Planet June

Writing my Year in Review post every year helps me to see what I’ve accomplished, think about what I’ve learnt, and decide what I’d like to do differently in the following year.

2025 has been a year of invention in my patterns – almost all of them include new techniques that took much longer to figure out how to explain clearly than to come up with in the first place! That makes for slow going, but I’d much prefer to have a few fantastic new designs than a couple of dozen forgettable ones, and I’m pleased with my innovations this year:

The bestseller so far from my 2025 new releases is the Farmyard Sheep. With a new stitch I invented just to make that bouncy textured fleece, it’s been selling very well all year, and placed near the top of my bestsellers chart. New patterns usually take time to climb the chart, and my Loon also only just missed out on placing (coming in at number 11), so that’s a big win for me!

2025’s Top 10 PlanetJune patterns:

1. Temperature Snake
2. Tortoise & Simple-Shell Tortoise, Turtle & Terrapin
3. Farmyard Sheep
4. Baby Sea Turtle Applique & Hatchlings
5. Bearded Dragon
6. Turtle Beach Blanket (Teal Ombre version)
7. Polyhedral Balls & Gaming Dice
8. Beaver
9. Emperor Penguin
10. AmiCats Tuxedo

I also had two new tutorials this year (Crocheted Eyes for Amigurumi and How to Crochet Double-Size Amigurumi).

Business Report

Early in 2025, I had the wonderful opportunity to complete a certification in growth marketing from Growclass, funded by a government scholarship. The six-week intensive course was focused on providing helpful, delightful products to the right people – exactly what I’ve always aimed for with PlanetJune – and I learned so much from the experience.

Since I completed the course, I’ve been working on updates throughout the PlanetJune website, to improve the ways people can find, trust and buy from me. The biggest example of that is the PlanetJune project galleries you’ll now find on every pattern page in my shop.

This has been a huge success, with over 1600 photos submitted already! It’s so helpful to see projects made by other people when you’re deciding whether to buy a pattern, and I’m hoping that seeing real photos and reviews from genuine customers like you will show PJ newcomers that they can trust my patterns.

I’ve also added my You Can Do It! Guarantee to every page in the shop, so people can see they’ll be supported with clear instructions, helpful tutorials, and direct help as needed when they choose to buy from PlanetJune. My service hasn’t changed – I’ve always offered email support with every pattern purchase – but potential customers may not have realised that.

There are a couple of dozen smaller projects that I’ve completed so far; mostly things you wouldn’t notice unless I pointed them out, like now you’ll see a thumbnail image and text snippet for every result when you search the blog where previously it only showed the text. I have lots more plans, and I really enjoy the challenges of coding, so I’ll keep making these small changes to improve your experience!

The Changing Landscape…

2025 has been an interesting time to run an online business. Apart from the general state of the global economy, the trend that’s most affected me has been the rise of generative AI, especially as the early (and obviously fake) AI-generated photos have been replaced by far more sophisticated results.

You may have noticed that our crafty little corner of the internet is being flooded with fake or misleading crochet pattern listings, with convincing fake crochet photos, AI text in descriptions and social media posts, and even fake reviews on Etsy. I have no idea why a relatively low-priced niche like crochet patterns would be a target for scammers, but this is what’s happening, so it’s not hard to understand why shoppers are becoming more suspicious as the scams become less obvious and more compelling.

Etsy, Facebook etc are filled with fake crochet listings, posts, ads and photos, and it’s hard to find the gems and know who to trust among all that trash. My sales from these other platforms have dropped sharply in recent months, and I’m sure this is why. And, while I hope things will course-correct, I don’t think we can rely on that happening on these platforms…

At least I can guarantee that PlanetJune.com is clean and free from ads and AI junk (and that will never change!) so my direct sales haven’t been affected, and I hope they may even increase if shoppers desert Etsy and turn more to Ravelry or Google to find genuine high quality crochet patterns. And, on the plus side, I’m thrilled to have built a significant side-income from my books: The Essential Guide to Amigurumi and Everyday Crochet are selling well enough to give me a little safety net against horrible setbacks like this.

Personal Report

2025 was a year of backyard wonders: we were lucky enough to have our dove family return to their nesting platform (with our new upgraded camera to monitor them) and a robin family nesting in my honeysuckle where I could peek at the babies every day and watch them grow.

Of course I did some crafting – mostly knitting, crochet, cross stitch, diamond painting, and paper crafts:

…but my creative pastimes have been mostly edible this year. I ramped up my food growing, with over 75kg (165lb!) of organic vegetables (and fruit) grown in my garden, and ramped up my cooking skills to take advantage of all that delicious produce! From seeds to plants to harvest to food, the cycle has kept me happily occupied for most of the year.

It’s a joy to have a hobby that I have no intention of turning into a business (although it has saved us many hundred dollars in food costs!) and, while my skills are definitely improving from a few years ago when I couldn’t even keep a tomato plant alive, it’s exciting that I still have a lot to learn.

The garden is slowly turning into the combination wildlife haven and food farm I’ve been dreaming of, and if I don’t have the energy to go adventuring, I can still experience nature and peacefulness, and delicious edible treats, literally on my doorstep.

Looking Back

I can’t operate the way I used to – I don’t know if this is part of getting older, or a reaction against the fast pace of today’s always-on, always-online life, but I find myself wanting to be slow and calm and to appreciate the process of everything in my life.

I’m getting so much satisfaction from growing food and learning how to prepare delicious things from my garden produce. My attitude to food has completely changed through the process of learning how to grow vegetables, and I really appreciate the luxury of eating simple meals made from fresh, natural ingredients.

Last year, I said “In the end I’d much prefer to create a few richly detailed patterns, tutorials and blog posts in a year than hundreds of pieces of lightweight fluff… I’m looking for a simple, quiet, and valuable life” and by that measure I think I’ve succeeded with my goals this year! There’s always a part of me that wishes I had more energy, a faster working pace, and the capacity to bring more of my ideas into the world, but I remind myself that life should be about finding enjoyment every day.

It wouldn’t be possible for me to make the work I really want to make without the time and space for creative experimentation, and giving myself permission to keep going, no matter how long it takes to get it right. My process may be frustratingly slow, but it’s ultimately incredibly satisfying. Looking at my new designs this year, I see that I’ve added some truly original and innovative pieces to my body of work, and I think I should be proud of that.

Looking Forward

2026 will be my 20th year in business as a crochet designer – isn’t that astonishing? The world has changed so much since I started PlanetJune, and I’ve changed too, of course. But the one thing that hasn’t changed is how much I love being able to express my love of nature through my love of making, and translate the results into crochet patterns.

It’s such a privilege to have been able to earn my living by sharing my designs and techniques with you for almost two decades now, and, while I need to accept my limitations and keep to this slower pace from now on, I’m not done yet! I have countless pattern ideas that I haven’t made yet, and with so much beauty to be found in the natural world, I’ll never run out of inspiration.

2026 Wishes

Last year, I wished to be calm, wholesome, and honest; for a healthy, positive and good-hearted life, both in my pastimes and outlook.

Those still resonate strongly for me, but for the coming year I hope to find the quiet in the eye of the storm of the wider world. So my wishes for 2026 are for:

• peace amongst the noise
• appreciation of the small daily joys of life
• intention to concentrate on what matters most

I wish the same for you too, no matter what your goals for the coming year may be, and I hope 2026 brings you health, happiness, and a fresh chapter. Happy New Year!

The post 2025: year in review appeared first on PlanetJune Blog.

Today’s PlanetJune Story comes from Susanna Vogt from Liberty, MO.

If you’ve been following the Reindeer Games CAL, you’ll have seen Susanna (sujavo) crocheting up a storm, making ornament after ornament, and I absolutely had to show you the result of all her work. I was thrilled to hear that Susanna had been inspired by my own Giant Christmas Tree to make a giant PlanetJune tree of her own, and I’m sure you’ll agree that the result is spectacular!

Note: Looking for pattern links? You’ll find links to all the PJ patterns shown here at the end of this post!

Now, over to Susanna, to tell us all about this impressive project…

As someone who LOVES Christmas decorating, I’ve made many of June’s holiday patterns in the past for use in various wreaths and décor, including a giant tree using Christmas Trees Set 1, which measures about 20″ high (using June’s Complete Guide to Giant Amigurumi ebook.)

For 2025, I decided to go all out and make the biggest tree I could possibly manage using Christmas Trees Set 2, and fill it entirely with ornaments from PlanetJune. From June’s blog on making this project herself, I knew I’d need to figure out some internal support for the tree, so I decided to begin work on that back in January, and then decorate the tree at the end of the year for the PlanetJune Reindeer Games.

I don’t have the resources or skill to build a perfect structure, but I managed sufficiently with a foam cone wedged on top of a slightly cut-down tomato cage, so the completed tree stood about 44″ high – and then it went into storage until the 2025 Reindeer Games began in November!

I was a little anxious about finishing in time to enjoy it displayed for a little while before Christmas, but these patterns are so incredibly quick and fun to make, I fairly flew through them. Many of the Christmas Décor sets are very clever designs, yet very simple to execute. Once you complete the first one, you find yourself easily whipping out several poinsettias, holly and berries, or baubles while watching a holiday movie or Sunday football.

I used a total of 25 distinct patterns from PlanetJune in creating my tree, including the 8 Christmas Décor patterns and other multi-pattern sets. I made multiples of several of the patterns to fill out the tree – particularly the Christmas Baubles – and had fun choosing some singles that are not specifically ornament patterns but also work as one, like the PocketAmi Elf and Reindeer (the reindeer may be my favorite – he’s so adorable!)

The final ornament added was June’s latest pattern release, the Gingerbread Tree, and I topped off the tree with a Snow Star Ornament, using a bamboo skewer to anchor it in the foam support. There’s still room to add a few more ornaments if I choose to, and I may not be able to stop myself!

One of the best things about all of these patterns is their diversity of use: you can choose to make the more traditional pieces with warmer reds and greens and achieve a very classic, Victorian look; or you can lean more heavily on brighter colors and fun patterns for a cheerful modern style. Baubles in particular can be made in any number of color combinations. I chose sparkly yarn in a variety of colors for all but a handful of ornaments. Everything can also be sized up or down by using different yarn and hook sizes, like my mini bow in thread.

Being crafted entirely of yarn gives this tree a very warm, cozy feel, and adding fairy lights really gives it a nice glow from within all the soft yarn. For a little final element, I put the tree on top of a Lazy Susan so I can easily rotate it around to all sides. It makes me very happy to enjoy my beautiful tree, front and center among my Christmas décor!

(Back to me, June, again!)

Wow! Congratulations, Susanna – I’m honoured that you chose to make a completely PlanetJune tree, and I’m sure everyone will agree that you executed this ambitious project to perfection and your tree is absolutely beautiful. (And I love your tomato cage and Lazy Susan ideas too – so smart!)

Please leave Susanna a comment if you’ve enjoyed this post!

Pattern Links & References

Here are all the PlanetJune Christmas-themed crochet patterns Susanna used to decorate her tree. And there’s still time to join us for the 2025 Reindeer Games crochet-along, if you want to whip up a PJ ornament or three for this year’s tree!

If you’d like to make your own giant tree for next year:

• Christmas Trees Set 2 (the Narrow Tree option from this pattern makes the ideal giant tree!)
• The Complete Guide to Giant Amigurumi ebook has all the tips you’ll need to scale up a pattern to giant size
• My Giant Crocheted Christmas Tree post (see my original giant Christmas tree and read about how I made it)

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!

The post PlanetJune Stories: Susanna’s Giant Crochet Christmas Tree appeared first on PlanetJune Blog.

I just realised that this is my 18th year of designing seasonal crochet patterns, and I haven’t quite run out of new ideas yet! My 2025 Christmas pattern is a two-in-one: you can use it to make iced (or plain) Gingerbread cookies, or sturdy flat Christmas Tree ornaments:

Chunky and flat, just like the edible cookie version, the Gingerbread Tree ornament is a perfect blank canvas for decorating with beads, embroidery, or whatever crafty ‘icing’ you like. Or make the Christmas Tree version in green or white with a brown trunk.

Both versions are crocheted amigurumi-style (in a continuous spiral) from only 10 yds of yarn with no sewing, so the pattern works up quickly with minimal finishing!

Then you have the fun of decorating your trees to match your style – you can leave them plain, copy my suggestions, or use your imagination to create all sorts of designs. Keep your embellishments in classic white, or match the colours to your seasonal décor – there are so many possibilities for these trees!

And my Gingerbread Family are happy to welcome the new trees into the gingerbread pattern collection!

As I like to reward people who chose to donate for my donationware patterns, the PDF version of the Gingerbread Tree & Christmas Tree Ornaments pattern includes a 2-page guide to all the embroidery and embellishments I used on my sample trees, additional info, and an appendix of left-handed photos. 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.

Go to the free Gingerbread Tree & Christmas Tree Ornaments crochet pattern >>

Or jump straight to donate:

Order the Gingerbread Tree & Christmas Tree Ornaments pattern >>

Not ready to make it yet? Add it to your Ravelry queue:

The post free crochet pattern: Gingerbread Tree & Christmas Tree Ornaments appeared first on PlanetJune Blog.

Isn’t it useful to see other people’s projects before you decide whether or not to buy a crochet pattern? Especially now, with the proliferation of scam sites and AI-generated ‘crochet’ images, seeing real projects from real people is the best way to know you can trust the designer you’re buying from.

I know I find the customer photos really helpful on larger e-commerce sites like Etsy and Amazon, so I spent the summer coding up this feature for PlanetJune too, and I’m so excited to have it up and running and filling up with gorgeous photos from my amazing customers!

Now you can go to any pattern (or set) listing in the PJ shop and look for the Gallery & Reviews tab. You’ll see a scrollable carousel of customer pics:

(Then click any of the thumbnails to launch a lightbox so you can see the full-size photo, with credit given to the crocheter who made the project.)

Here are a few more seasonal examples of beautiful customer-submitted photos you can see in the project galleries:

Do visit any pattern listing in the shop to see its gallery in action! Here are links to all the patterns shown in the screenshots in this post, to get you started:

• Fruit Bat
• Pine Cone Collection
• Ornamental Gourds Sets 1 & 2
• PocketAmi Set 3: Halloween
• Oak Leaf Collection & Life-Sized Acorn
• AmiDogs Custom Set (pick any 3)
• Horse, Unicorn & Pegasus
• Maple Leaf Collection

As the PlanetJune galleries are still new, there are currently only between 1 and 20 photos for most patterns, but I hope that we’ll see lots more submissions as time goes by and the galleries fill up with more beautiful projects – and I’d love to include your photos too!

Behind the Scenes

I’ve set up each gallery to display all the project photos for each pattern, randomly ordered, so there’s no preferential treatment, and each time a page loads you’ll see a different selection of projects popping up first.

Since the launch, I’ve also improved the functionality for pattern sets and multipacks, which now show a random selection of projects from all the included patterns, so you can get the flavour of all the patterns you can make without having to click away into each individual pattern in the set:

I’ll also be adding more features in future, for example I’m planning a main PlanetJune Customer Gallery that will show a random selection of customer projects from the previous month’s Top 50 patterns… but that’s another project for another day…

Add Your Projects

I hope you’ll upload your favourite photo for each PlanetJune project you’ve made!

Add your projects by clicking ‘add your photo’ from any shop page (see the first pic above), or visit your My Patterns page to see all your PJ patterns in one place. I’ve also completely revamped My Patterns with a cleaner look and new icons for each pattern for uploading your photo (camera) or writing your review (paper and pencil):

(See the Gallery FAQ for submission guidelines, how to track your submissions, and full instructions.)

Bonus for Ravelry Users: If you’ve made lots of PlanetJune patterns (or even just a few), with your permission I’d love to grab all your PJ project pics (past and future) from your Ravelry projects without you lifting a finger – just email me with your Rav username and the email address you use for your PlanetJune account, and I’ll do everything else.

I’ve wished for years to have a way to see and display all your project photos, and now the project galleries are finally here and working beautifully, I hope you’ll find them really helpful too. I love seeing the submissions coming in, and I can’t wait to see your photos in the gallery!

The post NEW: Pattern Project Galleries appeared first on PlanetJune by June Gilbank: Blog.

I’m very excited about my latest crochet designs – I’ve been planning and developing this pattern collection for a long time, and I’m so happy to be able to present the Coral Reef Collections today!

About Coral Reefs

Corals may look like beautiful underwater plants or colourful rocks, but they’re actually animals! Most corals are made up of thousands of tiny polyps that live together in colonies. There are soft corals that sway like plants in the water, and hard corals that build rigid, stony skeletons. These tiny polyps, working together, create reef ecosystems that support an incredible diversity of marine life.

Meet the Reef Dwellers

Each Coral Reef Collection design is inspired by a real reef inhabitant – from hard and soft corals to sponges, sea anemones, and zoanthids.

Coral Reef Collection 1 includes (L-R): Brain Coral (Symphyllia), Toadstool Leather Coral (Sarcophyton), Staghorn Coral (Acropora), and Button Polyps (Zoanthus) crochet patterns.

Coral Reef Collection 2 will include (L-R): Tube Sponge (Aplysina), Mushroom Coral (Fungia), Sea Anemone (Actinaria), and Trumpet Coral (Caulastraea) crochet patterns.

About the Designs

These innovative designs are all completely no-sew, and I’ve come up with lots of new techniques to bring these corals to life entirely through crochet! All you need is a hook, a few colours of yarn, and a little stuffing, and you can start creating your own reef.

Tip: These patterns are also great stashbusters – they’ll look amazing in almost any colour, and each piece needs no more than 35yds/30m of yarn per colour.

A single coral piece makes a lovely standalone decoration, and your reef display will become more and more spectacular as you add additional pieces in different colours!

With four patterns and dozens of step-by-step photos in each PDF, there’s a lot of details packed into these collections, so I’m releasing them as separate right-handed and left-handed editions. Choose your version before you checkout, and every photo will look exactly as you’ll see it while you’re crocheting.

Buy Now (and Save with the Preorder Bundle)

Getting all these details just right takes time, so I’m releasing Coral Reef Collection 1 now, with Coral Reef Collection 2 to follow in October. You’ll save $3.50 when you buy both together – but you don’t have to wait to get the deal!

Pick up the Coral Reef Collections 1 & 2 multipack today: you can download Collection 1 instantly so you can start crocheting your first four corals right away, and I’ll add the second PDF to your PlanetJune account as soon as it’s ready. I’ll also send you an email reminder with a download link when Collection 2 launches, so you can download it directly from your My Patterns page.

Here are the links:

• Coral Reef Collection 1
• Coral Reef Collections 1 & 2 multipack deal

I think these eight patterns are irresistibly cheerful and colourful, and I hope you’ll enjoy making all these corals and other reef inhabitants as much as I’ve enjoyed designing them all. I can’t wait to see your unique reef come to life!

The post Coral Reef Collection crochet patterns appeared first on PlanetJune by June Gilbank: Blog.

I love crocheting soft and squishy Giant Amigurumi versions of my patterns using blanket yarn! They’re super fun and huggable, but giant amigurumi are more like decorations than playable toys: using a hook that’s wider than a finger always leaves gaps between the stitches that little kids could stick their fingers in.

So I started to wonder: what if I could crochet a version that’s still big and soft, but with the firmness and structure of a standard amigurumi? Could I use the same super bulky blanket yarn with a small enough hook to eliminate those gaps and create a perfectly cuddly kids’ toy?

I did some tests to find out, and here’s the result, courtesy of a not-so-Baby Octopus (from my Baby Cephalopods collection):

A double-sized octopus (left) has twice the size and twice the snuggliness of a standard-sized octopus (right)!

It only took me an hour to make my octopus, and I’m so happy with the result! Trying to see chain stitches in chenille yarn made the tentacles a little more challenging – I had to frog a couple of the arms and try again, but I got there in the end, and everything else came together beautifully.

I forgot how clean and simple these Baby Cephalopods are – such a joy to make! If you haven’t tried these patterns yet, I can highly recommend them. Set 1 includes the Octopus and Squid, and Set 2 has the Cuttlefish and Nautilus, or you can get the multipack that includes all four sweet tentacled babies.

Now, back to my experiment: I found that using a 6.5mm (K) hook gave the best results for toy-making:

• Smaller hooks make the gaps between stitches so small that it’s harder to insert your hook – especially with chenille yarn, where the texture makes the stitches harder to see.
• Larger hooks create the softer ‘giant amigurumi’-style fabric with more space between the stitches.

The K (6.5mm) hook was the sweet spot – small enough to make a satisfyingly sturdy, gap-free fabric, but large enough to offer an easy, enjoyable crochet experience.

And, as a bonus: working with blanket yarn and a K hook, you end up with an ami that’s almost exactly twice the size of the original (for a standard sized amigurumi, worked in worsted weight yarn with an E hook). To demonstrate, here’s a comparison of three versions of my Tiny Whale pattern: Standard, Double, and Giant.

As you can see, the Double whale (centre) is about twice the size of the Standard one, and significantly smaller than the Giant version. It’s a nice middle ground if you want something bigger and cuddlier than a regular amigurumi but not as yarn-hungry as a giant ami!

As this is the ‘goldilocks’ size, I’ve refined my amigurumi scale chart and replaced the old Mini Giant scale (which was such a clunky name anyway!) with the slightly smaller but much more satisfying Double scale:

• If you’ve bought The Essential Guide to Amigurumi, you’ve already seen the new chart – the Double scale was debuted in the book when it launched!
• If you’ve bought The Complete Guide to Giant Amigurumi ebook, I’ve just updated page 8 to reflect the new Double recommendation (and you can download the revised version from your PlanetJune account)
• And I’ve also cleaned up my online Scaling Amigurumi guide with the new Double scale, so everything now matches.

Have you tried making standard amigurumi patterns with blanket yarn? If giant amigurumi feel a bit ridiculous, double-sized amigurumi could be just right for you! They use much less yarn and create a lovely plush huggable toy.

And here’s the best part: all the techniques I developed for giant amigurumi work beautifully at this scale too, especially my game-changing secure magic ring that’s perfect for chenille yarn. If you have my Complete Guide to Giant Amigurumi ebook, you’re already equipped with everything you need to make Double-sized amis too.

I think double-sized amigurumi using blanket yarn and a K US/6.5mm hook might be the perfect fit for sweet cuddly toys – give it a go and let me know what you think!

The post How To Crochet Double-Size Amigurumi appeared first on PlanetJune by June Gilbank: Blog.

Here’s a new addition to my stemmed flower patterns: an elegant sculptural lily flower! With my new crochet pattern you can make Calla, Peace, or Arum Lily flower stems that look stunning in a tall vase and are perfect for modern floral arrangements, wedding bouquets, or Easter décor.

A fun fact about these flowers: the Calla Lily (or Arum Lily) from South Africa shares its elegant flower shape with the unrelated Peace Lily from the tropical Americas. Despite their names, neither of these plants is a true lily!

I made mine in classic white (off-white, actually – for that extra touch of elegance), the colour of Peace Lilies and the wild Calla Lilies that I remember from my time in Africa. You can also get creative with your colours: hybrid calla lilies come in a variety of colours including yellow, orange, pink and dark purple, so you can pick your favourites!

While a few of these stems look lovely displayed alone in a narrow vase like this, you can also mix and match them with my other cut flower crochet patterns to create your own custom bouquet:

Here are all my other stemmed flowers: Basic Rose, Daffodils, Carnations and Tulips.

As I like to reward people who chose to donate for my donationware patterns, the PDF version of the Calla Lily / Peace Lily pattern includes additional assembly photos, bonus tips if you want to make a more resilient flower, and my special technique for fastening off the yarn neatly at the base of the stem. 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.

Go to the free Calla Lily / Peace Lily crochet pattern >>

Or jump straight to donate:

Order the Calla Lily / Peace Lily pattern >>

Not ready to make it yet? Add it to your Ravelry queue:

The post free crochet pattern: Calla Lily / Peace Lily appeared first on PlanetJune by June Gilbank: Blog.