Easy

This little crochet pumpkin pattern goes back to 2017. I wrote it as a little side project for my crochet students. The original prototypes I made are still in my son’s toy box and every now and then when I see one kicking around, I think to myself “I must publish this pattern one day”. Yesterday, my youngest son’s 2 year old cousin came to play. He found a little pumpkin in Marco’s toy box and carried it around for most of his visit! So thank you Javier, you have inspired me!

I have two sizes here, but once you get the basic concept, you can easily make different sizes and experiment with different thicknesses of yarn and corresponding hook sizes – generally speaking, you need a smaller hook size than you’d normally use to get a tighter gauge so that your stuffing doesn’t fall out!

Pattern (US Crochet Terminology)

Materials:

• DK Yarn ( I have used Paintbox Yarns Cotton DK) – colours are Peach Orange (455) & Coffee Bean (411)
• 2.5mm Hook (my favourite hooks are Clover Amour)
• Small amount of toy stuffing (I like to use a natural product such as Kapok but you could also use cotton wool for such a small project).
• Tapestry or wool needle.

Key:

• beg – beginning
• ch – chain
• dc – double crochet
• inc – increase (2sc in one stitch)
• rem – remaining
• sc – single crochet
• st(s)– stitch(es)
• sl st – slip stitch

Size:

Approx 5cm / 2″ x 5cm / 2″ including the stalk.

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Crochet Instructions

Row 1 : Leaving a long tail (approx 12cm or 5 inches), ch13, working into the back ridges only, dc in 3^rd ch from hook; dc into each remaining ch. (12 sts)

Row 2 : ch2, turn work, without skipping any sts at the beginning of the row, dc into each st to end. (12 sts)

Note – the ch2 at the beginning of this and all subsequent rows is not counted as a stitch, nor will you ever work into it.

Repeat row 2 until it’s square (fig.1) – you can check this by folding the corner with the tail up towards its opposite side (fig.2).

Now, count how many rows you have made. Times this by 1.5 (round up where necessary). This is how many more rows you need to crochet.

e.g. my piece was square at 5 rows. So 5 x 1.5 = 7.5. Round that up to 8. Add that to the rows I’ve already made = 13 rows in total.

Once you’ve made the required number of rows, fold the strip in half so the top and bottom are lined up.
Ch1 and join with sc, going through both loops of the front and back stitches simultaneously (fig. 3).

Once you’ve finished seaming, fasten off, leaving a nice long tail for gathering the top of the pumpkin (fig. 4). Turn inside out so the crochet seam in on the inside.

Thread the tail onto a needle and sew a running stitch through the first and last stitches of the rows – here I’ve done approximately one stitch per row (fig. 5).

Now pull the thread tight, gathering the top of the pumpkin together as tightly as possible. Fasten securely and sew the tail inside the pumpkin (fig. 6).

Thread the tail at the other end and sew a running stitch along the first and last stitches of the rows, as before.
Stuff the pumpkin with Kapok or your choice of toy stuffing (fig. 7).

Pull the thread tight and fasten off securely. Weave in ends. (fig. 8)

Stalk

Row 1 : Leaving a long tail, ch7 (fig. 9), working into the back ridges, sc 2nd ch from hook; sc into each remaining ch.

Row 2 : ch1, turn work, sc into each st (fig. 10).

Join : ch1 fold work along longest side and then sl st the sides together. Because the slip stitch has a tighter gauge, it should cause your stalk to curve
(fig. 11) . Leave another long tail and fasten off.

Use these long tails to attach the stalk to the pumpkin by threading through the top gathered hole all the way through the middle to the bottom. Secure by sewing and knotting. You can even make a French knot with your needle to make the little nodule at the bottom of the pumpkin (fig. 12).

Weave in all ends.

For a slightly larger sized pumpkin

Make as above but chain 17 to start with. For the stalk, ch8.