This pattern is retired and not usually available. However, I make many of my retired patterns available for a few days twice a year, and this is one of those times! It will be available from now through some time on Monday, December 2. Then it will go away again.

In the summer of 2022, I realized that I found maintaining a back catalog of hundreds of patterns overwhelming. I couldn’t do it and still release new things. So I took my old patterns down so I could keep doing new work.

A few favorites have come back, and lots of new things have come out! But the vast majority of the old patterns are retired and are no longer generally available.

However, enough folks have asked about old favorites that I make many of the retired patterns available for a few days twice a year (usually in early summer and around Thanksgiving).

• If you see the buy buttons on this page, you’ve caught it on one of the days it’s available!
• If you don’t see the buy buttons on this page, then it’s not currently available.
• If you want to hear when the retired patterns are available, subscribe to the mailing list or patreon, or keep an eye on my instagram.

Dollop noun a small portion or amount

You already know if you want this. I suspect you looked at the pictures and thought either “Oh…oh yes…I need that in my life…right this very minute” or “nope, not for me.”

If you’re camp nope, that’s totally cool, there are lots of other things to knit. But if you’re camp cupcake, oh wow are we going to have fun!

What to do with the sweet, silly little things:

• Add them to your favorite kiddo’s play kitchen (just make sure you’re only giving them to folks who won’t put them in their mouths!)
• Make them into a pincushion
• Use them as party favors or table decorations at your next birthday party
• Fill them with treats for a mother’s day or easter brunch
• Turn them into the cutest little secret hiding place ever

Your imagination is the limit here. I suspect you already have a whole host of ideas for exactly how you could use a few of these!

The pattern is tremendously detailed and gives you lots of options to make these your own. Make them in lots of different sizes. Attach the tops all the way around, hinge them (so you’ve got a little secret compartment inside) or leave them loose (so you can mix and match frosting and cupcake flavors). Leave the tops plain or add some beads or pins as sprinkles. Turn the whole thing into a pin cushion.

The knitting is easy (one little rectangle about the size of a decent swatch, one little circle with about as many stitches as are in the toe of one sock), and you can probably make one in an afternoon.

The only special equipment you’ll need is a little plastic condiment cup to go inside the cupcake. They’re easy to find, and you can almost certainly get a few free with lunch or dozens of them for a few bucks. I’ve got a blog post over here with lots more info on where you can find them (and the pattern has lots of suggestions too). And if you want to stuff the frosting bit so it’s firm, you’ll need a little pinch of stuffing.

And just in case you’re feeling a bit nervous, the pattern includes a lengthy photo tutorial to walk you through every step of the process. There are all sorts of helpful tips on everything from how to cast on to what to fill the frosting with to how to block them to how and when to weave in your ends. It’s almost absurdly detailed, but it really does mean you can totally make these!

These are perfect for you if:

• You need something cheerful and quick
• You have a jar of yarn leftovers you’ve been wanting to do something with
• You’re already thinking of all the things you could do with these

They’re not for you if:

• You’re looking for a somber, serious project
• You just can’t handle this level of cheerful right now
• You don’t like charts (the pattern uses charts)