Whit's Knits: Candy Corns!

Ghouls, graveyards and goblins, Halloween can be harrowing! But where there's creep, there's also merriment: parades, painted faces and candy corn!

Candy corn, this most classic of Halloween goodies, also happens to be one heck of a good looking object! Like all of our most cherished holiday candies - candy canes, gelt, jelly beans - candy corns aren't really loved for their flavor. They're adored because they cause us to conjure the rituals and details of the day, to relive in our minds a lifetime of Halloweens. It's not the power of sugar; it's the power of good design!

These little knit sweeties will ensure that candy corn is a part of your Halloween tradition, year after year. Line them up on your windowsill; arrange them on your mantle with some candles; or pop them into a big bowl on your hall table. They're kinda irresistible.

I knit up my set of Candy Corns with Brown Paper Packages' Trio, a beautiful silk and wool blend. The shine of the silk brings an unexpected elegance to these little guys, which I love! And Trio is actually a needlepoint yarn, making it the perfect choice for knitting up palm-sized objects like these!

Get started on your own bunch of knitted confections!

The Materials

For 10 Candy Corns:

• 11 total skeins of Brown Paper Packages' Trio, 50% wool and 50% silk.
  
  • 5 skeins of Big Canary (Keep your tails on the short side in order to get every last yard out of this color!)
  • 4 skeins of a mix of Marmalade and Clementine
  • 2 skeins of White

• A set of US #5 double pointed needles

• Some stuffing

• Some lentils for weighing down the Candy Corns' bottoms. I used about 2 teaspoons for each.

The Pattern

Gauge

5 3/4 inches = 1  inch in stockinette stitch

Finished Size

5 1/2 inches around the base and 3 1/2 inches tall

Begin

With the yellow yarn, cast on 8 stitches to the double pointed needles.

Join for working in the round, being careful to not twist the stitches.

Round 1: Knit into the front and back (kfb) of each stitch. 16 stitches

Round 2: Knit.

Round 3: [Make 1 right (m1r), k4, make 1 left (m1l), k4] 2 times. 20 stitches

Round 4: [M1r, k6, m1l, k4] 2 times. 24 stitches

Round 5: [M1r, k8, m1l, k4] 2 times. 28 stitches

Round 6: [M1r, k10, m1l, k4] 2 times. 32 stitches

Round 7: Purl.

Here's what the bottom looks like on the needles:

And here's what it will look like in the end:

Continuing with the yellow yarn...

Rounds 8-13: Knit.

Round 14: [Ssk, k8, k2tog, k4] 2 times. 28 stitches.

Cut the yellow yarn and join the orange.

Rounds 15-19: Knit.

Round 20: [Ssk, k6, k2tog, k4] 2 times. 24 stitches

Rounds 21-24: Knit.

Round 25: [Ssk, k4, k2tog, k4] 2 times. 20 stitches

Cut the orange yarn and join the white.

Rounds 26-28: Knit.

Now use the cast on tail to sew the bottom hole closed and bring the tail to the inside of the piece. Turn your candy corn inside out and weave in all the ends.

Return the piece to right side out and fill the bottom with two teaspoons of lentils. Then fill the rest of the candy corn with stuffing. I preferred my candy corns plump, but not overly stuffed!

Round 29: [Ssk, k2, k2tog, k4] 2 times. 16 stitches

Rounds 30 and 31: Knit.

Round 32: [K2tog] 8 times. 8 stitches

Add a lttle bit more stuffing to the very top, then cut the yarn and sew it through the remaining stitches. Sew the tail through to the bottom of the Candy Corn and trim it.

Now make some more!

Comments

[Kristen]

I have to admit - I LOVE THESE!!! But, why make them? I know, they are SO cute, why should I even ask??? :) Thanks for all your great, free, fun, and inspirational patterns!

[Jean]

Hi Whitney - I love this pattern for candy corn. How could I adapt it for a hat for Halloween for an adult? Thanks! Jean

[SGarner]

Why did you use lentils? Won't they become rancid?

[purl bee]

SGarner-

In our experience dried beans don't rot or go rancid when kept dry and used like this.

Thanks for your question

Molly

[Kaylentica]

I think these are adorable however, how long did it take you to knit a set of 10 pictured?

[Shari]

Should I order 6 in. or 8 in. size 5 needles?
Thanks for the cute project!
~Shari

[purl bee]

Hi Shari-

Either would work but the 6-inch might be easier for this project.

Thank you for your question!

Molly

[SGarner]

Great to know about the lentils. I will use them in other projects too. I think the candy corns are adorable and I know just the person I would knit them for. My grown daughter loved candy corn growing up. I always got her a treat bag of them. Nowadays, we can't always be together on Halloween, but she would love displaying the knit candy corns as part of her Fall decorating! Thanks!

[purl bee]

Hi Jean,

Any hat pattern would work! Just start it with yellow, move on to orange and finish with white! If you want it to be particularly pointed, just increase the number of rounds you knit between crown decreases. Try our Simple Rib Thank You Hat: http://www.purlbee.com/thank-you-hats/2012/9/9/whits-knits-thank-you-hats.html

Thanks for asking and good luck with your cute idea!
Whitney

[purl bee]

Hi Kaylentica,

I would expect each Candy Corn to take about one or two hours to make, unless you're lightening fast or molasses slow!

Thanks for asking!
Whitney

[Simone]

P.S. I am getting really exited about these gnomes, so I have the following questions: how long did it take you to knit these each? And could you post a more clear picture of the top (like the one of the bottom)? I am from Holland so I don't understand all of the directions, but if I have a clear picture I can make it out from that.
Thanks in advance.

[purl bee]

Hi Simone,

I think each Candy Corn took me about one or two hours to make. I don't have a picture of just the top, but in the photos at the beginning of the story you can see some good images of the tops. They're a lot like a hat!

I love the idea of your gnomes, so cute! Please send us a link when you're done!

Whitney

[Judy]

Just made my first candy corn in about 2 hours! So cute. I can't wait to make more.