Halloween Knitting Patterns

Halloween knits for the mantelpiece, the window and the walk home

Halloween is one of the friendliest occasions in the knitting calendar because almost everything on the list is small. A pumpkin takes an evening, a bat takes an hour, and a garland of ghosts does not take long either. This collection splits into decorations and wearables, and a good number of the designs are free Halloween knitting patterns you can download as a PDF and print.

Decorations

Pumpkins dominate, and rightly so: knitted in stocking stitch, gathered at both ends, stuffed and then cinched with long stitches to make the ribs, they look convincing in any yarn and any size. Around them you will find ghosts, bats to hang in the window, spiders with pipe-cleaner legs, cats, witches' hats, skulls, candy corn and bunting. Many are worked flat and seamed, which suits knitters who dislike double-pointed needles. Because they are small and mostly stuffed, decorations are the ideal home for the odd ends of yarn cluttering the basket, and being knitted rather than bought they come back out of the loft every October rather than going in the bin.

Wearables and costumes

The second half of the collection is clothing: pumpkin hats for babies, spider-web jumpers, striped witch socks, colourwork mittens with skulls, and full costume pieces for children. If dressing up is the main event, the Halloween costume knitting patterns collection goes further into head-to-toe outfits. Knitted costume pieces have a real advantage over shop-bought ones: they are warm, which matters enormously for an outdoor trick-or-treat round in late October, and they survive being worn again next year.

Yarn, needles and colour

• Orange, black, purple, lime green and bone white cover almost every Halloween palette; a bright orange and a good matte black are the two to buy.
• DK on 3.5mm to 4mm for toys and decorations, knitted tighter than usual so stuffing does not show through.
• Chunky on 6mm to 7mm when the night is close and you need a pumpkin by Friday.
• Acrylic for decorations: it holds colour brightly, costs little, and does not attract moths in storage.
• Superwash wool for anything a child will wear and spill sweets on.

Techniques and tools

Most decorations need only casting on, stocking stitch, simple decreases, and drawing stitches up through the top. A few introduce intarsia or stranded colourwork for motifs such as bats and webs, which is easier on a flat piece than on a hat. You will want toy stuffing, a blunt darning needle, stitch markers, pipe cleaners or floral wire for legs and stalks, and safety eyes or black embroidery thread. Embroider the faces rather than using plastic eyes if a small child or a curious dog is in the house.

Timing your Halloween knitting

Work backwards from the 31st. Small decorations can be knitted in a weekend, so the last fortnight of October is fine. A colourwork jumper for an adult needs six weeks unless you knit fast and often. Children's costume pieces sit in between: start in early October and you will be sewing on the last button with days to spare. If you are decorating a whole room, knit in batches, making all five pumpkin bodies before you stuff any of them, which is considerably quicker than one at a time.

Storing and reusing

Knitted decorations last for years if you look after them. Store them in a lidded box with a cedar ring rather than a plastic bag, give stuffed pieces a shake and a reshape before displaying, and re-fluff pom-poms with a stiff brush. Wearables should be washed after the night out, cool and gently, and dried flat. For more knitted characters year-round, see knitted toy patterns.

Questions makers ask

Are there free Halloween knitting patterns in PDF? Yes. Filter by free to download and print charts and instructions, including simple decorations.

What is the easiest Halloween knit for a beginner? A knitted pumpkin. It is a stocking stitch rectangle, seamed, gathered and stuffed, then shaped with a few long stitches and topped with a short stalk.

Can I knit these with leftover yarn? Almost all the decorations, yes. Most use well under 50g each.

How do I make a pumpkin sit upright? Stuff firmly, put a small weight such as rice in a fabric bag at the base, and pull the gathering stitches tight at both top and bottom.