Canela Pumpkins · Free Knitted Pumpkin Pattern

Bring a touch of handmade autumn warmth to your home with the Canela Pumpkins! Suitable for confident beginners who want to explore fair isle knitting on a small scale, these soft, squishy knitted pumpkins feature cozy stripes and beautiful Fair Isle textures. This Free knitted pumpkin pattern is worked in the round with the yarn held double, these plump little beauties knit up quickly. They make the perfect fall decoration for mantels, tables, or gift baskets.

Whether you are dressing up your space for autumn or gifting a handmade piece of hygge, these pumpkins are as delightful to make as they are to display.

Construction: All pumpkins are worked in the round with the yarn held double. Each design begins and ends with one plain round in C1, followed by its specific colorwork sequence. Every pumpkin is shaped by cinching the top and bottom after binding off.

Materials & Tools
Needles	6.5 mm circular needles (16” or 32” in length), or DPNs.
Yarn Options	Yarn 1 (C1): Fluffy Day by Hobbii in Rust, Colour 18 Yarn 2 (C2): Jade by Hobbii in Ecru, Colour 1
Alternatives	Stylecraft Special Aran (holds up well, good gauge match); Yarn and Colors Amazing (100% recycled acrylic: same weight-ish, nice texture and sustainable).
Notions & Gauge	Yarn needle, polyester fibrefill for stuffing. Gauge is not important for this pattern. Just ensure stitches are tight enough so the stuffing won’t peek through.

Skills & Abbreviations
CO	Cast on
BO	Bind off
K	Knit
Rnd	Round
St(s)	Stitch(es)
Rep	Repeat
C1	Color 1 (Rust)
C2	Color 2 (Ecru)

Fair Isle Basics

Carry floats loosely: When switching colors, drape the unused yarn loosely across the back to maintain stretch.
Catch long floats: If a single color spans over 5 stitches, twist the two yarns together gently at the midpoint to catch the float.
Color dominance: Hold the color you want to stand out (usually the darker C1) below the other yarn as you knit.
Even tension: Keep both yarns feeding from the same direction every round.
Block your work: Steam-block your work lightly before sewing to beautifully even out the color transitions.

Pro Knitter’s Tips

Before beginning, test your color combination on a small swatch. The texture and tone may shift playfully when the yarn is held double.
Want extra luxury? Try knitting with one strand of mohair and one strand of Fluffy Day for an ultra-soft, halo effect.

HOW TO JOIN YOUR YARN INVISIBLY IN THE ROUND

This pattern requites you to join invisibly in the round by adding one extra stitch. Check out the video below for a great tutorial.

Canela Pumpkins · Free Knitted Pumpkin Pattern

General Setup for All Designs:

Using C1 held double, CO your desired number of stitches in the mutliple specified, leaving a 45 cm tail for sewing.Tech Ed Note on Sizing: To make all four designs the same size, you need a cast-on number that works with every pattern’s stitch repeats. We highly recommend casting on 30 stitches for a cute mini pumpkin, or 60 stitches for a medium-sized pumpkin!
Join to work in the round, being careful not to twist your stitches.
Optional Invisible Join: Cast on 1 extra stitch. Move this extra stitch onto the left needle, then knit the first and the last stitches together.
Work the specific colorwork charts or written patterns below for the number of rounds stated.
End with one final plain round in C1, then BO loosely, leaving another 45 cm tail for assembly.

Canela Pumpkins · Free Knitted Pumpkin Pattern

1. Fair Isle V Pumpkin

Rounds: 20 total
Stitch Multiple: Multiple of 3 sts.

Cast on any multiple of three stitches (plus one stitch for the invisible join in the round) according to the pumpkin size you want.

Rnd 1: Knit all stitches in C1.
Rnd 2: *K1 C1, K1 C2; repeat from * to end of round.
Rnd 3: Knit all stitches in C1.
Rnd 4: *K1 C2, K1 C1; repeat from * to end of round.
Rnds 5–19: Repeat Rnds 1–4 sequentially.
Rnd 20: Knit all stitches in C1.
BO loosely.

2. White Striped Pumpkin

Rounds: 19 total
Stitch Multiple: Multiple of 3 sts (Pattern repeat: K1 C1, K2 C2)
Rnd 1: Knit all stitches in C1.
Rnds 2–18: *K1 C1, K2 C2; repeat from * to end of round.
Rnd 19: Knit all stitches in C1.
BO loosely.

4. Thick Striped Pumpkin

Rounds: 19 total
Stitch Multiple: Multiple of 10 sts (Pattern repeat: K5 C1, K5 C2)
Rnd 1: Knit all stitches in C1.
Rnds 2–18: *K5 C1, K5 C2; repeat from * to end of round.
Rnd 19: Knit all stitches in C1.
BO loosely.

Sewing Up & Assembly

Cinch the Top and Bottom

Thread the long CO tail onto your yarn needle.
Weave the needle in and out around the cast-on edge. Pull tight to cinch the bottom completely closed, and secure it firmly with a knot.
Stuff the pumpkin generously with polyester fibrefill. Adjust the amount of stuffing depending on how plump you want your pumpkin to look!
Repeat the weaving process on the BO edge using the other yarn tail, pulling it tight to close the top.

Create the Classic Pumpkin Shape

Using a fresh, long strand of C1, thread your needle from the top center directly down through the center of the pumpkin to the bottom.
Bring the yarn up around the outside of the pumpkin, and pull gently to create a vertical indentation (a pumpkin ridge).
Go back through the center from top to bottom. Repeat this process several times around the sphere to create defined, plump sections.
Secure firmly at the bottom, knot your yarn, and weave in all ends securely.

Stem Options

Stem Version 1: Single Color (Flat Ribbing)

Using C2 held double:

CO 12 stitches.
Work in K1, P1 rib for 4 rows, ending with a knit row.
BO all stitches.
Roll the finished piece into a tight tube, sew the side seam together, and securely attach it to the top center of your pumpkin.

Stem Version 2: Two-Color Garter Ribbon

Hold 2 strands of C1 and 2 strands of C2 together (4 strands total):

CO 3 stitches.
Knit 7 rows plain (Garter stitch).
BO all stitches.
Roll the strip tightly, stitch the base closed, and sew it to the top of your pumpkin.

Copyright

© Emmaknitty, 2025. You are welcome to sell physical items made from this pattern; just give design credit to Emmaknitty. Please do not copy, redistribute, or share the text of this pattern itself; instead, direct others to the original blog source so they can support the maker too. Thank you for helping keep creative work alive!

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