Have you seen the weird and wonderful gourds that are sold for decorating at this time of year? Gourds are fascinating – they are in the same family as squashes and pumpkins, but they are grown as ornamentals, not for eating, and they’ve developed into all sorts of unusual shapes and bright colours. And, as the fall season rolls around, I’m thrilled to finally unveil a project I started last year but took extra time to perfect: my new collection of ornamental gourd crochet patterns!

This time last year, I was inspired to design a set of decorative gourds, but I couldn’t quite nail all the shapes I was looking for, so my prototypes and notes have been sitting and waiting for Fall 2024 to be brought to life. And I’m so glad I waited – the extra time and perspective has led to some excellent new techniques for making amigurumi-style gourds with unique shapes and texture!

Meet the Gourds

The Ornamental Gourds Collection includes two sets of realistic life-sized gourds, each with three different patterns (or you can grab the complete collection for a bargain price). Most real-life gourds come in a wide variety of colours, and my photos show a couple of sample colourways for each gourd, but you can mix and match colours and styles for a near-infinite variety – just like real-life gourds!

Ornamental Gourds Set 1 includes (above, L-R) Goblin Eggs, Warty Pear and Autumn Wings gourds.

Ornamental Gourds Set 2 includes (above, L-R) Mini Bottle, Spoon and Crown of Thorns gourds.

(Side note: don’t you just love the names of these varieties? They’re just as fun as all the different shapes and colours!)

About the Patterns

The patterns within each set are arranged in order of increasing difficulty, from simpler designs that are easy and fast to work up to more complex designs that use new innovations to build in shape and texture. With just basic stitches, you’ll see the realistic bumps, ridges, and points take shape as you crochet, without leaving any holes that stuffing can peek through.

The patterns include full step-by-step illustrated appendices for both right- and left-handers that walk you through each of my special techniques. Each gourd is worked in a single piece (plus the stem) – no sewing required!

Links to Buy

You can buy each pattern set individually, or save money when you buy the whole collection!

• Ornamental Gourds Set 1 >>
• Ornamental Gourds Set 2 >>
• The complete Ornamental Gourds Collection >>

Or, if you’re not quite ready to buy, why not favourite/queue them on Ravelry so you don’t forget about them?

Ornamental Gourds Set 1:

Ornamental Gourds Set 2:

I’m really happy with this new collection. I think they look very much like real gourds at first glance, while also staying true to my signature clean style – I hope you agree! The shapes and textures of these palm-sized gourds are such fun to crochet, and I hope they’ll also bring a touch of seasonal style to your decorating this year. Now, I just have to ask: which gourd is your favourite?!