Cabled Pumpkin

Cabled Pumpkin Knitting Pattern

What Is Being Made

The Cabled Pumpkin is a decorative stuffed knit toy designed by Cassandra Bibler. This modern pumpkin pattern creates a finished piece approximately 6 inches (15 cm) tall when worked with one cable repeat. The design is versatile and customizable, allowing crafters to adjust the overall size by casting on more or fewer stitches, and to add the cable pattern one or more times around the piece to create unique variations with each project.

Techniques and Construction

This intermediate-level knitting project uses fundamental shaping and cable techniques to construct a three-dimensional pumpkin form. The pattern employs cable stitches as the primary decorative element, which are best showcased using solid or tonal yarns that will highlight the texture and dimension of the stitch work. The pumpkin is constructed as a knit piece that is then stuffed with polyfil and weighted for stability.

Stitches Used

• Knit (k) – Basic knit stitch forming the foundation of the fabric
• Purl (p) – Reverse knit stitch used for textural variation
• Cable 4 back (c4b) – Primary decorative stitch that creates the signature cabled pumpkin texture by crossing stitches over one another
• Yarn over (yo) – Stitch used to create deliberate openings or increases
• Slip knit yarn over knit (sl kyok) – Specialized stitch combining slip, knit, and yarn over techniques

Materials and Tools

Yarn: Worsted weight yarn in aran weight category, approximately 35 grams total. The sample was created using Red Heart Super Saver yarn, though any worsted weight yarn in solid or tonal colors will work well to display the cable pattern.

Needles: US 8 (5 mm) circular needles or double-pointed needles (DPNs), depending on preferred knitting method.

Notions and Finishing: Yarn needle for weaving in ends, three stitch markers (one should be unique for identification purposes), polyfil stuffing for filling the pumpkin, and decorative stem options including i-cord in a contrasting color, a cinnamon stick, cork, or a small stick from outdoors. Rocks or weighted materials from dollar stores can be used to weight the finished pumpkin for stability.

Gauge and Sizing

The pattern is worked at a specific gauge with US 8 (5 mm) needles. The finished size of approximately 6 inches (15 cm) tall applies when using the listed gauge with one cable repeat. Size will vary when using different yarns or needle sizes, making this pattern adaptable for creating pumpkins in multiple dimensions.

Pattern Difficulty

This pattern is rated as intermediate level, making it suitable for knitters with some experience beyond basic stitches. Familiarity with cable techniques and working in the round is beneficial for successfully completing this decorative project.