I think it’s pretty clear if you know me, have read my blog before, or have even glanced in my direction, that I love fall. This is the time of year I become my truest form, I bleed pumpkin and spice.
For me, fall is nostalgia. The cool breeze against my skin, the distinct smell of a big sack of halloween candy, and the scratch of a polyester Halloween costume under a jacket your mom forced you to wear (which totally ruins the vibe of the costume!)
One of the most nastolgic parts of fall is the cozy granny square blanket always thrown over the couch! I love a granny square. So when the fall gremlins came into my dreams one night and told me I needed to combine granny squares with my obsession with pumpkins, I didn’t even question it. And the result, my granny square pumpkin, is even better than even the fall gemlins imagined.
Before you Start…
This pattern is written in US terminology. I have labeled each Round with the colors I used, but feel free to match your colors to your aesthetic/preferences!
Gather your supplies!
- 3 colors of yarn for the granny squares: The color and material do not matter, I used acrylic size 4 yarn in cream, mustard yellow, and rust orange
- Brown yarn for stem
- Green yarn for vine
- Crochet Hook (Size based on your yarn, I used a 4.25 mm and 2.5 mm hook)
- Scissors or something to cut the yarn
- Tapestry needle
- Polyfill stuffing
Know the abbreviations!
- MR: Magic Ring
- CH: Chain
- SC: Single Crochet
- SL ST: Slip Stitch
- HDC: Half Double Crochet
- INC: Increase
Let’s Get Crocheting…
African Flower Granny Motif (Make 12)
The African Flower granny square motif is a gorgeous variation on a typical granny square. If you are a visual learner, there are various tutorials on Youtube you can follow! Just note that for this project, the square must be a pentagon to create the spherical shape (dodecahedron) of the pumpkin, so you will need to adjust your motif to only include 5 petals in total if you use a video tutorial.
Round 1: Rust orange
- Make a MR
- CH 2 (will act as first DC in the cluster)
- 1 DC, CH 1
- [2 DC, CH1] x 4
- SL ST into top of CH2 from step 2
- Fasten off and cut yarn
- Pull the center of the MR closed
End Round 1 with 5 clusters of 2 DC with 1 CH in between each.
Round 2: Mustard yellow
- Attach next yarn color in a CH 1 space
- CH 2 (this will count as the first DC in your first cluster)
- In CH 1 space: 1 DC, CH 1, 2 DC
- In each of the next 4 CH 1 spaces: [DC 2, CH 1, DC 2] x 4
- SL ST into the top of the CH 2 from step 1
- Do not SL ST this round, you will proceed to Round 3 with the same color
Round 3: Mustard yellow
- [7 DC into each CH 1 space created in Round 2] x 5
- SL ST into the stitch right before your first cluster of 7 DC
- Fasten off and cut yarn
End Round 3 with 5 clusters of 7 DC. These form the petals, your piece should start looking like a flower!
Round 4: Cream
- Attach yarn in first DC of a petal cluster
- SC 7 over each of the 7 DC from Round 3
- SC into Round 3 between each DC clusters, pulling the yarn up and creating the outline of the petal
- Repeat [steps 2 and 3] x 4
- Do not SL ST this round, you will proceed to Round 5 with the same color
Round 5: Cream
- SC 3
- [SC 1, CH 1, SC 1] all into the next stitch, this will create a corner
- SC 3, HDC 1, SC 3
- [SC 1, CH 1, SC 1] all into the next stitch, this will create a corner
- Repeat [steps 3 and 4] x 3
- 3 SC, 1 HDC
- SL ST into the next stitch
- Fasten off and cut yarn
Stem
I switched to a smaller hook size (2.5 mm) to create a tight stem.
- Make a MR
- Round 1: 6 SC into MR (6)
- Round 2: 6 INC (12)
- Round 3-9: 12 SC (12)
Vine
Using the same, 2.5mm crochet hook, crochet an optional vine to add to the top of your pumpkin!
- CH 20
- Starting with second CH from hook, put 3 SC in each chain (19)
Construction
Step 1: Attach 5 pentagon to each side of a 6th African Granny pentagon. Repeat with the remaining 6 pentagons so you end up with 2 pieces that look like this.
Step 2: Sew the 5 outer pentagons together to form a bowl shape. Repeat on the second piece.
Step 3: Connect the 2 bowl-shaped pieces like a clamshell, sewing around almost the full circumference of the shape, leaving space to stuff your pumpkin.
Step 4: Stuff your pumpkin and finish sewing it closed.
Step 5: Sew the stem and vine to the top of the pumpkin.
Fini! You now have an adorable decor piece to add to a bookshelf or mantel!
Note: This pattern is free to use, and was not tested. If you have any questions throguht the process, please feel free to comment them on this post or reach out on my Instagram, @jackieem.crafts. I am happy to answer any questions/make any adjustments if there are any errors in the pattern! Thank you!
