Like in the nature, every knitted pumpkin is an original too. So your yarn choice or gauge does not matter. You just need the right needle size for your yarn. Then, it is just knitting and feeling good.

Knitted Pumpkins are a great project for your yarn stash. They doesn’t nead to be orange – white, black, grey or purple are great colors too.

What you need

• Yarn (I used a half ball of Stone Washed XL for small pumpkins. You can combine yarns and knit interesting combinations not only of colors but stitches too).
• Needles –  right needle siye for the yarn of your choice (I used 6 mm for Stone Washed XL, Katia Maxi Merino and for double held Katia Basic Merino)
• Needle
• Stuffing

Directions

First, you choose, how many „ridges“ should your pumpkin have (I knitted 6 and 8 ridges). Then, cast on 6 or 8 stitches (if you choose more ridges, cast on the same number of stitches as you wish to have ridges. It should be an even number).

Pumpkins are knit in the round, I like to use magic loop method. You will kfb the cast on stitches until you reach the desired width of your pumpkin. TIP: The pumpkin will grow as you stuff it.

How to add stitches?

I use my favorite method of adding stitches – knit front and back (kfb).

HINT: I recommend to use stitch markers especially for beginners. It is fine to use for average knitter too, so you can chat or watch TV and knitt in the same time :). I place the marker right befor the stitch I will kfb.

1. kfb all 6 – 8 – 10 – 12 stitches in the round (you have 12 – 16 – 20 – 24 stitches)
2. kfb, k1 (18 – 24 – 30 – 36)
3. kfb, k2 (24 – 32  – 40 – 48)
4. kfb, k3
5. kfb, k4

and so on… I think, it is pretty clear now.

My small pumpkins have 4 knit stitches between the kfb’s (kfb, k4) before knitting without adding stitches. 

After you reach your desired width of your pumpkin, knit without adding stitches until:

1. „intuitive“ method – pull the cable to form a sphere, if you think, it is high enough, start decreasing. See the picture below.
2. „exact“ method – the ratio between width/diameter and the hight of the pumkin is 1 : 1,2 (my green pumpkin has 12 cm in diameter and I knitted 14,5 cm before decreasing – see pictures). If your pumpkin should be more flat, start decreasing sooner.

After you reach the desired lenght, start decreasing. Again, I recommend to use stitch markers. Decreasing works in the reverse order from increasing :

1. k2tog, k4 (if you had 4 stitches between kfb’s. If you had five, then k2tog, k4; if you had six, then k2tog, k5; and so on)
2. k2tog, k3
3. k2tog, k2
4. k2tog, k1
5. k2tog

Don’t forget to stuff your pumpkin, as the opening gets tighter. Do not overstuff.

Decrease until you have 6 – 8 -10 – 12 stitches. Cut a looooong tail (sorry I did not measure) and pull the remaining stitches tight.

Forming Ridges

Stem

Cast on 6 stitches, knit in the round until you reach the desired lenght, cut a longer tail, taighten the stitches, draw the yarn through the stem and stitch the stem onto your pumpkin. Do not fill the stem – only if you like it better that way :).

I hope, the pattern is clear now. You can play with colors, use diferent stitches – garter stitch, purl side of the stockinette stitch or omit the needle forming and indicate the ridges with a knit stitch in reverse stockinette or knit some cables!