Fall for this plush pumpkin pillow—so easy to knit
The cutest pumpkin of the season is on your sofa! This plump, fuzzy pillow is knitted entirely in the knit stitch. You can easily choose colors that match your home’s ambiance.
Finished pillow measurements: diameter about 30 cm (12”), height without the stem about 19 cm (7½”), and circumference about 102 cm (40”).
Plush pumpkin pillow—supplies:
- One skein of Lankava’s Esito loop mohair yarn (70% mohair, 26% wool, 4% polyamide, 240 g = about 480 m) in shade 326 terracotta
- 7 mm circular needles (60 or 80 cm)
- stitch markers and a tapestry needle
- an inner pillow measuring 50 × 50 cm (20” × 20”)
- durable (cotton) string
- wadding and brown or green yarn
Tip!
You’ll need about 150 grams of yarn for a pumpkin the size of the sample pillow. Use any leftover yarn to make cute little pumpkins filled with wadding or even mismatched socks.
Plush pumpkin pillow—instructions:
If you use the recommended yarn or any yarn wound off a hank, wind it into two balls of roughly equal size.
1. With the yarn held double and 7 mm circular needles, cast on 100 stitches. Join to knit in the round and mark the beginning of the round with a stitch marker.
2. Knit every stitch on every round (stockinette in the round). Continue until the piece measures about 30 cm (12”) in height.
3. Place three stitch markers evenly around the piece, spacing them 25 stitches apart. Use different markers than the one marking the start of the round to avoid confusion. Begin decreasing on every round as follows: *knit 23 stitches, then knit 2 stitches together*. Repeat *–* to the end of the round. Each round reduces the stitch count by four. Continue decreasing until 68 stitches remain. Break the yarn, leaving a long tail. Thread the tail onto a tapestry needle and pull it through the remaining stitches.
4. Stuff the pumpkin with the inner pillow. It’s easiest to insert it from the bottom so the live stitches won't unravel. Shape the pumpkin so it looks symmetrical from every direction.
5. Sew around the edge of the opening using strong yarn or string, then pull it tight. Fasten off. Do the same for the top edge.
Tying the pumpkin pillow
6. Cut two pieces of durable string that are each about 200 cm (79”).
7. Fold one piece in half and place its midpoint on the center of the pillow. Tie it tightly on the bottom. Continue tying in various directions to form segments, just like a real pumpkin.
8. When the first string is in place, do the same with the second string from opposing angles. Tie the ends at the bottom and weave them inside the pillow.
Pumpkin stem
Shape a piece of polyester filling or cotton wool into a roll about 12 cm (5”) long. If you like, make one end a bit thicker. Firmly wrap green or brown yarn around the roll. You can bend it to make a curve as you wrap. Leave enough yarn at the base to sew the stem to the pillow. If you made one end thicker, that end goes against the pillow. Fasten off.
Yarn inquiries: Lankava.
