Meet the Halloween Ghost, a soft, smiling little spirit with a wide ruffled hem that flares out like he is floating. This is a fully rewritten and expanded 2026 edition of a longtime Byrd’s Nest favorite, and it now includes two sizes, plus optional arms.

The Tall Ghost stands about 6 inches high and measures 9.5 inches across the ruffle. The Short Ghost is about 4 inches high and 10 inches across, rounder and wider, so the two look wonderful side by side on a mantel, a shelf, or a windowsill. Both are worked in the round from the bottom up. The ruffle is knit separately and attached with a three needle join, which gives a crisp ridge at the waist with no seam to sew, and the optional arms are the only pieces stitched on.

Each ghost takes only a small amount of worsted weight yarn, so this is a satisfying stash project that knits up quickly enough to make a whole little haunting before the end of October.

What you need: worsted weight yarn in white (the sample is knit in Knit Picks Comfy Worsted), a small amount of black yarn for the face, one set of US 3 / 3.25 mm double pointed needles, polyester fiberfill, a stitch marker, and a tapestry needle. Optional 12 mm safety eyes.

A note on safety: safety eyes can be a choking hazard and are not recommended if the toy is intended for a small child. The pattern gives embroidered eyes and a stitched smile as the safe alternative, and the ghost is just as sweet either way.

The pattern is clearly laid out with an abbreviations key, stitch counts on every shaping round, and a tip from Byrdo on working the three needle join.

As an early childhood educator, I have always thought Halloween is more fun for little ones when something in the house is friendly rather than frightening. This ghost was designed to be exactly that: soft enough to sleep with, small enough for small hands, and smiling instead of spooky. He makes a lovely first Halloween decoration for a child who is still making up their mind about the season.

Skill Level: Intermediate. You will work in the round on double pointed needles, use simple increases and decreases, join two pieces with a three needle join, and embroider the face.

Instant PDF download.

Updated 2026: fully rewritten and expanded. Now includes both a tall and a short version, optional arms, a new ruffle worked with a three needle join, and an embroidered face option.