Learn how to knit this easy basketweave stitch to knit your own knit pumpkin patch! Uses only simple knit and purl stitches.

Design Story and Inspiration for this Knitted Pumpkin

I love fall. Like many people, it’s my favorite time of year. I love the way the air gets a crispness to it, the changing of the leaves, all things Halloween, the fall decor and the football games. Most of all, it always inspires me to get out my yarn and needles.

This year I decided to knit some pumpkins – something I’ve never tried before! I have created pumpkin patterns for a mini weaving loom and I have a crochet pumpkin pattern on the blog, but I had never knit one or tried a loom knit pumpkin, so I decided to break out the needles and get to work on these beauties.

Yarn Options for Knit Pumpkins

I used a worsted weight yarn for this pattern, but you can really make these with any weight yarn you like. The yarn shown is Premier Just Yarn, which can be found at the Dollar Tree.

I’ve been enjoying playing around with this yarn. It really is a good value for a dollar! You can read more about Dollar Tree yarn here.

Don’t feel like you have to stick to just worsted yarn, though. You can easily use chunky yarn or even super bulky yarn, just be sure to adjust knitting needle size accordingly. I would check the yarn label for the recommended needle size and then go down one for tighter stitches. (You don’t want the stuffing showing!)

Also, don’t feel like you have to use orange yarn. You can really make these pumpkins in any colors you like. I chose a combo of orange and yellow, but these are definitely not the only colors you can use!

This is a wonderful use of scrap yarn, so go find those odds and ends and get knitting!

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Knit Pumpkin Pattern Details

This yarn pumpkin pattern is worked in the round. I used one long circular needle with the magic loop method, but a set of double pointed needles or even two circular needles would work just as well.

Once the body of the little pumpkin is knit, you stuff it and cinch the ends to make a pumpkin shape. The process is much like making a hat, but you will close both ends instead of just one.

For the stem, you can choose to use a cinnamon stick (which is what I used for these pumpkins) or you can use a rustic branch cut into small pieces. I chose to go with the rustic look on these and had my husband find me some pumpkin stems made from branches.

How to Customize this Pumpkin Knitting Pattern

If you don’t want the shorter pumpkins as seen here, simply increase the number of times you work the pattern repeat. The rest of the instructions will be the same.

I liked this shape of pumpkin because it reminds me of the little orange pumpkins you can find at the store, which I always loved as a kid. They are short and wide and that’s what I wanted these to be like.

You can easily adjust the yarn size as mentioned above, too.

More Free Pumpkin Patterns

Get the Ad-Free PDF

This pattern is completely free and can be viewed in its entirety below. However, many readers have requested ad-free PDF’s of my patterns so I provide an inexpensive option for these.

If you like to crochet on the go or just prefer paper, you can print this PDF and take it with you anywhere.

The PDF for this pattern includes instructions for all three sizes of pumpkin. The medium pumpkin pattern is here free, but the small pumpkin and large pumpkin are only available as a bonus in the PDF.

Click here to purchase the ad-free PDF with all three sizes of pumpkins.

Basketweave Knit Pumpkin (Medium)

What You’ll Need

Yarn: Worsted weight yarn of your choice (Yarn used is Premier Just Yarn from the Dollar Tree)

Knitting Needles: US Size 7 (4.5mm)

Notions: Yarn needle/tapestry needle, scissors, polyester fiberfill for stuffing, stem

Gauge: Not crucial for this pattern

Finished Size: Approximately 3 (3.75, 4.5) inches at widest point

Stitch Abbreviations

Knit Stitch (k)

Purl Stitch (p)

Basketweave Knit Pumpkin Pattern (Medium)

Cast on 66 sts, leaving a long tail (8-10 inches).

Round 1: *K1, p1; repeat from * to end.

Round 2: K2, *k1, p3; repeat from * to end.

Round 3: P2, *k1, p3; repeat from * to end.

Round 4: *K1, p1; repeat from * to end.

Round 5: *K1, p3; repeat from * to last 2 sts, k1, p1.

Round 6: Repeat round 5.

Rounds 7-18: Repeat rounds 1-6.

Finishing

Cut yarn, leaving a long tail for sewing and making sections. (At least 18″ long). Use the tapestry needle to take the stitches off the needles.

Take needle off and use the yarn tail from the beginning of the pumpkin to close the bottum. Weave the tail in and out of the cast on and pull tightly to close.

Sew the bottom hole closed.

Stuff with fiberfill.

Thread needle back on yarn tail from the last rnd and pull tightly to close. Sew the top hole closed. Use the long yarn tail to make sections in the pumpkin by wrapping the yarn around the side and through the middle of the pumpkin.

Weave in ends.

Use a bit of super glue to attach stem. If desired, use twine to create curls near the stem.

That’s it! Admire your finished pumpkin.

I hope you’ve enjoyed this free pattern as much as I enjoyed making this Dollar Tree craft!

Click here to see 25 more free fall knitting patterns!

Happy Knitting!
Amanda