’m not breaking any promises – I just hope you’ll be okay with waiting a little longer for your designs to be completed.)
• If you’re unhappy and want to cancel any pledges, just let me know and I’ll do it – no questions asked!
• When I start back to work in the new year, I’ll email all pledgers to check they’re still happy with their pledges before I start sending any invoices.

I’m sorry if this disappoints you (I’m disappointed too), but, unless I figure out a way to clone myself, we’ll all just have to accept that there aren’t enough June hours to go around, and things will take longer than we’d like. Thanks for your understanding…

I am looking forward to picking up the commissions again next year, though – next in line is another African animal (meerkat!) followed by the camel (I’ve already bought real camel yarn for that one), so there’s lots to anticipate for 2014!

Book Report

I’m working hard on my new book, and, although I can’t really show you anything at this stage, I can say that it’s going very well so far:

• My trusty spiral-bound notebook (and my new virtual equivalent, Evernote) are full of my crochet knowledge and tips, ready to be shared with you next year!
• I’ve added to my photography and lighting setup and I’ve created the ultimate crochet tutorial photo studio, so you can expect excellent quality photos in this book (and it’ll make editing photos much easier for me in future too).
• I have a box of beautiful yarn (sneak peek of some of it to the right) waiting for me to crochet it into lovely things. I’ve already crocheted 14 skeins from it into secret projects…

It’s very exciting to see things starting to take shape after all the preparation and planning I’ve done over the past couple of months, but there’s still a long way to go. I’ll be spending all my time for the rest of the year writing, designing, crocheting, photographing – okay, that’s not much different from my usual work, but as I’m not working for myself, I don’t have the luxury of setting my own schedule.

Unlike my self-published work, book deadlines aren’t arbitrary and can’t be pushed back; I’m one cog in a machine that includes editors, designers, indexers, printers and more, and they’ll need time to work their magic after I’ve finished my part in the process. So, for me, everything else will be taking a back seat from now until I complete my author review in December and hand this baby off so the publishing magic can begin…

Review and Win contest

For the first time in the 3.5 years I’ve been running my monthly free pattern contest, there were no reviews left in my shop last month, so that means there’s no winner in the August ‘Review and Win’ contest. That’s good news for you though, because I’ll roll the prize over to this month, so I’ll be drawing 2 winners (of a free pattern of your choice) from the reviews left in the PlanetJune shop in September!

To be entered, just go to the page of the item you wish to review in my shop, click the Reviews tab and click write a review. If you’ve enjoyed any PlanetJune patterns and haven’t yet reviewed them in my shop, this would be a good time to do so… 😉

And now it’s time to play catch-up; I didn’t have time for a monthly update post last month, so I’m drawing the July ‘Review and Win’ winner today. And the winner is… Sarah M, with her review of my AmiDogs Chihuahua pattern:

What a great pattern! This was my first time doing color changes in an amigurumi pattern. Following June’s pattern directions and her online tutorials regarding color changes, it was so easy! Plus, it looks great. The directions on the pattern were very clear and easy to follow. I have made a handful of amigurumi animals before, but I would not consider myself an expert. I felt very confident following this pattern. The finished product looks just like the pictures! I particularly appreciate the detail regarding how to place the legs, tail, head, muzzle, and eyes. With that many pieces, it was nice to not have to debate how and where to attach everything. I also used June’s invisible join method for a superior looking finished dog. Can’t say enough about it!

Thanks, Sarah, and congrats! I’ll email you to find out which pattern you’d like as your prize 🙂

Donationware CAL

The CAL is already in full swing! I think the fact that these patterns are all fast and easy means we’re going to see lots of entries this month, and I’m looking forward to seeing them all. Please join us by making any of these patterns (including my brand new Twisted Chain Bangle):

…and posting your photos in the Donationware CAL Ravelry thread 🙂

It’s time for a new Donationware addition to my PlanetJune Accessories range of crochet patterns! I’m very happy to present the Twisted Chain Bangle:

Transform a metal or plastic bangle from cheap fashion jewellery to a stylish and unique accessory. The twisted design looks intricate but it’s a deceptively simple technique, so you can whip up an armful of bangles in next to no time. Crochet chunky bangles for a quick casual look or as perfect gifts for girls, or use finer bangles and crochet thread to make jewellery elegant enough for any occasion.

This pattern is seriously addictive – it’s such a simple concept, but you can really mix it up by choosing different sizes of hooks and yarn or crochet thread, and even different-sized bangles to start with. I couldn’t stop trying different hook and yarn sizes to see what the results would be – and they all turned out pretty!

My 3 smaller bangles are made with the new KnitPicks Curio crochet thread – it comes in a wide range of colours and I chose 3 beautifully subtle shades that look understated and elegant. Then I decided to get a bit more summery and made 2 chunkier bangles for the summer days I hope will come soon to the Southern hemisphere! These are made with Patons Grace in fresh aqua and lime shades.

I have small wrists, so those are about as chunky as I’m willing to go for bangles for myself, but you could use thicker yarn and/or a larger bangle to make a real statement piece, and the bonus there is that as your hook and yarn get larger, your bangles become much faster to crochet! My delicate dark purple bangle took a while to complete, but the aqua and lime ones only took minutes to crochet…

As I like to reward people who chose to donate for my donationware patterns, the PDF version of this pattern includes some bonuses: additional tips and advice, even more helpful photos, and specific options for all the variations you see in my sample bangles! 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 Twisted Chain Bangle pattern – have fun with it!

Go to the Twisted Chain Bangle pattern >>

PS – Don’t forget, you can enter your bangles in this month’s Donationware CAL in the PlanetJune ravelry group!

Today’s the last day of the extended summer CAL – it’s interesting to see which of the 150 PlanetJune patterns were most popular this summer 🙂

Take a look at the roundup below to see all the entries (and don’t forget to keep reading to the end for the September CAL details…)

The weather never gets truly cold in Cape Town, but with poor insulation and no central heating in the houses, winter in South Africa can be very cold when you’re inside. It’s often warmer outside (in the sunshine) than in my house, which never really gets warm in winter, no matter how many portable heaters I turn on.

If you peeked through my window right now, you’d see me sitting at my desk, bundled up in multiple sweaters, two pairs of socks, a shawl, a blanket, a scarf and wristwarmers. I’m glad that I get to use all the accessories I’ve crocheted, but it does get a bit frustrating when my layers make me as bulky as the Michelin Man…

What I really needed was a warm sweater without bulk, so I ordered some beautiful fluffy dark teal alpaca yarn (KnitPicks Reverie) for my next knitting project – the shawl-collar pullover I made looks warm, but it’s not enough for the cold days here. I used the basic size template I designed for that sweater, and made a few refinements, to produce this:

Changes from my last sweater:

• I made a more subtle rib at the collar and cuffs, and made the collar into a simple v-neck with a neat overlap at the point of the V.
• I added interior waist shaping (instead of the side shaping I used before) that I learnt from Amy Herzog (Knitscene magazine, Fall 2011).
• And I bought two Craftsy online classes (which I’ll review properly at a later date once I’ve had a chance to finish them) which taught me how to design and knit fitted set-in sleeves – a revelation!

I intentionally made the neckline very wide and open, as I wasn’t sure how the alpaca would feel next to my newly-sensitive eczema-prone skin, and I wanted to be able to avoid direct skin contact if necessary. I also added extra ease to this sweater from my last one, so I could wear a long-sleeved t-shirt underneath if my wrists were irritated without making the sweater look too tight.

What I didn’t take into account – I am still a novice knitter! – was that the finer yarn, knit more loosely, would already add ease, even if the finished measurements are the same. Thanks to this, the finished sweater fits more loosely than I’d imagined it would, and the neck opening is even wider than I’d planned. But, although the waist shaping I added isn’t at all obvious, imagine if the waist had an extra 3″ of fabric: waist shaping does make a difference, even in a garment that isn’t closely fitted. Note: the bunching in the photo above is just drape due to how I was standing (oops!), not voluminous folds of extra fabric.

The verdict: I really love this sweater – it’s probably the warmest garment I own, even though it’s very thin and not at all bulky. The yarn is ultra soft and luxurious, and it doesn’t irritate my skin at all, and the colour is truly gorgeous. I do wish I’d made it slightly narrower, and less open at the neck, but those are things I can change next time – I’ve already ordered more Reverie yarn so I can make another one to keep me warm next winter 🙂

I can’t even begin to estimate how long it took me to knit this sweater, but it was worth every moment – it helped me get through some very stressful times, and I have a snuggly warm sweater to show for it! Unfortunately, I have no time to design my next knit piece at the moment, but I’ll definitely be adding to my handknit wardrobe once I’ve finished writing my book. Making garments and accessories that fit well enough to actually wear without being embarrassed is so rewarding – don’t you think?

Wow, things are very quiet around here, aren’t they? It’s strange that I’m busily working on exciting things and yet have nothing I can talk about… But, while you’ll have to wait for my next crochet book to see my secret projects, I do have some news to share about the patterns in my first crochet book!

The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Amigurumi was first published in 2010, in two versions: the print paperback and the Kindle format ebook. In case you aren’t familiar with the book, here’s the little stop motion-animation video trailer I made, to give you an idea of what it’s about:

Although this book is primarily a reference guide to amigurumi techniques, not a pattern book, all the amigurumi you see in the video are made from the patterns in the book. (These are exclusive patterns that I created for the book – you won’t find them anywhere else.)

The Kindle Problem

I proofed the paperback before it went to print, but I never got to see the Kindle version (in fact, I’ve still never seen it!) and I was horrified when I discovered from my readers that the Kindle version doesn’t include any of the photos from the 8-page colour insert (not even converted to black and white) – those pages are completely omitted!

Those photos are an essential part of the book, as they include all the photos and detail shots of the patterns in the book, so people can’t even see what they are trying to make without them. I think the missing colour pages must be a Kindle format limitation, but I had no idea this was going to happen, and I’m really sorry if you’ve bought the Kindle version and been frustrated by the lack of these photos.

My Solution

As soon as I discovered this problem, I contacted my publisher to try to fix it, and we’ve worked together to come up with a solution. It’s taken some time (publishers’ schedules are long-term, so nothing happens quickly), but I can now offer you a free PDF of the missing pages, to accompany the Kindle version of my book.

If you’ve bought the Kindle version, please download the file and use it as reference when you make the patterns from my book 🙂 (The file is probably of limited use to anyone else, as it just shows details of the patterns included in the book, and an Ideas Gallery showing some of my other amigurumi designs, but you’re welcome to download the PDF too, if you want!)

Download the PDF!

I hope that, in future, the Kindle version can be updated to include a link to this PDF, but, in the meantime, you can download the PDF from idiotsguides.com (under Hobbies & Crafts > Book Extras) or directly, by clicking here:
CIG to Amigurumi Project Photos (3.8MB PDF).

If you’d like more information about the Complete Idiot’s Guide to Amigurumi (what it’s about, where to buy it, and how to get your free signed bookmark), please see my CIG to Amigurumi information page 🙂

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: