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 & ReferencesHere 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:
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.
My question:
Would it be better to think of “idolatry” as being more intense or involved than just praying to an idol of a god? It seems that in ancient thinking, idolatry in the Old Testament involves not just praying before an idol, but feasting with and engaging in sex with the peoples who are ruled by said god, like at the beginning of Num 25? There are several places in the Bible which describes idolatry as including a procreative aspect, thereby fully connecting the idolator in every way with the people and culture of the god who heads them up?
ChatGBT response:
Yes — you’re tracking something very important, and you’re actually much closer to the biblical worldview than what many modern readers assume.
In the Old Testament (and the wider Ancient Near East), idolatry is far more than “bowing down and praying to a statue.” It is relational, communal, covenantal, and bodily. It often involves feasting, sexuality, and procreation as acts of religious allegiance.
Here’s how to think about it.
1. Idolatry in the Bible is covenantal, not merely devotional
Biblically, idolatry is not just about what you say to a god, but:
That’s why Scripture constantly frames idolatry as adultery and prostitution, not merely false prayer:
The Hebrew phrase in Psalm 106:28 is crucial:
וַיִּצָּמְדוּ לְבַעַל פְּעוֹר (wayyitsamedu lebaʿal peʿor)
Literally: “they yoked/attached themselves” to Baal of Peor.
This is covenant language — not just prayer language.
2. The example of Numbers 25 is paradigmatic
You referenced the right text: Numbers 25.
What happens there?
This is not accidental moral failure.
This is ritualized covenant transfer.
The sexual act is not only immoral — it is religiously meaningful in that world. It is a way of blending bloodlines and loyalties.
3. Sex and procreation were seen as religious acts in pagan systems
In the ANE worldview, fertility wasn’t “biology” — it was theology in action.
Pagan cults believed:
So sleeping with a priestess or cult woman wasn’t just immorality; it was:
That’s why Scripture so often links idolatry to “seed,” “fruitfulness,” “harlotry,” and “playing the harlot after other gods.”
4. Why “marrying the nations” is treated as spiritual treason
This also explains why Israel is so strongly warned about:
From our modern view this sounds racist.
From their worldview it was theological and covenantal:
Marriage =
• family allegiance
• covenant bond
• gods of the household
• inheritance of identity
So when Israel “joins” the peoples, they are literally:
Birthing a mixed covenant
Producing children raised under rival gods
Extending the dominion of false deities through their own seed
Idolatry includes bedroom, table, and womb.
5. “Becoming one flesh” as a spiritual act
Genesis 2:24 — “the two shall become one flesh” — was not only personal intimacy in the biblical mind.
It was:
So in Numbers 25, Israel isn’t merely committing sexual immorality; they are literally becoming “one flesh” with a rival sacred order.
That’s why Paul later warns:
“Shall I take the members of Christ and make them members of a prostitute? Never!” (1 Cor 6:15–16)
Paul is reading sex with this ancient logic, not a modern psychological one.
6. Idolatry as adoption into another spiritual family
Your insight is right:
Idolatry in the OT is about full integration into another people and their god.
It’s:
In short:
It’s joining their household, not just repeating their prayers.
7. Why this matters theologically
This reveals why God’s language is so intense:
This isn’t arbitrary jealousy.
It’s covenant jealousy.
Idolatry is spiritual treason, adultery, and genealogical corruption — not just theological error.
Summary in simple terms
You’re absolutely right to see idolatry as more than prayer.
Biblically, idolatry often includes:
It is a full-bodied act of covenant transfer, not a mere change of beliefs.
After reading the response of ChatGPT, this came to mind…
Is it any wonder why God once said this:
“You must not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God…” – Exodus 20:5a (HCSB)
Godspeed, to the brethren!
Check out my book!
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:
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 ScenesI’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 ProjectsI 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 ReefsCorals 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 DwellersEach 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 DesignsThese 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:
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:
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:
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.
Legendary RPG author and designer Rob Kuntz is adding TWO very sought-after PDF products to his Three Line Studio Store, after those products recently sold out as popular print releases elsewhere on the web (DATG at TLB Games, and DD at Chaotic Henchmen Productions)...
Rob's seminal treatise Dave Arneson's True
Genius, and iconic RPG
adventure module Dark Druids, have now joined our
range of downloadable digital (PDF) products!
And here's the double-whammy to all our fans and friends: if you purchase DATG and DD together as a bundle — The DATG Dark Druids Bundle — you will get 20% off your order (*valid until 5th July 2023). Now that's regal!
Good Day to You All!
There is no better way to start off a New Year than with -- not just one but TWO -- brand-new, never-before-published creative, exciting products! Even better, when such creative, exciting products are about a CELEBRATION...
Throughout 2023, Rob Kuntz and Three Line Studio will be celebrating 50 years since the inception and playtesting of the world's first commercial RPG in 1973!
And there is no better way to celebrate than to reward YOU, Rob's loyal fanbase, with our launch of Gargax's Glorious Gewgaws and Pryce's Price, both available to purchase exclusively from our newly-launched Three Line Studio Store! Please note that for the very first time, we are 'going' digital as those two products are published in professional high-quality full-colour PDF format, printable and viewable on all electronic devices, PC/MAC/Android. Cartography, interior art and Gewgaws cover art by are by a promising young Italian graphic artist, Davide Gambarara, who did a stirling job! Davide brought a crisp line work to both Gewgaws and Pryce. We cannot praise him enough and can already hint at the fact that Davide will be involved in forthcoming TLS projects! https://www.facebook.com/dagamarts/You are rolling up a new Traveller character and you aren't sure which Background Skills to choose. In this article, I will show you the best background skills for your Traveller character.
You need scout ship deck plans for your virtual tabletop game. Check out my new Pioneer-Class Scout Ship Deck Plans For Roll20 AnD VTT.
Looking for sci-fi RPG adventure seeds for your next game of Cepheus Engine or Traveller? Check out The Missing Survey Vessel.
Need a new hairdo? Need that crooked nose straightened out? Need to go incognito for a while? Try the new Cosmedoc Cosmetics Autodoc!
My players needed something larger than the standard air/raft, so I created this civilian g-carrier for them.
The eighth and final live Traveller player panel for Mayday Traveller RPG Day 2020. The Crew discusses more Traveller character backstories.
The eighth Interview for Mayday Traveller RPG Day 2020 is Marc MIller of Far Future Enterprises. We discuss the origins of Traveller with the creator himself!
The seventh live Traveller player panel for Mayday Traveller RPG Day 2020. The Crew discusses more Traveller character backstories.