I have it on good authority that taking a walk in the woods with me is, um, let’s say “challenging.” For you see, I am naturally inclined to wander. To meander. To stray from the path at the slightest provocation to investigate the mossy tree stump or lichen-covered stone wall or nifty rock or shiny feather or glossy acorn or, on more than one occasion, the faintly menacing yet still strangely appealing mushrooms that magically appeared since last I passed this way.

Now, I (usually) manage to (more or less) restrain myself and don’t (often) pick them. But oh, oh it takes more self control than I prefer to exercise. Which is why it should surprise absolutely no one that I eventually gave in and knit myself a whole pile of these little delights.

Alas, much as with their real-life counterparts, I must recommend that you not eat them. But, other than that, you can be as unrestrained as you’d like. I fully support knitting a whole collection of them and tucking them somewhere unexpected. You never know when someone distractible will be walking by to delight in them!

General information

This 26-page pattern is tremendously detailed and holds your hand every step of the way. There are pages and pages of step-by-step photos to show you exactly what to expect as you work. The pattern is full of helpful tips on everything from casting on, blocking, filling your mushrooms, helping them stand up, and managing your ends.

It’s almost absurdly detailed, but it really does mean you can totally make these, even if you’ve never knit a project like this before!

Skills & scope

Each mushroom fits in the palm of your hand and takes only a few hours to knit. The knitting is mostly stockinette worked in the round with just a few carefully placed increases and decreases to give it shape.

The pattern uses charts, so you will need to know how to follow a knitting chart.

Yarn, gauge & sizing

The pattern includes five different mushroom shapes, each in one size. You can make them in any weight of yarn, and the finished size will change depending on what yarn you use (but they’re more or less the size of real mushrooms). You don’t need to match any particular gauge, but you do need to knit tightly enough to make a firm fabric so your filling doesn’t show through.

I’ve knit mine in fingering-weight yarn, but you could use thicker yarn and get slightly larger mushrooms.

You can absolutely use scrap yarn for this.

The mushrooms in the pictures took less than 50 yards of the yarn used for the cap and less than 50 yards of the yarn used for the gills and stem. Mine are worked at 9 stitches per inch. They are between 1 and 4 inches tall between and 1 and 3 inches across.

Tools & supplies

You’ll need needles that let you work in the round (circulars or DPNs) in whatever size lets you get a firm fabric with your chosen yarn plus the general knitting tools you need for most projects (scissors to cut your yarn, a darning needle to weave in ends, the occasional stitch marker or bit of scrap yarn to hold stitches).

You’ll also need something to fill the mushrooms with. I used wool roving for the caps and milkshake straws and pipe cleaners for the stems. I have a page here with information about the supplies I use in my projects.