Colorwork Pumpkin

Colorwork Pumpkin by Carol Herman

What is Being Made

The Colorwork Pumpkin is a decorative knitted pumpkin ornament or seasonal decoration designed by Carol Herman. This pattern creates a three-dimensional pumpkin approximately 5 inches in diameter and 5 inches in height, making it suitable for fall decorating during Halloween, Thanksgiving, or year-round autumn display. Crafters can make multiple pumpkins in different colors and yarn weights to create a varied seasonal collection.

Pattern Design Features

This intermediate-level knitting pattern offers creative flexibility with three different chart designs to choose from, allowing knitters to customize their pumpkins with various colorwork patterns. The pattern is presented as a downloadable PDF format for easy access and printing.

Knitting Techniques Used

The Colorwork Pumpkin pattern develops several essential knitting skills and techniques:

• Two-color colorwork – The foundation technique for creating patterned designs on the pumpkin
• Working in the round – Used to construct the three-dimensional pumpkin shape seamlessly
• Reading colorwork charts – Essential for following the three included design options
• Trapping floats – A technique for managing yarn floats in colorwork to prevent loose strands
• Picking up stitches – Used for construction details and finishing
• I-cord – Creates the decorative stem on top of the pumpkin

Stitches and Shaping

The pattern employs standard knitting increases and decreases to shape the pumpkin:

• kfb (knit front and back) – For increasing stitches during shaping
• m1 (make one) – An alternative increase method for construction
• k2tog (knit two together) – For decreasing stitches
• ssk (slip, slip, knit) – A left-leaning decrease for shaping

Yarn and Materials

The Colorwork Pumpkin is designed for fingering weight yarn (also called Super Fine), requiring approximately 200 yards each of two contrasting colors. The sample shown was created using premium superwash merino wool and merino-silk blend yarns for durability and softness.

Specific yarn examples from the pattern include:

• Madelinetosh Tosh Merino Light in Saffron (100% Superwash Merino Wool; 420 yards per 113 g)
• Alexandra's Crafts Dark Side of the Moon in Saffron Spice (80% Superwash Merino, 20% Silk; 434 yards per 100 g)

Needles and Gauge

This pattern requires US size 1 (2.25 mm) needles in two formats: double-pointed needles for working the body in the round and a 12-inch circular needle for certain sections. The working gauge is 38 stitches and 40 rounds per 4 inches, which is typical for fingering weight yarn at this needle size.

Difficulty Level

Rated as intermediate, this pattern is suitable for knitters with experience in basic techniques who are ready to develop colorwork and three-dimensional shaping skills. The combination of two-color knitting, float management, and multiple stitch techniques makes this an engaging project for advancing knitters.