Knitting

Free Patterns, Tutorials and Project Ideas

Knit a Patch Full of Pumpkins

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Now that it’s October, fall is really here and pumpkins are popping up everywhere. So you might as well have a knitted pumpkin  on your knitting needles too, right?

The good news is there are lots of really cute options for knit pumpkin patterns on Ravelry and elsewhere, so you can knit up a whole wooly knitted pumpkin patch in different styles and colors if you like.

Natural Suburbia has a really cute, simple and quick (though all those words could probably be used for all of these) little pumpkin that’s a whole 13 rounds long. You can probably knit it in less than an hour!

The Curly Purly Pumpkin Pattern is a great one because you can knit it with any yarn you happen to have around. Pick corresponding needles (or go down a needle size to make the fabric a little firmer for stuffing), cast on 35 and you’re ready to go.

Knit Picks’ Spice and Clove Pumpkins are available as knit or crochet patterns, and they’re kind of nice because they are more of a harvest orange rather than a Halloween orange (much like my Pumpkin Spice Knit Bowl, by the way).

Anne Mancine’s Funky Pumpkins look great in novelty yarn, but you can use whatever yarn you have on hand for these rustic beauties.

Jordana Paige made pretty felted pumpkins for Knitty, which you can stitch up in two different sizes. Another cute felted option comes from Joy Jannotti.

And Jan Lewis’ Autumn Pumpkins are a nice simple pattern worked in the round with an I-cord stem and a garter stitch leaf. Cute!

Have you ever knit a pumpkin? I’m really thinking about it now!

Looking for more Halloween Knitting patterns? Check these out on Etsy.

Specific to knitters, you can join our Knitting Patterns Only group to get, well, knitting patterns, ask questions and gain inspiration for what to knit next.

Have you read?

Book Review: Knitted Safari Friends – 20 Adorable Animals to Make

If you have a weakness for knitted animals wearing tiny clothes, Knitted Safari Friends by Sarah Keen is going to be very difficult to resist.

This colourful collection includes 20 safari and savannah animals to knit, including a lion, tiger, elephant, flamingo, hippo, crocodile, rhinoceros, zebra and giraffe.

And yes, many of them have their own little outfits.

The lion in purple overalls is probably enough to sell me on the whole book.

Cute Animals With Plenty of Personality

What I like about this collection is that the animals are clearly designed as characters rather than realistic wildlife models.

They are bright, friendly and a little quirky, which makes them particularly appealing as handmade gifts for children or animal-loving adults.

Looking at the sample pages, the hippo and flamingo patterns have a cheerful illustrated layout, with the finished animals shown in little safari scenes alongside the practical pattern information.

There is also plenty of variety in the shapes, which means you aren’t simply knitting the same basic body 20 times and changing the ears.

If knitted animals with interchangeable clothes are already your thing, have a look at our Knitted Wild Animal Friends book review. That collection includes elephants, giraffes, lions, tigers, zebras and other animals with an entire wardrobe of tiny knitted clothing.

Is Knitted Safari Friends Beginner Friendly?

The publisher describes the patterns as easy to follow, and the book includes a techniques section, abbreviations and knitting conversions to help you through the projects.

I would still put this more in the confident beginner to intermediate category rather than recommending it as someone’s very first knitting project.

Toy knitting usually involves shaping, joining pieces, stuffing and finishing neatly, and that finishing stage can sometimes take almost as long as the knitting itself.

Ask anyone who has ever had a finished knitted animal sitting in pieces on the craft table for three weeks waiting for its legs to be sewn on.

For knitters who are still learning the basics of toy making, our Knitted Amigurumi Animal Friends review is another useful option, with smaller animals and simple clothing pieces.

A Great Gift Knitting Book

These would make lovely handmade gifts for children, particularly if you matched the animal to their favourite safari creature.

You could also knit several of them together as a nursery display or create your own little safari collection.

The clothes and accessories add another level of fun, too. Once you’ve knitted an elephant, there is something wonderfully satisfying about then deciding what that elephant ought to wear.

Apparently this is where my crafting priorities are now.

My Take

I think Knitted Safari Friends is one of those books that you buy intending to make one project and then immediately start planning an entire knitted zoo.

The bright colours, cute facial expressions and tiny outfits give the animals loads of personality, while the variety of creatures should keep the knitting interesting.

Sarah Keen has been designing knitted toys for years, and that experience shows in the way these animals have been turned into characters rather than simply miniature versions of real wildlife.

If you enjoy toy knitting, handmade gifts or anything involving animals in overalls, this one is definitely worth a look.

Knitted Safari Friends: 20 Adorable Animals to Make is written by Sarah Keen and published by GMC Publications. It was released on April 21, 2026, with a listed RRP of $26.99.