This not-so-little lion is quite hefty in fact, almost the size of a real cub! Being weighted too, he's the ultimate snuggle baby and very difficult to put down once you've got this cuddly prince wrapped in your arms, staring lovingly into your eyes.

Atlas is a weighted therapy toy made with natural fiber which also makes him an heirloom. I've written about therapy toys before (here), and how they benefit those with disabilities - and those without. Along with the pattern, you also have the option to purchase a lush merino yarn kit, hand dyed specially by Miss La Motte yarns for Projectarian beasties, so you can make your wild one just like the picture.  Here's an eye-candy close-up of Pressed Flowers, the main colour used for Atlas's body.

Besides for being absolutely BEAUTIFUL, this stuff is an absolute dream to work with. I cannot gush enough over how much I LOVE this yarn! It is thee best fiber I've ever had on my hook. It's soft and springy but also dense, making it luxurious and ideal for amigurumi.

Weighting his paws as described in the pattern also makes him extra floppy, adding 8,000 cuteness points...

...and a swinging cat tail for added mischief!

If that's not enough cute, let's heap on the adorable with squidgy pink toe beans!!! If you follow my work and you've seen Orbit the Dragon you'll know that I consider cute footsies a very important part of pattern design 😉

Atlas is just a baby but at heart he's a savage, roaring king of the jungle, striking fear in the hearts of man and beast! But he hasn't grown a mane yet so he wears a bushy bonnet to look like the big lions, but shhh - don't tell the other cubs it's not real.

I happen to find the mane quite beautiful even on it's own.

What you may not know is that I pulled all my patterns from my shop a few months back to start updating all of them. This one was supposed to be a simple update of my original "Longing Lion Cub", but when I sat down to start it, I just scrapped the old one and re-wrote the whole thing. Maybe I'll turn Longing Lion into a free pattern one day...

It's been quite a journey from concept to pattern release, starting with sketching how I wanted my bebe to look, and feeling brave after I got Orbit to come out looking just like her sketch! I was nervous about having to figure out that muzzle shape, but I think it came out pretty good in the end.

Atlas is a big pattern and the very thorough testing took quite some time! When you purchase the pattern you'll get 80 juicy pages of detailed instructions, packed with over 200 high quality photos to guide you through every step of making your own perfect cub from ear to tail! It has been tested and re-tested to make sure you'll find it easy to follow and accurate to the last stitch. If you can crochet, you can make this cub!

You can share your lion cub project with your tribe members on Facebook group or on Instagram using the hashtag #AtlasTheLionCub, and tagging me @Projectarian. I can't wait to see your baby lion!!

Click below to purchase your pattern and yarn pack now.

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