Acorn Knitting Pattern

Learn how to easily knit an acorn! These cute softies are a great yarn buster and perfect for your autumn harvest Thanksgiving décor. They are knitted up in two parts: a nut and a cap.

Enjoy free knitting instructions with my video tutorial with a detailed overview of how you can knit acorns in different yarn color combinations.

Two knitted acorn softies in brown, yellow, and beige yarn colors on a white background.
Table of Contents

Easy Fall Knitting Projects

Love Autumn Knitting Quickies? Knit up my easy Fall Leaves, as well!

These cute stuffed softies are a seasonal favorite here at Studio Knit and a great quick-knit project to make as favors to guests. Together, they make the perfect autumnal decor attached to napkin rings, fall garlands, and wreaths.

Of course, don’t forget to knit up some Pumpkin sofies, too!

Knitted Acorn and Leaf with needles.

Knitting Supplies

In my examples, I’m using size 7 US knitting needles and aran weighted yarns.

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Knitting Techniques

Slip Knot 
• CO = Cast On Long Tail Method
• K = Knit Stitch 
• P = Purl Stitch
• KFB = Knit Front + Back to Increase
• K2TOG = Knit 2 Sts Together to Decrease
Bind Off
Weave in Yarn Tails

Knitting materials for acorns with yarn, needles, tapestry needle, and scissors.

Knitting Instructions

Step 1: Knit the Acorn Body Nut

Let’s get started with the nut. We begin making our beloved slip knot and from there we are going to cast on, using the long-tail cast on method, we are going to cast on 12 stitches.

For our first row, since we’re doing a Stockinette Stitch, it’s going to be the knit stitch all the way down the row. And then, row two, is going to be purling all the way down the row.

Now, once you have knit ten rows total, then it’s time to decrease. And we are simply doing the knit two together. So, instead of picking up one stitch to knit, we knit two stitches together to decrease it down. And we’ll do that all the way down the row.

Stockinette stitch swatch of knitted acorn body in brown color yarn.

From here, for those of you who do not like to bind off, you’re going to love this. We cut our yarn and then using our tapestry needle we are simply going to take our knitting needle off those stitches and go ahead and cinch them up nice and tight and this is going to form the bottom of our little nut right there. Using our tapestry needle just seam up the edges.

Now we can just turn our little nut right side out so we have that pretty, smooth stockinette stitch on the outside and you might want to shape it a little bit with your fingers. And this is great, we can just go ahead and put those yarn tails just tuck them on the inside. No need to weave in our ends at all, which I love.

Then taking our stuffing, just use a little bit of stuffing to go ahead and give it some shape. Make sure not to overstuff it too much or else it will get very fat.

Knitted acorn with two knitted leaves.

Step 2: Knit the Acorn Cap

Okay, it is cap time! Now, I’m using a red yarn for the little topper, the cap of our acorn nut. And we are going to cast on thirteen stitches this time.

And once you’ve done that, we’re going to do the Seed Stitch. If you’re not familiar with it, this is a great introduction. You simply knit the first stitch and then you bring your yarn to the front and you’re going to purl the next stitch. And you just repeat that pattern all the way down the row. So you’ll knit one, and you’ll purl one, all the way down until you get to the very last stitch, which since we cast on an odd number of stitches, it’s going to be a knit stitch at the very end.

Seed stitch knitted acorn cap in burgandy color yarn.

And now for row two, we’re going to do the exact same thing, we start with knit one, and then we purl one and we continue this seed stitch pattern until we have knit eight rows. And both sides are identical when you’re doing the seed stitch.

Already, it’s time to cut our yarn, take our little tapestry needle and we are going to actually slide all the stitches off our knitting needle. We are not going to have to bind off at all. So, I like to do it slowly and then go ahead and on the opposite side, go ahead and bring that yarn through those stitches and cinch it up! And that’s going to be very top of our little acorn top. Then tack the sides of our edges together.

Group of knitted acorns arranged in a circle.

Step 3: Make Up Acorn Nut and Cap

And now with our little nut and cap, it is time to bring them together and simply place the cap over your nut.

We just want to make sure that it stays secure so I like using the cap yarn which is red here to just kind of tack it into the nut and then we’re going to bring it all the way up to the top, slide it up, and then taking those two yarn ends, we are just going to knot them together a few times until you have a cute little stem. And then you can just cut it off.

Attaching knitted body and cap of acorn softies.

Printable Knitting Instructions

Two knitted acorn softies in brown, yellow, and beige yarn colors on a white background.

Printable Knitting Pattern

Learn how to easily knit acorns! These cute softies are a great yarn buster and perfect for your autumn harvest Thanksgiving décor. They are knitted up in two parts: a nut and a cap.

Makes: Knitted Acorn Softies
Active Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 1 hour
Difficulty: Intermediate

Materials

  • Yarn - Any size gauge, color, and fiber of your choice

Tools

  • Knitting Needles - appropriately sized for your yarn gauge
  • Tapestry Needle
  • Scissors

Instructions

ACORN KNITITNG PATTERN: NUT BODY

Cast On 12 Stitches

Knit the Stockinette Stitch Pattern for 10 Rows:

  1. Row 1: Knit All
  2. Row 2: Purl All
  3. Row 3: Knit All
  4. Row 4: Purl All
  5. Row 5: Knit All
  6. Row 6: Purl All
  7. Row 7: Knit All
  8. Row 8: Purl All
  9. Row 9: Knit All
  10. Row 10: Purl All
  11. Row 11: Knit 2 Together All Stitches (6 stitches remaining)
  12. Row 12: Knit 2 Together All Stitches (3 stitches remaining)

Cut yarn, leaving about 10 inches of a yarn tail.

Remove stitches off knitting needle, draw yarn through stitches with your tapestry needle and cinch up your nut body.

Right-side in, seam up the sides.

Turn right-side out and Stuff lightly.

_____

ACORN KNITITNG PATTERN: CAP TOPPER

Cast On 13 Stitches

Knit the Seed Stitch Pattern for 8 Rows:

  1. Row 1: * K1, P1 * K1
  2. Row 2: * K1, P1 * K1
  3. Row 3: * K1, P1 * K1
  4. Row 4: * K1, P1 * K1
  5. Row 5: * K1, P1 * K1
  6. Row 6: * K1, P1 * K1
  7. Row 7: * K1, P1 * K1
  8. Row 8: * K1, P1 * K1

Cut yarn, leaving about 10 inches of a yarn tail.

Remove all 13 stitches off of your knitting needle, draw yarn through stitches with your tapestry needle and cinch up.

Seam up the sides of your acorn cap.

_____

MAKING UP KNITTED ACORNS

Tack Cap onto the body of the Nut.

Bring yarn ends up and knot them into a Stem.

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Thank You for Visiting Studio Knit

I hope you are inspired to knit up these cute little acorns. Check out all of my Thanksgiving and Christmas Holiday Knitting Projects and Gift ideas!

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Kristen Signature in Red Ink

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