Description
Create a charming stuffed pumpkin using simple crochet techniques that provide a soothing crafting experience.
Ingredients
- Worsted weight (weight 4, medium) acrylic yarn, about 220 total yards from two 100 g skeins
- H-8 (5.0 mm) crochet hook
- Polyester fiberfill, about 3 to 4 ounces (85 to 115 g)
- Yarn needle with a blunt tip
- Scissors
- Stitch marker, optional
- Tape measure
- Short length of matching yarn for shaping the ribs, about 36 inches (91 cm)
- Small cinnamon stick, fabric leaf, or wooden stem, optional for decoration
Instructions
- Make a magic ring, chain 1, then work 8 half double crochet (hdc) into the ring. Pull the yarn tail gently to close the center, then join to the first hdc with a slip stitch. You have 8 stitches.
- Round 2: Chain 1, work 2 hdc in each stitch around. Join with a slip stitch for 16 stitches.
- Round 3: Chain 1, work 1 hdc in the first stitch, then 2 hdc in the next stitch. Repeat around. Join with a slip stitch. You now have 24 stitches.
- Round 4: Chain 1, work 1 hdc in each of the next 2 stitches, then 2 hdc in the next stitch. Repeat this sequence around and join with a slip stitch. Your count is 32 stitches.
- Round 5: Chain 1, work 1 hdc in each stitch around. Join with a slip stitch for 32 stitches.
- Rounds 6 through 9: Repeat Round 5 four times. Each round has 32 hdc.
- Round 10: Chain 1, work 1 hdc in each of the next 2 stitches, then decrease over the next 2 stitches. Join with a slip stitch for 24 stitches.
- Round 11: Chain 1, work 1 hdc in the first stitch, then decrease over the next 2 stitches. Join with a slip stitch for 16 stitches.
- Pause for stuffing. Add small handfuls of polyester fiberfill through the opening until the pumpkin feels rounded and springy.
- Round 12: Chain 1, decrease over the next 2 stitches around, joining with a slip stitch at the end for 8 stitches.
- Finish the top by cutting the yarn and leaving a tail about 12 inches (30 cm) long. Thread the tail onto your yarn needle and weave it through the front loops only (FLO) of the remaining 8 stitches. Pull the opening closed, then secure the yarn on the inside.
- For rib shaping, thread the second length of yarn onto your needle. Insert from the bottom center to the top center, wrap around the outside of the pumpkin, and return through the bottom. Repeat around the pumpkin to form ribs evenly.
Notes
For gifting, ensure any decorative parts are securely attached and avoid loose components if the pumpkin will be around young children.