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Continue scrolling for the free written version of the pattern at the end of this blog post
KNIT YOUR OWN DIY KNIT PUMPKIN FOR FALL
A DIY hand-knit pumpkin pattern? Heck yes. This pattern is incredibly cute and makes the most adorable centrepiece for your dining room table, perfect for Thanksgiving or to welcome in the Fall. I fell like I was late to the whole knit pumpkin thing, and I didn’t make my first one until 2023, butI have been madly in love with them since. So each year I make another and either add it to my centre piece, or I give them as gifts to friends and family. The main thing: they are so freaking CUTE!
Ps, more of a video fan? You can catch this whole pattern as a youtube tutorial here:
WATCH THE VIDEO NOW.
THE PERFECT DIY HAND KNIT PUMPKIN PATTERN
DIFFICULTY LEVEL:
This pattern is super beginner-friendly. You will need to know how to long-tail cast on. knit and purl in the round.
DESCRIPTION:
This pattern below is for an 8” (20cm) diameter pumpkin, that stands 4” (10 cm) tall. I also have tips and tricks on how to be able to make it in multiple sizes.
MATERIALS:
1 ball of Lionbrand Woolease Thick N’ Quick
Stitch marker
Tapestry/darning needle
Measuring tape
Cinnamon stick (or stick from outside for pumpkin “stem”)
GAUGE:
9 sts x 13 rows = 4 x 4 inches (10cmx10cm) in K4, P2 repeat.
ABBREVIATIONS
BOR = Beginning of Round Marker
CO = Cast On
K = Knit
P = Purl
PATTERN
On US 15/10 mm circular needles and using a long tail cast on, cast on 48 sts using the long tail cast on. Place your BOR marker and join in the round:
R1: *K4, P2.*
Repeat R1 until you have worked 8” (20cm) in length. You can now remove your marker.
Leaving a 6” (15cm) tail, cut working yarn. Using a tapestry needle, thread the live stitches and pull tightly to close the top, secure with a knot and weave in this end. We will start calling this the “top” of the pumpkin.
FILL YOUR PUMPKIN
At this point, you will want to take your polyfil and start stuffing. Continue to fill your pumpkin until it almost feels TOO full. This will help keep your pumpkin nice and plump and big! Bonus tip: after stuffing, to make it easier for your needle to make its way through your piece and fluff, create a little tunnel with your fingers in the center of the polyfill from one end to the other. this also helps equalize the stuffing around the full pumpkins circumference.
CLOSING THE BOTTOM
Cut a long tail of yarn roughly 80” (203cm) long. Using a tapestry needle weave it through your cast on stitches at the top and pull tightly to close. Secure with a knot.
CREATING THE PUMPKIN SHAPE
You will now use the remaining long tail to create the segments of the pumpkin to stand out, creating the distinct shape. Here you will be focusing on those purl sections and following them. You can watch a video on this HERE, starting at the 11:10ish mark.
Take your needle and push it from the bottom of the pumpkin through the middle, and to the top (not seen). Following one of the purl lines on the outside, wrap the yarn from top to bottom. (Seen below)
Insert your needle back through the bottom and pass through the middle (below left). Tighten to create the indent. (Below right).
Once on the top, choose another purl line to follow down to the bottom and repeat. Each time, tighten the strand to “squish” your pumpkin and create those vertical lines/ridges. Once you have finished following all of the purl lines and created 8 sections, tie a knot on the bottom to secure. Weave in your end.
THE STEM
Take your cinnamon stick and decide on how long you prefer it to be. Using glue (or even just jamming it into the middle), put it in the location of where a pumpkin stem would be. Tada, you’re done!
MAKING DIFFERENT SIZE PUMPKINS
Now that you’ve made your first pumpkin, congrats! You can now play with the pattern to be able to make different sizes. Since this pattern is in a repeat of 6 stitches, you can adjust how many you want to cast on. Note: 6 stitches creates on “section” or ridge in your pumpkin. This pumping you just made has 48 stitches. Should you want to make a bigger pumpkin, you could cast on 54 stitches and work maybe 9 inches in height. This would create 9 “wedges”. If you wanted to make a smaller pumpkin, you could cast on 42 sts (7 wedges), 36 sts (6 wedges) and so on and so forth. Adjusting the stitch count in repeats of 6, and the length you work will make it easy to play with your pumpkins size and shape.
POLICIES
This pattern is a copyright of Chantal Miyagishima of Knitatude. DIY Knit Pumpkins created using this pattern may be sold. I would love if you credited Knitatude if possible. Pattern and photos can not be used for resale purposes. Please share your work with the hashtag #DIY KnitPumpkin and #knitatudeknits to share the handmade love.
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