Knit a Perpetual Pumpkin

Who can resist a plump cabled pumpkin this time of year? Cables look way more impressive than warranted because they’re actually quite simple! If you’re new to cables, this free knit pumpkin pattern makes nice chunky ones, excellent for beginners.

Knit in the round and shaped with basic knitting increases and decreases, your knit pumpkin is ready to stuff with no seaming required. You’ll bring these pumpkins out every year, so the effort is well worth your crafting time.

Gauge is not important for this project, although you should use a needle two sizes smaller than what’s recommended for your yarn in order to keep fabric tight enough so stuffing won’t show through. Depending on your unique gauge and amount of stuffing, Finished pumpkin is approximately 4 inches tall and 6 inches wide with a 15 inch circumference

Materials:

80 – 100 yards worsted weight yarn
3.75 mm (US 5) needles, (dpn’s or circular for magic loop)
12 inch pipe cleaner
tapestry needle
stuffing for pumpkin (I used polyester fiberfill)

Abbreviations:

kfb = knit in front and back of stitch
ssk = slip, slip, knit (slip one stitch knitwise, then slip secon
m1R =  lift the bar between stitches from back to front with left needle, then knit into the front of the stitch.
m1L =  lift the bar between stitches from front to back with left needle, then knit through back of stitch.
c5F = put next 5 stitches on cable needle and hold to front. Knit next 5 stitches, then knit 5 stitches from cable needle.
c5B = put next 5 stitches on cable needle and hold to back. Knit next 5 stitches, then knit 5 stitches from cable needle.
 

Instructions:
Stem:

cast on 5 stitches. Starting toward the bottom of the pipe cleaner, knit an icord around it for 10 inches. Keep pipe cleaner encased within icord by holding it behind stitches on left needle and taking working yarn to the left and around the back of the pipe cleaner each time you begin a new row. Pull first stitch of each row tight to create a continuous icord that will completely cover the pipe cleaner.

continuing in icord, bringing working yarn around back of pipe cleaner with each row:

(kfb, k1) twice, kfb
knit 3 rows in icord
(kfb, k1) four times

arrange stitches on circular needle for magic loop  or on dpn’s for knitting in round
knit 3 rows (12 stitches)
kfb, k1, (kfb in next 2 stitches, k1) three times, kfb
knit two rows (20 stitches)

stuff enlarged end of stem lightly and join pumpkin colored yarn

Pumpkin:

purl one row

Increase for top of pumpkin:

(k3, p1) five times for two rows
(m1R, k3, m1L, p1) five times (30 stitches)
(k5,p1) five times
(m1R, k5, m1L, p1) five times (40 stitches)
(k7, p1) five times
(m1R, k7, m1L, p1) five times (50 stitches)
(k9, p1) five times
(m1R, k9, m1L, p1) five times (60 stitches)
(k11, p1) five times
(m1R, k11, m1L, p1) five times (70 stitches)
(k13, p1) five times
(m1R, k13, m1L, p1) five times (80 stitches)
(k15, p1) five times

Cabled sides of pumpkin:

(c5F, k5, p1) five times
(k15, p1) five times
repeat above row four more times

(k5, c5B, p1) five times
(k15, p1) five times
repeat above row nine more times

(c5F, k5, p1) five times
(k15, p1) five times
repeat above row five more times

Decrease for base of pumpkin:

(ssk, k11, k2tog, p1) five times (70 stitches)
(ssk, k9, k2tog, p1) five times (60 stitches)
(ssk, k7, k2tog, p1) five times (50 stitches)
(ssk, k5, k2tog, p1) five times (40 stitches)
(ssk, k3, k2tog, p1) five times (30 stitches)
(ssk, k1, k2tog, p1) five times (20 stitches)

stuff pumpkin

(ssk, k2tog, p1) five times (10 stitches)
break yarn and thread end through last 10 stitches with a tapestry needle. Fasten off and weave in ends.

Download Perpetual Pumpkin PDF Pattern here!

copyright, www.SimplyNotable.com, 2014

 

 

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