Loop Yarn Pumpkins

A while ago I picked up some loop yarn from Michaels for my girls to try. My 7 year old wanted to make something with yarn and I figured that would be a good project to start with. She loved it and made a couple of things for her dolls, but I still had some left over and wanted to find something I could make with it.

I thought it would be perfect for some easy little faux knit pumpkins. They are small enough to be a super quick project to make and the loop yarn makes it easy, no crochet hooks or knitting needles required!

The yarn I used was Loops & Threads Loops yarn from Micheals. I found it on clearance so it may be hard to find, but there are several brands/types of loop yarn out there and any of them will work. For example Red Heart has Loop-It, Lion Brand has Off the Hook, Bernat Alize Blanket EZ, JoAnn's store brand Big Twist has one, etc. A lot of them have a soft chenille type texture, although the one I used had more of a woven texture, but any of them will work and give you a similar look.

Another thing to keep in mind is, although a lot of brands have versions of this yarn the colors are somewhat limited. Lion Brand has a Crayola version that is bright orange if you want a real pumpkin color, otherwise you will probably end up with less traditional colors. I chose this golden-yellow ombre color way because I thought it looked fall-ish, even if it wasn't the most traditional color. It was definitely more fall colored than the purple and aqua version I also have in my stash.

All you need to make these little finger knit loop yarn pumpkins is a ball of loopy yarn, a little bit of stuffing, and a stick. Oh, and you will need scissors to cut the yarn, but that is it, no crochet hooks or knitting needles.

How to Make a Loop Yarn Pumpkin

You will need:

• 1 ball of loop yarn (1 ball will make several pumpkins)
• fiberfill
• stick
• scissors

Instructions: 

I made two different sizes of pumpkins, both are made exactly the same way the only difference being the number of loops you start with and the number of rounds you work. You can change the size of your pumpkins in the way to make them any size you want. 

First take the end of your loop yarn and clip the strings at the center of the first 3 loops. This will give you a straighter piece of yarn to weave around at the end.

Next count out the number of loops you want to use around to make your pumpkin, 12 for the small pumpkin, 18 for the larger.

Take the next loop and put it into the first loop (the 13th loop into the 1st loop if making the smaller size) and pull it through. This gives you a circle, you will be making a tube.

Put the next loop into the 2nd loop (loop 14 in loop 2), continue around until you have pulled a loop through each of the beginning loops, this is the end of the first round.

Work the next round in the same way, insert your next loop into the first loop of the last round, continue until that round is completed. 

Work as many rounds as you want to to make your pumpkin as tall as you want. Remember that it will be cinched in at the top and bottom so you want your tube to be taller than the finished pumpkin. I did 8 rounds for the smaller pumpkin, 10 rounds for the taller pumpkin. 

Once you have reached the desired height you are ready to finish off the tube, cut the yarn 3 loops past the end and clip between the loops to make a straight yarn just like at the beginning. 

Finish the edge by inserting the 2nd loop into the 1st loop, then put the 3rd loop into the 2nd loop, the 4th into the 3rd, continuing until you have only one loop left, thread the tail through the last loop.

Pull the beginning tail through the bottom of the pumpkin, weaving it in and out around the loops. Pull to cinch closed. Pull the tail into the center and knot to secure. 

Weave the top tail around the top edge in the same way. Add stuffing to the pumpkin, then when it is stuffed enough cinch to close leaving a finger size opening in the top. 

Push the tail to the bottom of the pumpkin and pull out, the cross over a few stitches and push back up to the top pulling to pull the top and bottom each slightly toward the center. Knot the top and tuck the tail into the center of the pumpkin.

Push a stick into the center of the pumpkin, you can glue in place if you want but I just stick it in and it stays pretty well.