I am a sucker for Halloween. I’m that person who is obsessively scouring the store aisles in August, waiting for school supplies to vanish from the shelves and Halloween decor items to take their place. I’m yearning for pumpkin spice lattes in July, practically beating down Starbucks’s door come September when they finally roll out. Once even a hint of Halloween rolls up into town I am in constant ghoulish party mode!
Sadly though, it’s still only August and fall is a ways away. People around me are telling me to cool it and let summer live out its final days. I can’t seem to find my balance with waiting out those long, hot days when my mind is constantly playing Halloween tunes and my house is already giving off the scents of cinnamon and pumpkin though. So what to do? Well, make a pumpkin pattern, of course!
The Super Soft Pumpkin. Isn’t it so cozy looking? Bernat Blanket yarns always have the best feel. They’re so fluffy and luxurious, definitely ideal for that blanket you want a little one to cuddle up with. However, I love this yarn so much that I have never been able to limit it to just blankets! I really wanted to make something that younger children could enjoy for Halloween and decided to step outside of my regular pumpkin creations using real stems (You can find that free pattern tutorial here: http://tocraftahome.com/2017/09/real-stem-pumpkins/ ). This blanket yarn called to me for the very project I had in mind. It’s the perfect size for hugging and a great companion for those cool upcoming fall days!
Materials:
-6.5mm and 4.00mm crochet hooks
–Bernat Blanket yarn in colors black, orange, and green
–Polyfil stuffing
-Embroidery needle
Pumpkin
Use 6.5mm (K) crochet hook and Bernat Blanket yarn in orange.
The top of the pumpkin will be worked first.
6 sc in a magic circle
Round 1: inc in each st around (12)
Round 2: *sc in 1st st, inc in the next st*; repeat around (18)
Round 3: *sc in 1st 2 sts, inc in the next st*; repeat around (24)
Round 4: *sc in 1st 3 sts, inc in the next st*; repeat around (30)
Round 5: *sc in 1st 4 sts, inc in the next st*; repeat around (36)
Round 6: *sc in 1st 5 sts, inc in the next st*; repeat around (42)
Round 7: *sc in 1st 6 sts, inc in the next st*; repeat around (48)
Round 8: *sc in 1st 7 sts, inc in the next st*; repeat around (54)
Rounds 9-11: sc in each st around (54)
Round 12: *sc in 1st 7 sts, dec the next 2 sts together*; repeat around (48)
Round 13: *sc in 1st 6 sts, dec the next 2 sts together*; repeat around (42)
Round 14: *sc in 1st 5 sts, dec the next 2 sts together*; repeat around (36)
Round 15: *sc in 1st 4 sts, dec the next 2 sts together*; repeat around (30)
Round 16: *sc in 1st 3 sts, dec the next 2 sts together*; repeat around (24)
Round 17: dec all around (12)
Round 18: dec until piece closes. Fasten off leaving a long tail about 48 inches long.
Pumpkin Ribbing
Step 1: Weave in the yarn at the top of your pumpkin.
Step 2: With your long tail from the bottom of the pumpkin you will feed the yarn through the bottom of the piece to the top center. Pull all the way through taking care to not break the yarn.
Step 3: Bring the yarn over the side of the piece and to the bottom. Feed the yarn back through the bottom of the piece and up through the top pulling tightly, again taking care to not break the yarn.
Step 4: Repeat step 3 four additional times spacing sections 2-3 inches from one another. You should have five ribs on the pumpkin.
Fasten off and weave in the ends.
Pumpkin Stem
Use 6.5mm (K) crochet hook and Bernat Blanket yarn in green.
6 sc in a magic circle.
Rounds 1-3: sc in each st around (6)
Round 4: inc in each st around (12)
Round 5: *sc in 1st st, inc in the next st*; repeat around (18)
Fasten off leaving a long tail for sewing.
At this point you may choose to end your pumpkin project depending on what you feel it should look like. A plain pumpkin for perhaps a Thanksgiving gift or maybe a friendly Halloween jack-o-lantern! You decide!
Eyes (make two)
Use 4.00mm crochet hook and Bernat Blanket yarn in black
Ch 4.
Row 1: In 2nd ch from hook sc across Ch 1, turn. (3)
Row 2: dec 1st 2 sts together, sc. Ch 1, turn. (2)
Row 3: dec, fasten off leaving a long tail for sewing.
Mouth
Use 4.00mm crochet hook and Bernat Blanket yarn in black
Ch 18. Fasten off leaving a long tail for sewing.
Now all that is left is to sew on your face.
Have a happy upcoming fall everyone!!!
All designs & pictures are copyrighted by To Craft A Home 2018. Pattern is for personal use only and can’t be resold, republished, or redistributed in any way. You may sell the finished project if you so desire, but please give credit and link to my website www.tocraftahome.com or my etsy www.tocraftahome.etsy.com
Find more of my patterns on Ravelry: https://www.ravelry.com/people/ToCraftAHome