Crochet Pumpkin Tutorial

For reasons I won't speak of just yet (but they are good, not bad!), I have to take a temporary break from blogging - there's a lot going on for the next couple of weeks and I'm just not sure how often I'll be able to blog.  So, I'm sharing a tutorial to keep you all busy!  Here are instructions for a pumpkin I crocheted last year - feel free to experiment with different yarn types and colors.  It is a pretty forgiving pattern, because if your pumpkin doesn't end up perfectly round, its completely OK as there are all different shapes and sizes of pumpkins.  Feel free to email me if you have any questions.  Enjoy!

Crochet Pumpkin

Materials:

1 skein Monteza Classic Elite llama/wool blend yarn in pumpkin orange (I used #3885), or similar bulky wool yarn
1 ball Crystal Palace Kid Merino yarn in brown (I used #4673), or similar mohair/wool/nylon blend yarn in complimentary color
1 skein Monteza Classic Elite llama/wool blend yarn in olive green or brown, or similar bulky wool yarn for the stem
Size H/8 crochet hook
Large eye needle
Fiberfill for stuffing
Optional: Dark green wool felt, olive green pipe cleaners, small orange button with 4 holes

This project uses only one stitch, the single crochet (sc) for the entire pumpkin, working in rounds, making it a doable project for beginners. The stem incorporates a few half-double (hdc) and double (dc) crochet stitches, but once you get the basic stitches down, the rest is a breeze. For instructions on basic crochet stitches, check out any crochet book from the library, ask a friend or relative to show you, or go to our website www.theweedpatchstore.com.  (Feel free to use this pattern for your own personal use, to make your own decorations or a gift to a friend, but you may not reproduce or create for selling.)

Instructions:

For the pumpkin (using the orange wool and brown mohair yarns together):

Foundation and Round 1: ch 2, then 6sc in 2^nd ch from hk. Place marker by placing a stray length of yarn of a different color in the last stitch you did, so you know where the round ends.

Round 2: 2 sc in ea st around (12 sts total). Move marker to last stitch (continue moving with each round)

Round 3: [1 sc, 2sc in next st] repeat around (18 sts)

Round 4: [2 sc, 2sc in next st] repeat around (24 sts)

Round 5: [3 sc, 2sc in next st] repeat around (30 sts)

Round 6: [4 sc, 2sc in next st] repeat around (36 sts)

Round 7: [5 sc, 2sc in next st] repeat around (42 sts)

Round 8: [6 sc, 2sc in next st] repeat around (48 sts)

Round 9: [7 sc, 2sc in next st] repeat around (54 sts)

Round 10: [8 sc, 2sc in next st] repeat around (60 sts)

Round 11:  [9 sc, 2sc in next st] repeat around (66 sts)

Round 12: [10 sc, 2sc in next st] repeat around (72 sts)

Round 13: [11 sc, 2sc in next st] repeat around (78 sts)

Rounds 14 – 27: sc in each st around (78 sts each time)

Round 28: [12 sc, skip next st] repeat around (72 sts)

Round 29: [11 sc, skip next st] repeat around (66 sts)

Round 30: [10 sc, skip next st] repeat around (60 sts)

At this point, stuff the pumpkin with fiberfill (not too stuffed!), and continue adding bits of stuffing as you complete the closing rounds.

Round 31: [9 sc, skip next st] repeat around (54 sts)

Round 32: [8 sc, skip next st] repeat around (48 sts)

Round 33: [7 sc, skip next st] repeat around (42 sts)

Round 34: [6 sc, skip next st] repeat around (36 sts)

Round 35: [5 sc, skip next st] repeat around (30 sts)

Round 36: [4 sc, skip next st] repeat around (24 sts)

Round 37: [3 sc, skip next st] repeat around (18 sts)

Round 38: [2 sc, skip next st] repeat around (12 sts)

Round 39: [1 sc, skip next st] repeat around (6 sts)

Round 40: [1 sc, skip next st] repeat around (3 sts)

Finishing: make one more sc in middle st to close the opening, clip yarn and weave in the tail.

For the stem (using the green or brown wool yarn):

Foundation and Round 1: ch 3 (counts as 1^st hdc), 11 hdc in 3^rd ch from hk (12 sts total, incl. ch 3)

Round 2: sc in each st around (12 sts)

Repeat round until the stem reaches desired length, approx 2 – 3”.

Next round: ch 4 (counts as first dc), 2 dc in each sc around (24 sts total, incl. ch 4)

Last round: 1 sl st, 1 sc, ch 5, 1 sc in 3^rd ch from hk, 1 hdc in next ch, 1 dc in next ch, sl st in next 2 sc (one pointy stem base made). Repeat around, completing 6 evenly spaced pointy stem base pieces, or alter as desired. Stuff stem with fiberfill.

Putting it all together:

Using a very long length of orange yarn, make three even wraps around the entire pumpkin to create the pumpkin-like grooves, threading through an orange button on the bottom if needed to keep secure. Pull yarn fairly tight so that nice deep grooves are created, and so that the yarn doesn’t slide. Using a length of the green yarn and the large eye needle, whip stitch the stem to the top of the pumpkin. 

Tips:

• If      desired, cut leaf shapes from dark green wool and stitch near the base of      the stem.
• Create      tendrils by wrapping olive green pipe cleaners around a pencil and tucking      into the base of the stem.
• Make      your stitches tight so that the stuffing doesn’t show through.
• To      make a smaller pumpkin, use a lighter weight yarn and a smaller crochet      hook.

Comments

[Linda L Lanese]

Come check out your article :)

Linda
http://felting.craftgossip.com/2007/10/01/crochet-pumpkin-tutorial/

[BeCrafty]

Might give this a try!