Pumpkin Amigurumi

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. 1

   Start the base

   Make a magic ring. Work 6 sc into the ring, then pull the tail to close the hole. Place a stitch marker in the last stitch. Round 2: Work 2 sc in every stitch around (12 sts). Round 3: Work 1 sc in the first stitch, 2 sc in the next. Repeat around (18 sts). Round 4: Work 1 sc in each of the first 2 stitches, 2 sc in the next. Repeat around (24 sts). The piece should look like a flat circle — this is the bottom of the pumpkin.

2. 2

   Build the body

   Rounds 5–10: Work 1 sc in every stitch around (no increases or decreases). This is 6 rounds of working even. The piece will start to curve upward and form a bowl shape. Keep moving your stitch marker to the last stitch of each round. After round 10, the piece should be about 1.5 inches deep.

3. 3

   Shape the top and stuff

   Round 11: Work 1 sc in each of the first 2 stitches, then decrease (dec) over the next 2 stitches. Repeat around (18 sts). Round 12: Work 1 sc in the first stitch, dec over the next 2 stitches. Repeat around (12 sts). Now stuff the pumpkin firmly with polyfill — use a chopstick to push stuffing into the bottom. The pumpkin should feel solid and hold its round shape. Round 13: Dec over every 2 stitches around (6 sts). Cut yarn leaving a 6-inch tail, thread onto a yarn needle, run through remaining stitches, and pull tight to close.

4. 4

   Create the pumpkin ridges

   This is the step that transforms a plain ball into a pumpkin. Thread an 18-inch length of orange yarn onto a yarn needle. Push the needle down through the very center of the top, through the stuffing, and out through the very center of the bottom. Pull snugly but not so tight that you distort the shape — you want a gentle indent, not a pinch. Bring the needle back up through the center top, rotate the pumpkin slightly, and repeat. Do this 5–6 times total, spacing the pulls evenly around the circumference. Each pull creates one ridge.

5. 5

   Make the stem and leaf

   For the stem: with brown yarn and a 3.5mm hook, make a magic ring, work 4 sc into the ring, then work 4 rounds even (4 sts each round). Fasten off leaving a tail. Stuff lightly and sew to the top center of the pumpkin. For a leaf: chain 8 in green yarn, then work 1 sc in the 2nd chain from hook, 1 hdc in the next, 1 dc in each of the next 3, 1 hdc in the next, 1 sc in the last. Fasten off and sew to the base of the stem. Curl a 6-inch piece of green yarn around a pencil, slide off, and sew to the stem for a tendril.