A free knitting pattern for porcini mushrooms, also known as ceps or boletus with step by step instructions for beginners.
If you have been looking around my blog, you might have seen the one or other post about mushrooms already. There is my tiny mushroom pattern, chanterelles, and fly agarics. But not porcinis! Yet, they are my favorite of them all. They are just so tasty and have this lovely bite.
Those who are following me on Instagram (do so now, if you always want to be notified of new patterns right away) probably saw me tinkering around with this pattern for quite a while. I knitted the first batch in April, but never really wrote a pattern for them.
Update: In the meantime, I recorded a video of me knitting this mushroom on my youtube channel.
But with the recent success of my pumpkin patch pattern, I had a lot of people asking me for the porcini pattern as well. So, I decided to finally sit down and perfect the pattern.
While the process was quite straightforward, I noticed that my final design might be a tiny bit too difficult for beginners. So, I split this mushroom pattern into two parts. You will find an easy to follow instruction at the beginning, and another version where things might get a bit more tricky and you will be knitting on two sets of dpns at the same time for more advanced knitters.
The difference is quite tiny, though. One version does have a noticeable overhang and the other a smooth transition from gills to cap. As an avid mushroom hunter, that’s a distinction that matters to me, but if you just want them as cute home decor you might enjoy the more simple design just as much.
I arranged them in my little fake forest here in my studio, but ultimately I put them under a cloche and let me sit on the windowsill. Looks stellar and is the perfect autumn decoration.
It will take about 2 hours to finish the small version and up to 4 hours for the big version. I might be biased, but I do recommend you to knit both!
Materials you will need:
- 12 grams of the Wollmeise Twin (in the colors bärenstark and Natur) or any other fingering sock yarn scraps for needles size 2.5 – 3.00 mm.
- Double-Pointed Knitting needles 2.0 mm. Frequent readers probably already know that I am a huge fan of the Knitter’s Pride Karbonz because they are the only ones that don’t end up crooked after 5 minutes.
- A tapestry needle and scissors.
- Stitch markers (optional)
- Thin wire and wire pliers
- Toy stuffing
Note: I earn a small commission from purchases through links in this article
Knitting Techniques
The mushrooms are is mainly shaped through a combination of easy increases and decreases. I feel it’s quite suitable for early intermediate knitters, even though you might have to look up one or two stitches (I linked you to easy-to-follow tutorials in each case).
- K = knit
- K2tog = knit two together
- KLL = Knit left loop
- Yo= yarn over
- Kfb = knit front and back
- A three-needle bind-off (optional)
- ….And a standard longtail cast on.
These mushrooms are knit in the round on a set of 5 double-pointed needles. If you still need to do some catching up, here’s my tutorial on knitting in the round. You might also check out my blog post with 10 tips for better results with dpns.
Now go download the porcini mushroom pattern. Feel free to ask your comments and question below.
I would like to download your patterns, but since I already subscribed to your list/emails I get that message istead of a download link to your patterns.
What do I do wrong?
Greetings from the Netherlands,
Elske ( Woollyelske)
All newsletter subscribers get all new patterns with the next issue. Don’t worry Elske 🙂
But as I don’t want to spam my loyal readers, I only sent out the newsletter every 2 weeks.
Norman
Hi,
I already had to subscribe twice to get two patterns, and I never received any newsletter with free patterns after that.
Maybe there is a bug in the suscription app?
Hey Jocelyne,
there is no bug but it does say you unsubscribed from my newsletter. Might explain why you never got anything 😉
Hi Norman, thanks a lot for the pattern! Two questions ( small version):
– should Round 9 read: *K3, KLL, K4, KLL, K2* (44 stitches) [K2 instead of K1 before the asterisk]?
– joining the two parts in the advanced version: instead of slipping alternately white and brown stitches onto a new needle, will using the three- needle bind off technique (without actually binding off, only k2tog) have the same effect you like?
Best regards, Daphne
Hey Daphne,
no round 9 is right. it’s always 4 stitches then one kll, but one increase is staggered so they don’t align.
You can do a three-needle bind-off technique as well. I don’t like it all that much as it tends to stretch stitches too much and slipping isn’t all that hard.
Note: For all those who downloaded an early version. I fixed two mistakes
– Round 7 was missing a “k2”, it should have been k1,KLL, k3, KLL, k3,k2
– the advanced version: You need to knit one more round in white Round 53: k3, KLL ,k6, KLL, k3 (56 stitches)
And then you need to join after round 1 and not after round 2.
Hi Norman,
I am attempting to kit round 7 but am running into issues. Where should the * be in the above correction? If I understand the goal of the row, we should increase 2 stitches on each needle to get a total of 9 per needle. As written in the version I have (K1, *kll, k3, kll, k3*, k3), my knitting gave me 9,9,10,9 stitches per needle. Is there an error in the pattern or am I doing something wrong? Wouldn’t you need there to be a repeat of 7 stitches to get the desired 2 stich per needle increase?
interesting…this pattern has been test-knitted, knitted by myself for I don’t know how often and of course there is the video. And yet, you are absolutely right.
It should read: k1,*KLL, k3, KLL, K4*, k2
Thank you for catching that.
But I guess, it’s because quite frankly it doesn’t matter a lot how you scatter these increases as long as they don’t align.
Dear Norman,
I would like to knit the Porcini, but it seems that I can’t access old patterns although I am a subscriber and received the newest pattern by newsletter.
Is there any possibility to access this one?
Ingrid
Hey Ingrid, there is currently no option. sorry.
Hi Norman my problem is working on Porcini mushroom and not sure if I accidently deleted my pdf I follow you every place I need to follow I have all newsletters but forgot to star this one is it possible to get the link to to re download ot Thank for yoir time
Hey Sharon,
i’m not really sure I understand what you mean? Where do you need help?
Hi Norman lm sorry for not being clear is their a way I can get the link for for the porcinni mushrooms I cant find it to download my pattern? Thank you?
I’ll see what I can do.
Thank you Norman for your help you ROCK !!!
Hey Sharon, glad that worked out 🙂
Hello Norma
I can’t download the free patterns of mushrooms ? I need help !!!!
Thank a lot.
Karine
Hey Karine,
the way I see it you were already subscribed to my newsletter. And now you probably tried to unsubscribe – and you possibly unsubscribed in the process, and now your email provider might be blocking my emails.
I don’t think there is a lot I can do at this point anymore.
Hi there
Thank you for the interesting emails.
The instructions for the lovely Porcini mushrooms have been downloaded, and I was all ready with yarn and needles. I cast on in anticipation and knit Round 1, now there are 12 stitches in the round and Round 2 doesn’t seem to work. Perhaps someone can explain where I am going wrong.
Round 2 has a 5-stitch repeat. If I work it twice I have 2 stitches left over and don’t know what to do with them.
It is also an increase row, and 4 increases (2 per 5-stitch repeat) would only give a new total of 16 stitches in the round, not the required 20. Even if I increased in every other stitch, I would still only have 18 stitches by the end of the round.
I would really appreciate some advice.
Best wishes
Gillian Traina
Hey Gillian,
round 2 does not have a 5 stitch repeat. It’s a 3 stitch repeat. The KLL/KRL is knit into the same stitch. So, you can perform it 4 times. Meaning you increase by 8.
Hi
So many thanks for such a speedy reply. But I am still not clear. I thought the repeat between the asterisks to be based on 5 stitches in the previous round. Still leaves 2 stitches over at the end of the round. Think I must be wrong there even before the increases! I see there are 2 increases in each of those. I thought I was increasing by 1 stitch for each KLL. Instead should I be increasing on each side of the stitch in the previous row? That would make 8. Great. But what do I do about the last 2 stitches?
So sorry about my confusion, and also about the blog. Which I have ever done before, and also misunderstood. Thanks for putting that right for me.
Gillian
You cast ton 12 stitches and you distribute 3 to each of your 4 needles so you have 3 on each needle.
And then, on each needle, you knit one stitch. Then you do a kll into the same stitch. and then you knit one stitch, and do a kll into the same stitch, and then you knit one stitch = 5 stitches on that needle.
kindly watch my KLL tutorial + video in case there are any further problems.
Hi Norman
AhHa!
Now I get it! Thank you very much for your patience and quick reply. My first mistake was dividing the round onto 3 needles, not 4. The second was not fully understanding the KLL instruction – for the increase my traditional habit would have been to knit into the stitch below the next/last one, and that doesn’t work for your pattern. So many thanks for your explanation, I have learned a new step! The granddaughter is building up a fruit and veg stall knitted by Grandma. I shall abandon the intended asparagus and go back to the porcini !!!
Thanks again.
Gillian
I subscribed to your newsletter “subscribe &download” for the porcini pattern..but? Nothing happens, where is the pattern?
Cheers, Marina from Florence Italy
Marina, if you are already subscribed, you cannot subscribe again. I think that explains it.
Hi Norman,
I think I accidentally deleted the newsletter that had the Porcini mushroom link. Would it be possible for you to resend it to me?
Thank you,
Michelle
Hey Michelle,
for technical reasons, that is not possible. Sorry & thank you for your understanding.
Hi! Porcini Row 24 starts with 44 st and ends with 40 on the needles. I can’t make the math work. I’m changing mine to k7, [k2tog, k8] (3x), k2tog, k5. I have written it out so many times. Help!
you are absolutely right. there was a typo there. Your version works well enough. I corrected it now and would probably rather k1, *k2tog,k7*,k1 instead but it more or less doesn’t matter at all. These decreases just need to be scattered round evenly.
I can’t figure out how to download the pattern – no link that I can find. Please help 🙂
then your browser is probably blocking things.
Hi
Your pattern is beautiful. I really love to knit that but the link bring me to a video and there is no pdf pattern attached or linked in the mail. How can I get the pdf ? thank you
Sorry. I updated the pattern three days ago and there seems to be a little mistake. You should get the right link within the hour.
Hello, I have just stumbled upon this pattern as I have entered my knitting journey. I can’t seem to find the PDF for the pattern on this page, do you know how I can download it?