Hello reader! Please enjoy this free pattern for textured knit pumpkins. The pumpkins were dreamed up by my sister when she was shopping for yarn in Italy. She sent me the yarn and some reference images when she returned, and I shipped them off just in time for fall!
This pattern keeps it SIMPLE with three textured pumpkins made from knit rectangles. The pumpkins use only 5 beginner techniques: cast on, cast off, knit, purl, and sew up a seam. The steps are also very simple and I provide lots of pictures and some short videos!
Using a double-thick tube for the pumpkin lets you use big, fun, textured stitches and still have no stuffing show through. The looser stitches stretch in an appealing way, so you can get the deep ridges that make pumpkins so distinctive.
I wanted all the pumpkins to have slightly different textures to be interesting, but nothing so dramatic that it distracts from the rich colors and wonderful yarn my sister selected. On that note: this yarn was very luxurious to work with. She has great taste!
Materials
- DK (light worsted) yarn
- The samples are Lana Grossa Brigitte No 2
- For the largest pumpkin (orange) I used every bit of a 50 g skein. The other two used less than a full skein.
- Size 10 knitting needles
- Yarn needle
- Stuffing (mine is from an old pillow)
- Brown yarn, cinnamon sticks, or wine corks for stems
Instructions
Step 1: Knit the Rectangle
Orange Rib Knit Pumpkin (6 Inch Diameter)
Cast on 78 stitches. You can also cast on any multiple of 2, so that you get a total width of 19 inches
Row 1: k1, *k1, p1* repeat the instructions in the * to the last stitch, k1
Repeat row 1 until the piece measures 11 inches long
Cast off
Teal Seed Stitch Pumpkin (5 inch Diameter)
Cast on 68 stitches
Row 1: k1, *p1, (k1,p1) 4 times, k1, p1* repeat the instructions in the * until the last stitch, k1
Row 2: k1, *k1, (k1, p1) 4 times, k2* repeat the instructions in the * until the last stitch, k1
Repeat rows 1 and 2 until the piece measures 9.5 inches long
Cast off
Purple Stockinette Pumpkin (4 inch Diameter)
Cast on 56 st. You can also cast on any multiple of 6, + 2 stitches, so that you get a total width of 19 inches
Row 1: k1, *p1, k8* repeat to last stitch, k1
Row 2: k1, *p8, k1* repeat to last stitch, k1
Repeat rows 1 and 2 until the piece measures 8 inches long
Cast off
Step 2: Sew Into a Tube
Sew the beginning and end of each row together to make a tube. You want to use the first and last stitch of each row as the seam. I like to use the mattress stitch for my pumpkins, but this doesn’t need to be perfect!
Step 3: Fold the tube in half and sew up the ends
Fold the tube in half with the right sides facing out. Sew up the ends of your new half tube and leave a gap for stuffing the pumpkin. The video below shows this on the orange pumpkin.
Step 4: Stuff the Pumpkin and sew the ends fully closed.
Step 5: Tie the Pumpkin into 6 sections.
For the teal and purple pumpkins, the pattern used purl stitches to leave little grooves in the stitches, like the image below. You just need to tie circles around the pumpkin in the grooves to make the perfect little ridges.
Just hide all the ends of your project inside the pumpkin when you’re done.
Step 6: Add a Stem
I added a little bundle of brown yarn (wrapped around two fingers, then secured by wrapping the other way). A cork or some cinnamon sticks would also be an awesome stem! When you tied the ridges into the pumpkin, there should be some yarns “crisscrossing” the slightly open top of the pumpkin. These yarns will hold your stem in.
Thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoy the pattern! You can view my other patterns here.
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