Pattern Hack: Turn a Holiday Ornament into a Knitted Pumpkin!

Add a whimsical touch to your fall harvest décor with these sweet, knitted pumpkins. We started with an ornament pattern from Interweave Knits Gifts 2023. Read on to learn how to hack this pattern and create your own pumpkin collection!

It Starts with a Basic Knitted Ball

Melissa Leapman’s Blizzard Balloon Ornament is a knitted ball shaped with short rows, striped with fun color combinations, and embellished with a tassel and a loop for hanging. The ornament uses chunky yarn to make a ball 4 inches in diameter. Omitting the tassel and the loop gives us a perfect starting point for our little pumpkins.

Time for a Stash Dive!

Each pumpkin takes very little yarn, so pull out those leftover partial skeins and choose colors to coordinate with your décor. A variety of yarn weights will mean a variation in the size of your pumpkins. Use needles appropriate to the yarns you choose. Gauge isn’t important for this project. Just make sure your knitted fabric is tight enough that the stuffing won’t show through.

For my trio of pumpkins, I used:

You’ll need some smooth, thin yarn (I used Knit Picks Animation) and a tapestry needle, plus a few yards of yarn for the pumpkin stem. Finally, you’ll need something to stuff your pumpkins. I had some wool roving on hand, but fiberfill or even random scraps of yarn works just fine.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Finally, use some brown yarn to make a short I-cord for the stem, and sew it in place on the top of the pumpkin.

Video Tutorial

Interweave’s digital editor, Andrea Lotz, followed my tutorial and made her own pumpkins. If you’re more of a visual learner, check out her video!

Imagine using these pumpkins to prop up place cards or putting one at each place setting as a party favor. Group them as a centerpiece on the “kid’s table”, and let the little ones choose a favorite to take home. These little pumpkins knit up fast, and they make great use of those leftover yarns in your stash.

Sandi Rosner is the technical content editor for all things yarn at Interweave. When she isn’t knitting, she usually has her nose in a book. You’ll find new technical content from Sandi nearly every week at www.interweave.com.

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