Textured Crochet Pumpkins

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 One of my favorite things about crochet is all of the different textures you can create with the stitches. I have made a few different types of crocheted or other yarn pumpkins over the time I have had my blog, in fact one of my first patterns was a crocheted pumpkin. For a while now I have been wanting to combine those two things, crocheted pumpkins, and textured stitches to create some more pumpkins and I finally did it. 

I really loved how these pumpkins turned out. I just think the textures are so neat. I chose 3 different stitches to use for my samples, but the fun thing about this is that you could really use any textured stitch you want. You just want to make sure you use a pretty solid stitch since you will be stuffing it and you don't want holes for stuffing to stick out. 

Because of that this is going to be a little bit more of a tutorial than a full pattern, though I will share the pattern for each of the three pumpkins I made, but you can take the basic instructions and change up the stitch, the height, and the width, to make pumpkins of all shapes, sizes, and textures. 

The three stitches I chose to use were the moss stitch (gold pumpkin), sedge stitch (orange pumpkin), and basketweave stitch (green pumpkin).

Like I mentioned before, you can use any stitch you want that as long as it is not a really open stitch. Other stitches I considered were bobble stitch, cobble stitch, alpine stitch, lattice stitch, trinity stitch, etc. There are so many options and each one would look a little bit different. 

Basically all you need to do is crochet a rectangle swatch of whatever stitch you are using, sew up the ends to make a tube, then cinch the top and bottom together, fill it with stuffing, and add a stem. 

How to Crochet Textured Pumpkins

You will need:

• worsted weight yarn in desired color (any weight could be used but will change the finished size and hook needed)
• Orange Pumpkin made with All Things You Essential Acrylic in Pumpkin (no longer available but similar colors options would be Red Heart Super Saver in Carrot, or Vanna's Choice in Terracotta)
• Gold Pumpkin made with Red Heart Super Saver in Gold
• Green Pumpkin made with Red Heart Super Saver in Frosty Green
• G crochet hook (or size needed for yarn)
• fiberfill
• yarn needle
• cinnamon stick or small twig for stem

Instructions:

To make these pumpkins you need to make a rectangle, I made mine working back and forth along the short length, but some stitches may work better worked in the other direction and that is fine as well, you just need to end up with a rectangle in the end. 

The size of your rectangle will determine the size of your finished pumpkin, but there is also not a set size this needs to be, the long side will determine how big around your pumpkin is, the short sides will determine height (but you pumpkin will not be as tall as the short sides of your rectangle since when the top and bottom are gathered in you will lose some of that height. 

My unfinished rectangles and finished pumpkin sizes were as follows:

Orange Sedge Stitch Pumpkin

Rectangle: 12.5" x 7" 

Finished Pumpkin: 5" diameter x 4" tall

Gold Moss Stitch Pumpkin

Rectangle: 10.5" x 6" 

Finished Pumpkin: 4.5" diameter x 3" tall

Green Basketweave Pumpkin

Rectangle: 11" x 4.5" 

Finished Pumpkin: 4" diameter x 2.5" tall

Once you have your finished rectangle it is time to turn it into a pumpkin. 

Bring the two short sides together and stitch to make a tube. 

Stitch a running stitch along the bottom edge of your pumpkin and pull to cinch closed. Stitch a couple of times to hold closed and to pull the opening even tighter if needed. 

Repeat along the top edge but before pulling the yarn to cinch it closed fill with stuffing. You to not need to stuff it really tight, in fact, because of the stitches I used I stuffed it a little on the lighter side so it didn't pull the stitches to much and create gaps where you would be able to see the stuffing. 

Pull the top closed but leave a small opening so that you will be able to add a stem. 

Next, with your yarn still threaded on your needle, poke the needle down through the center and out the bottom, pull slightly to indent the top and bottom, pull the needle back up through to the top and repeat one or two more times, stitch to secure and finish off yarn. 

Stick your cinnamon stick or twig into the hole in the top. Sometimes it is easiest to do this if you first poke your finger in to push some of the stuffing to the side and make a spot for the stick. 

You can be done at this point, or if you want to add a little more to your pumpkins you can tie yarn, twine, or ribbon around the stem, add leaves, etc. 

Orange Sedge Stitch Pumpkin

ch 23 (multiple of 3 + 2)

Row 1: sc in second ch from hook, hdc in same stitch, dc in same stitch, skip next 2 ch, [(sc, hdc, dc) in next stitch, skip 2 ch] repeat to the last stitch, sc in last stitch, 

Row 2: ch 1, turn, [(sc, hdc, dc) in first stitch, skip next 2 stitches] repeat to last stitch, sc in last stitch

Row 3-30: repeat row 2

Finish your pumpkin following instructions above

Gold Moss Stitch Pumpkin

ch 26 (even number)

Row 1: sc in 4th ch from the hook, (ch 1, sk 1, sc in next stitch) repeat to the end

Row 2: ch 2, turn, sc in first ch sp, (ch 1, sk next sc, sc in ch sp) repeat to the end working your las sc in the ch sp created by turning ch

Row 3-38: repeat row 2

Finish your pumpkin following instructions above

Green Basketweave Pumpkin

ch 25 (multiple of 6 +7)

Row 1: 1 dc in 4th ch from hook, dc in each ch to the end

Row 2: ch 2 (counts as first dc), (fpdc around next 3 dc, bpdc around next 3 dc) repeat to the end ending with fpdc, dc in turning ch

Row 3: ch 2 (counts as first dc), (bpdc around next 3 dc, fpdc around next 3 dc) repeat to the end ending with bpdc, dc in turning ch

Row 4: ch 2 (counts as first dc), (bpdc around next 3 dc, fpdc around next 3 dc) repeat to the end ending with bpdc, dc in turning ch

Row 5: ch 2 (counts as first dc), (fpdc around next 3 dc, bpdc around next 3 dc) repeat to the end ending with fpdc, dc in turning ch

Row 6: ch 2 (counts as first dc), (fpdc around next 3 dc, bpdc around next 3 dc) repeat to the end ending with fpdc, dc in turning ch

Repeat rows 3-6 until you reach desired length, I did a total of  28 rows

Finish your pumpkin following instructions above