Crochet a flat pumpkin face – free pattern

Note: turn and ch 1 after each row unless stated otherwise
R1 (right side): with orange yarn ch 13, skip 1st ch, sc in 12 ch [12 st]
R2: (sc, 2sc in next, sc in next) x 4 times [16 st]
R3-4: sc in each st [16 st]
R5: (sc x 2, 2sc, sc) x 5 times [20 st]
R6-7: sc in each st [20 st]
R8: (sc x 2, sc2tog, sc) x 4 times [16 st]
R9-10: sc in each st [16 st]
R11: (sc, sc2tog, sc) x 4 times [12 st]
R12: sc in each st [12 st]. NB no turning chain at end.
R13: (sl st, hdc, dc x 2, hdc, sl st) x 2 times.
Row 13 forms the bottom of your pumpkin. Bind off.

Turn your shape upside down, still on the right side. Now work into the 12 loops along the top edge left from your first (foundation) row of single crochet.
Put your hook through the 1st loop & pull a yarn loop through. This loop acts like a slip stitch.
Now repeat row 13 above, starting with the hdc in the 2nd loop, to form the top curves of the pumpkin.

If you are not familiar with crocheting into both sides of the foundation chain, here’s a photo & video tutorial from Wool & the Gang.

To neaten the pumpkin edges, instead of fastening off now, sl st down the left side, across the bottom curves & up the right side. Fasten off at the top right corner.
Add plenty of slip stitches so your shape will flatten once blocked. I made 14-16 sl st on each side.
Along the bottom I did 2 sl st in each hdc & dc as follows: sl st, 2sl st x 4, sl st x 2, 2sl st x 4, sl st in last. Fasten off & weave in all ends.

If your pumpkin does not lie flat, soak it in water, squeeze the excess water out with a towel & lay it flat to dry. Use a few pins to secure the shape if you like. Acrylic dries quite quickly, but cotton could take a day.

Put your hook through a central sl st in the top row. Pull through a loop of green yarn and ch 7.
Skip 2 ch, hdc in next 5 ch, sl st into a central sl st on the top of the pumpkin to complete the stalk. Fasten off & weave in ends.

Your pumpkin is broken up into 7 horizontal bands (top & bottom curves with 5 straight bands in between). Using an embroidery needle with black yarn or floss, make 2 triangle eyes as follows:

At the bottom of the 3rd band down from the top, bring your needle up about 4 stitches in from the left side. Put your needle back down 2 stitches to the right to make the bottom eye line.
Next make the top point of the eye by coming up at the top of band 3 (2 rows up) above the midpoint of the bottom line. Make a diagonal line from top to bottom by putting your needle down through the bottom right of the eye.
Come back up at the bottom left of the eye and put your needle down through the top point to complete your triangle shape for the left eye. Now fill in the eye by making vertical and/or diagonal stitches from top to bottom.

Repeat for the right eye, starting 4 stitches in from the right. This leaves 4-5 stitches between the eyes.

Starting about 1.5 bands (or 3 rows) below the eyes, bring your needle up in line with the mid point of the left eye to make the top left corner of the mouth.
Put your needle down about 3 stitches to the right 1 row (or half a band) down & bring it back up another 3 stitches to the right, in line with the centre of the right eye, to make the top right corner. Put your needle back down at the centre to complete the top mouth line.

Bring your needle up 2 rows below (mid band 6). Then put your needle down at the top left mouth corner, back up at the bottom centre and down at the top right corner to complete the mouth outline.

Fill this roughly with short vertical stitches, which you could leave as is for a jagged smile. Otherwise, make a couple of long horizontal stitches across the mouth on top of these to fill it fully for a solid black smile.

You can make your pumpkin a bit more robust for hanging etc by using a fabric stiffener. I soak decorations in Beacon Stiffen Stuff if I want to make them really stiff, but I just spray with Dylon spray starch to add a bit more body and make them less floppy.