Pumpkin Pin Cushion


Little, woolly and pumpkin-shaped. Perfect as a pincushion or as an autumn decoration, it's quick and easy to make out of scraps of yarn too.

To make the pumpkin I used some Twilleys Mist DK, which is a soft and little bit fluffy wool/alpaca blend, although you could use whatever yarn you have to hand. You'll need no more than 10g, and a hook that is a bit smaller than the recommended size to ensure a tight tension (I used a 3.5mm hook for a yarn which recommended a 4mm hook). Also some scraps of green and brown yarn, no heavier than DK weight, but other than that anything will do! You'll also need a small amount of toy stuffing and a darning needle.

I've worked the pumpkin in half-trebles (htr - UK terms) to give it a bit of texture, and the decrease rounds (8,9,10) include the stitch htr2tog (half-treble two stitches together). For anyone unfamiliar with a htr, it is worked as follows: yarn round hook, insert hook into next stitch, yarn round hook, pull yarn back through stitch (3 loops on hook), yarn round hook, pull through all 3 loops on hook.

 
To work a htr2tog: Yarn round hook, insert hook in next stitch, yarn round hook, pull yarn back through stitch (3 loops on hook), yarn round hook, insert hook into next stitch, yarn round hook, pull yarn back through stitch (5 loops on hook), yarn round hook, pull through all 5 loops on the hook and continue in pattern.
 
 
When counting stitches for the pumpkin, each ch2 at the beginning of a round counts as the first htr.
 
To make the pumpkin:
1. Ch3, 7htr into 3rd chain from hook, join to top ch3 with ss. (8sts)
2. Ch2, 1htr into base ch2, 2htr in each next 7st, join to top ch2 with ss. (16sts)
3. Ch2, 2htr into next st, (1htr into next st, 2htr into next st) x 7, join to top ch2 with ss. (24sts)
4. Ch2, 1htr into next st, 2htr into next st, (1htr into each next 2st, 2htr into next st) x 7, join to top ch2 with ss. (32sts)


5, 6 and 7. Ch2, 1htr in each st around, join to top of ch2 with ss. (32sts)

 
8. Ch2, 1htr in next st, htr2tog, (1htr in each next 2sts, htr2tog) x 7, join to top ch2 with ss. (24sts)
9. Ch2, htr2tog, (1htr in next st, htr2tog) x 7, join to top ch2 with ss. (16sts)
10. Ch2, htr2tog 7 times, 1htr in next st, join to top ch2 with ss. (10sts)
  


11. Stuff pumpkin with toy stuffing.
12. dc2tog in each st around to close, fasten off leaving a long tail of yarn.

To shape the pumpkin, take the tail of yarn through the centre of the pumpkin, starting on the side you have just fastened off.

 
Take the yarn through to the opposite side of the pumpkin, pulling tight through the centre. Wrap the yarn around the outside of the pumpkin and once again thread through the centre, pulling tight as you go.



If you have a seam down one side of your pumpkin (like I do!), you can position the yarn over the seam before you pull it tight to hide it.

Continue wrapping the yarn around the outside of the pumpkin and threading through the centre, pulling tight as you go (I find it helpful to pinch the centre of the pumpkin as I do this to stop the yarn loosening) until you have sectioned the pumpkin into eight. The pumpkin might look a little flat at this point, from all the pulling and pinching, but give it a bit of a squeeze and it will be plump and pumpkin-like.

 
To make the stem, take some brown yarn and again use a smaller hook than is recommended for your yarn to give tight tension. I used a 3mm hook. Ch4, 1dc into 2nd chain from hook, ss into next 2 sts, fasten off leaving a long tail for attaching to the pumpkin.
 
To make the vine, use some green yarn (or whatever colour you fancy), I once again used a 3mm hook. Ch18, 1dc into 2nd chain from hook and into each st along the chain, the vine should start to curl as you do so, ss into the end once you reach it and leave a tail to attach to the pumpkin.
 
To attach the stalk, using the long tail and a darning needle, thread the tail through the centre of the pumpkin and pull tight, knot at the bottom centre of the pumpkin to fasten off and weave on ends.
 
To attach the vine, using the darning needle and the long tail, sew the end of the vine next to the stalk, fasten off and weave in ends.
 
 
xx
 


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