Most crochet pumpkin costumes put all the fun on the front, where the wearer can’t even see it. I wanted the opposite: a cape where the best part is the back. So this one has a big jack-o-lantern grin across the shoulders, and every house on the block gets to see it as your little trick-or-treater walks away.
The rest is deliberately simple. The cape is worked flat from the neck down in half double crochet, with eight “pumpkin segments” that fan out as you go. The hood is one plain rectangle you fold and seam, so there’s no cone shaping to keep track of. A tiny stuffed pumpkin button holds the front closed.
Want a different size? The sizing notes are at the bottom.
Confident Beginner. You should be comfortable with chaining, half double crochet, working in the back loop only, and basic seaming. Everything is worked flat, so there’s no magic ring or continuous-round counting until the tiny button.
Yarn (Worsted Weight / US 4):
Buy a little extra orange, around 500 yd, so you’re never sweating the last few rows. A soft, machine-washable acrylic is ideal for a child’s costume.
Notions:
Gauge
With the 6.0 mm hook, half double crochet: 13 sts and 10 rows = 4 in / 10 cm.
To swatch, chain 20 and work 14 rows of hdc, then measure the middle. Gauge matters more than usual here because the neckline only has 56 stitches. One stitch off per 4 inches changes the fit around the neck. Too many stitches per 4 in? Go up a hook size. Too few? Go down.
Turning chains never count as stitches in this pattern.
The cape is divided into 8 panels. On every even row you add one stitch to each panel, so the cape widens evenly and drapes into a gentle A-line shape.
The first stitch of each panel is your ridge stitch. Work it in the back loop only, and it leaves a small vertical line running down the cape, just like the ribs on a real pumpkin. Prefer a smooth cape? Ignore the markers and the BLO instructions. Everything else stays the same.
With Color A and the 6.0 mm hook, ch 58.
From here the pattern repeats. On every increase row, work 2 hdc (both in BLO) into each marked stitch, then hdc in the rest of that panel. Move the marker to the first stitch of the pair. On every plain row, hdc across, working the marked stitches in BLO.
FO and weave in the ends. A light steam (hover the iron, don’t press) helps the panels relax.
Quick check: each panel should have 19 stitches at the end. If your total isn’t 152, count the panels and see where a stitch went missing.
With Color A and the 6.0 mm hook, ch 30.
FO, leaving a 40 in / 100 cm tail for sewing.
Folding the hood:
The open side is the face opening.
Joining the Hood to the Cape
Turn the hood so the back seam is on the inside. Match the seam to the center back of the cape’s neckline, between stitch 28 and stitch 29 of the foundation chain. The hood’s bottom edge has 56 stitches (28 from each layer), which matches the 56 chains along the cape’s neck.
Pin, then whipstitch from the inside with the leftover tail, one hood stitch to one neckline chain. The hood’s face opening should end right at the top of each cape front edge.
Black Trim
Join Color B at the bottom right front corner of the cape.
The exact stitch count isn’t critical here. Adjust so the edge lies flat and doesn’t ruffle or pull.
Stem (Color C, 5.5 mm hook)
FO, stuff lightly, and sew the base to the top-back corner of the hood.
Ch 9. Sl st in the 2nd ch from hook, sc in next, hdc in next, dc in next 2, hdc in next, sc in next. Work 3 sl st in the last ch to turn the corner. Working along the other side of the chain: sc, hdc, dc in next 2, hdc, sc, sl st in the last ch. FO. Sew the rounded end to the base of the stem.
Curly Vine (Color C)
Ch 25. Work 2 sc in the 2nd ch from hook and in every ch across. (48 sc) It coils up on its own. Sew it beside the stem.
Pumpkin Button (Color A, 5.5 mm hook)
Stuff firmly.
FO and pull the tail tight to close. Add one tiny stitch of green yarn on top for a stem. Sew the button to the left front edge, level with the loop on the right.
Jack-o-Lantern Face (Color B, 5.5 mm hook)
Eyes (make 2):
Ch 7.
FO, leaving a tail for sewing.
Mouth:
Ch 19.
FO, leaving a tail.
[Image: back of the cape with the jack-o-lantern face. Alt text: “Crochet pumpkin cape back with jack-o-lantern face”]
Weave in all remaining ends and give the cape a gentle shake so the panels settle. Then put it on your little pumpkin and take the back-view photo first.
Other sizes:
Whatever size you make, the hood’s bottom edge should always equal the neckline stitch count, half from each layer.
Making it for a child under 3? Skip the stuffed button and the sewn-on face pieces. Embroider the face in black yarn instead, and use a large snap or toggle inside the front. Check that the stem, leaves, and vine are sewn on securely.
Not into pumpkins? Swap the orange for white and skip the stem, and you have a ghost cape. Swap it for green and you have a frog. The construction stays the same.
Cape curling at the hem? Your gauge is probably too tight. Go up a hook size, or block it lightly, and it will relax.
Hood feeling snug? Add 2 to 4 rows to the hood, always an even number so the fold stays centered.
Care: machine wash gently in cool water and lay flat to dry. Skip the dryer, since heat can flatten acrylic yarn.
If you make this cape, I’d love to see it. Drop a photo in the comments, or tag me if you post it. Happy hooking, and don’t let the hood scare you off. It’s just a rectangle, folded.
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