Pumpkin Heads

Note: There are two different patterns. One for “adult” size and one for “child” size. Depending on the object to be covered, you may need to adjust sizing on either of these patterns to meet your needs. The amount of ruching and stuffing used can also effect the size of the final object.

Supplies Needed
Orange yarn (recommended: 2 skeins Lion Brand Wool Ease Thick & Quick – Pumpkin)
Green yarn (recommended: Scraps of Lion Brand Wool Ease Thick & Quick – Olive)
Black yarn (enough to embroider jack o’ lantern face)
Circular needles or dpns (11 gauge for the recommended yarn. Use slightly smaller than the yarn company recommends so the knitting is tight.)
Stretchable lining material (recommended: fleece or jersey)
Sewing needle
Embroidery floss or thread
Polyfil

Optional
Black felt (enough to cut out jack o’ lantern face)

Pumpkin Shell
Child Size
Cast on 48, place marker to indicate beginning of round
Round 1: k
Round 2: (k4, m1) repeat to end (60)
3 & 4: k
5: (k6, m1) repeat to end (70)
6-12: k
13: (k14, m1) repeat to end (75)
14-20: k
21: (k15, m1) repeat to end (80)
22-46: k
47: (k6, k2tog) repeat to end (70)
48 (and all following even rounds): k
49: (k5, k2tog) repeat to end (60)
51: (k4, k2tog) repeat to end (50)
53: (k3, k2tog) repeat to end (40)
55: (k2, k2tog) repeat to end (30)
57: (k, k2tog) repeat to end (20)
59: k2tog, repeat to end (10)
Cut the yarn leaving a 12″ tail. Thread the tail onto a sewing needle, then cast off by slipping the stitches onto the sewing needle and cinching the hole closed. Weave in the yarn tail and clip excess.

Adult Size
Cast on 50, place marker to indicate beginning of round.
Round 1 (and all odd rounds): k
Round 2: (k5, m1) repeat to end (60)
4: (k6, m1) repeat to end (70)
6: (k7, m1) repeat to end (80)
8: (k8, m1) repeat to end (90)
Work in stockinette until piece measures 13 inches from cast on edge. Then begin decrease rounds.
Decrease round 1: (k6, k2tog) repeat to end (80)
Decrease round 2 (and all even rounds): k
3: (k5, k2tog) repeat to end (70)
5: (k4, k2tog) repeat to end (60)
7: (k3, k2tog) repeat to end (50)
9: (k2, k2tog) repeat to end (40)
11: (k, k2tog) repeat to end (30)
13: k2tog, repeat to end (20)
15: k2tog, repeat to end (10)
Cut the yarn leaving a 12″ tail. Thread the tail onto a sewing needle, then cast off by slipping the stitches onto the sewing needle and cinching the hole closed. Weave in the yarn tail and clip excess.

Pumpkin Stem
Knit a 6-stitch I-cord using the green yarn. Work 7 rows of the I-cord. On the 8th row, k1f, k1b for every stitch (12). Then cut the yarn leaving a 12″ tail. Thread the tail onto a sewing needle, then cast off by slipping the stitches onto the sewing needle. Set this aside until Step 6 of construction, below.

Construction

Step 1: Cut a piece of fleece big enough to wrap around the head of whatever the final item will be. Fold it in half to stitch the open sides closed. Optionally, you can round the top edge, but it should not matter much since any excess fabric corners will be stuffed inside the pumpkin head.

Step 2: Stitch the sides closed and trim the excess.

Step 3: Sew the center of the top of the lining to the inside center top of the knit shell. You only need one or two stitches, just enough to prevent the lining from shifting a lot.

Step 4: Using embroidery floss or thread, loosely stitch in the bottom edge of the lining to the bottom inside edge of the knit shell. Before stitching completely shut, fill the interior space with stuffing. Be careful not to stuff it so tightly that it won’t fit on its intended target.

Step 5: Ruching. Starting at the base of the Pumpkin Head, sew underneath every other stitch. Make 6 evenly spaced ruching lines this way, then pull the yarn to cinch the material to the desired effect.

Step 6: Sew the stem to the top of the pumpkin head using the remaining yarn tail from the stem knitting instructions.

Step 7: Embroider the jack o’ lantern face using black yarn. Alternatively, you can sew on felt cut outs of your own design.

Step 8: Loosely baste a length of yarn through the cast on edge of the pumpkin shell. When placing the pumpkin head on the intended object, you can use this yarn to cinch the head tightly onto the recipient.

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