Jack has been around a long time.

Kept alive, so to speak, living in British, Irish, Scottish and Welsh folklore. In Ireland, where some of my ancestors come from, he was sometimes called Stingy Jack. In those days he was most often carved from turnips. When Irish and Scottish immigrants moved to North America – pumpkins became the gourd of choice – much easier to carve than turnips. Over time, the eerie lanterns became the cheerful, mischievous, and sometimes downright wicked faces we associate with Halloween today.

Knitting Jack is something like carving Jack. A little challenging, but with patience, very rewarding in the end.

Jack’s My Name - Halloween’s My Game is a Halloween-themed knitting pattern for a single afghan square that packs serious technique into one compact, spooky block. Designed for intermediate knitters who want their throw to earn its keep, this worsted-weight square brings a full cast of textural tricks: cables, eyelets, slipped stitches, and bobbles worked together to conjure the kind of dimensional, jack-o-lantern charm that makes a finished afghan unforgettable.

Construction and Technique

• Worked flat, bottom up, one piece: no seaming within the block itself
• Cables for raised, twisted structure
• Eyelets for lacy negative space that reads as carved detail
• Slipped stitches for clean color-like texture without floats
• Bobbles for dimensional, popcorn-style surface interest
• Intermediate skill level: comfort with cables and bobbles recommended

Materials

• Yarn: Worsted weight; sample shown in Cascade 220 (100% Peruvian Highland Wool)
• Yardage: 70-80 yards per square
• Needles: US 7 (4.5 mm)
• Gauge: 20 sts over 4 in (10 cm) in stockinette

Sizing

• One size: a single square block
• Designed to combine with coordinating squares into a Halloween throw or afghan
• Finished dimensions in pattern

What’s Included

• Written instructions and chart both included
• English language
• PDF download

Knit one square or build a whole haunted-house throw. Either way, this block is ready for its moment every October.