Crochet Pumpkin Pillow Pattern | Pumpkin Throw Pillow

This crochet pumpkin pillow pattern is for when you want a pumpkin that can sit on your couch or bed just like another throw pillow! It’s a little bit flat (only about 4 inches thick), but perfectly round of course! An adorable addition to your holiday home decor!

Why I Chose This Shape for This Pumpkin Pillow

As I was looking around at existing crochet pumpkin patterns, I realized that the majority of them were round like a ball. Which makes sense, of course, because they’re pumpkins! However, I kind of wanted one that could also function like a throw pillow and sit on it’s side with the stem facing outward. That way it could nestle in against a group of other pillows on a couch or bed. (by the way, if you also like the checkered lumbar pillow in the background of the above photo, you can find the checkered pillow pattern HERE.)

My goal was to design a pumpkin with the same shape as a traditional round throw pillow. The addition of the small stem and leaf definitely gave it a “pumpkiny” feel, as opposed to just looking like an orange pillow. The single strand of orange yarn wrapped around in sections to create the pumpkin creases helped as well.

I couldn’t find any round pillow forms, so I decided to just crochet two panels that would be roughly the size of a circular throw pillow. I stitched the sides together and stuffed the cover with polyfil. More on polyfil next…

How to make sure your polyfil stuffing doesn’t show through your stitches

One of the challenges of crochet pillows is that since crochet naturally has some gaps (especially if you’re using taller stitches in your pattern), then sometimes the pillow form or filling can show through the pillow cover. One way I have addressed this in the past is to put fabric that matches the color of your crocheted cover between the cover and the filling. However, the downside of this is matching colors and having one more thing to buy.

This time around I decided to address the challenge by using the linked double crochet stitch. The linked double crochet is unique in that the stitching is connected at the center of the stitch, as well as at the top. This creates a more solid fabric with less noticeable gaps.

You can find a full tutorial on the linked double crochet stitch HERE.

However, even with this special stitch, it is still possible to see your stuffing through your stitches if you fill your pillow too tight. Be sure to fill your pillow until it feels solid, taking care to position it evenly and remove lumps. But if you begin to see your filling through your stitches, you are filling too tight!

The Pattern

If you would like to purchase an inexpensive, ad-free printable pdf version of this crochet pumpkin pillow pattern, you can find it here at my Etsy shop.

Add this crochet pumpkin pillow pattern to your Ravelry favorites HERE.

Materials:

• Caron Simply Soft weight 4 medium (100% acrylic, 6oz/170.1g, 315yds/288m) 1 skein Persimmon
• Loops & Threads Impeccable weigh 4 medium (100% acrylic, 4.5oz/127.5g, 285yd/260m) 16 yards used Sphagnum
• US I/ 5.5 mm Crochet Hook
• 6.5 oz polyfil
• Yarn Needle
• Stitch Marker
• Scissors

Gauge:

After round 3, work is 3” across

Finished Size:

11” wide x 4” thick

Abbreviation Key:

(ch) chain
(sl st) slip stitch
(sc) single crochet
(sc blo) single crochet back loop only
(hdc) half double crochet
(dc) double crochet
(tr) treble crochet
Special Stitch: (ldc) Linked Double Crochet
** Repeat instructions between asterisks as many times as directed

How to Crochet the Linked Double Crochet (ldc)

Insert hook through the horizontal bar of the previous stitch (or through a loop of starting chain at the beginning of a row). Yo and pull through. You now have 2 loops on your hook. Insert hook into the next stitch. Yo and pull through. You now have 3 loops on your hook. Yo and pull through 2. You have 2 loops on your hook Yo and pull through both loops. (For more detailed instructions and a video tutorial, see my Linked Double Crochet page)

Pattern Notes:

Beginning chain of each round does not count as a stitch.

I tend to crochet tightly. So be sure to check your gauge and if you are crocheting more loosely you can move to a smaller hook (or larger if you crochet even more tightly). Some people find they even need to go down two hook sizes to meet my gauge.

For the increases on the rounds for the pumpkin body, the increases are not always distributed in an expected position. Sometimes I instruct to add an uneven number of stitches before the first increase (resulting in an odd number of stitches at the end of the round as well). This is to keep the increases from landing right next to each other from one round to the next, which can create a noticeable line. The numbers may feel “random” if you don’t know why it’s being done.

Pattern:

Ch 4. Join with sl st to the first ch to create a circle.

Round 1: Ch 2. 12 ldc in circle. Mark last st with st marker but do not join. You will crochet in a continuous spiral without joining for each round. <12>

Round 2: 2 ldc in each st around. <24>

Round 3: *2 ldc in next st. 1 ldc in next st.* Repeat from * to * around. <36>

Note: After round 3, your work should be 3” across.

Round 4: 1 ldc in next st. 2 ldc in next st. *1 ldc in each of next 2 sts. 2 ldc in next st.* Repeat from * to * to last st 1 ldc in last st. <48>

Round 5: *1 ldc in each of next 3 st. 2 ldc in next st.* Repeat from * to * around. <60>

Round 6: 1 ldc in each of next 2 sts. 2 ldc in next st. *1 ldc in each of next 4 sts. 2 ldc in next st.* Repeat from * to * to last 2 sts 1 ldc in each of last 2 sts. <72>

Round 7: *2 ldc in next st. 1 ldc in each of next 5 sts. Repeat from * to * around. <84>

Round 8: 1 ldc in each of next 3 sts. 2 ldc in next st. *1 ldc in each of next 6 sts. 2 ldc in next st.* Repeat from * to * to last 3 sts 1 ldc in each of last 3 sts. <96>

Round 9: *2 ldc in next st. 1 ldc in each of next 7 sts.* Repeat from * to * around. <108>

Round 10: 1 ldc in each of next 4 sts. 2 ldc in next st. *1 ldc in each of next 8 sts. 2 ldc in next st.* Repeat from * to * to last 4 sts 1 ldc in each of last 4 sts. <120>

Round 11: *2 ldc in next st. 1 ldc in each of next 9 sts.* Repeat from * to * around. <132>

Round 12: 1 ldc in each of next 5 sts. 2 ldc in next st. *1 ldc in each of next 10 sts. 2 ldc in next st.* Repeat from * to * to last 5 sts 1 ldc in each of last 5 sts. <144>

Note: For these last few rounds the number of stitches between increases will increase slightly for each row. This is to create a small curve at the edges of the pumpkin where the two sides will meet. This may create a little bit of waving in the fabric and that is ok.

Round 13: *2 ldc in next st. 1 ldc in each of next 9 sts.* Repeat from * to * around. 1 ldc in each of last 3 sts. <159>

Round 14: *1 ldc in each of next 8 sts. 2 ldc in next st.* Repeat from * to * around. 1 ldc in each of last 6 sts. <176>

To finish this side, 1 hdc in next st. Sc in next st. Sl st in next st. Finish off and weave in ends.

Repeat instructions for a second side of the pumpkin. When the second side is complete, do not finish off. You will continue with the stitching to stitch the sides together.

Putting the sides together:

Place the two sides together, right sides out. Sc both sides together, inserting hook through both loops of the final rounds of both sides.

Stop stitching about 5” from where you started, so that you leave a gap. Use the gap to stuff your pumpkin with polyfil. Adjust it as best you can so that it is even without any big lumps or looking lopsided. It should be enough to stretch it out into a good shape, but does not have to be tight. Finish stitching together the last 5” and finish off. Weave in your ends.

Cut a piece of orange yarn approximately 85” long. Attach a yarn needle to one end. Secure the other end with a knot to a loop of a stitch in round 1 of either side. Leave a tail of 5-6” on this knot. Wrap the yarn needle around the pumpkin from front to back and bring it up through the center of the pumpkin. Pull tight to create a small indent and tie to the 6” tail to secure. Repeat this method 5 more times in equal spacing around the pumpkin to create the pumpkin “lines.” Tie a final knot to secure and weave in your ends.

Making the Stem & Curly Cue:

Round 1: Ch 2. 6 sc in the 2nd ch from hook. Join with a sl st to first sc. <6>

Round 2: Ch 1. 2 sc in each st around. Join with a sl st to first sc. <12>

Round 3: Ch 1. Sc blo in each st around. Join with a sl st to first sc. <12>

Rounds 4 – 6: Ch 1. Sc in each st around. Join with a sl st to first sc. <12>
Ch 25. 2 sc in 2nd ch from hook and in each ch across. <48> Sl st to the next st on the stem. Finish off, leaving a long tail to sew stem onto the pumpkin.

Add a small amount of stuffing to the inside of the stem to make it firm.

Making the Leaf:

Ch 15. Sc in the 2nd ch from hook and in each ch across. <14>

Ch 1. Turn. Sl st, sc, hdc, hdc, dc, dc, tr, tr, dc, dc, hdc, sc, sl st, sl st. Ch 1. Crochet down the other side of the starting chain: sl st, sl st, sc, hdc, dc, dc, tr, tr, dc, dc, hdc, hdc, sc, sl st.

Finish off and weave in ends.

Sew the Stem & Leaves to the Pumpkin:

Place the leaf so that the straight end is at the center of the pumpkin. Center the stem on top of it, with curly cue in position you like. Use the long tail from the stem and a yarn needle to sew the stem and leaf onto the pumpkin. Be careful to keep the stem centered and go through one loop of stem and one loop of the pumpkin directly below the stem. Repeat around the entire stem, stitching through the leaf as well when you reach it. Finish off and weave in ends.