Whit’s Knits: Easter Finger Puppets
March 20, 2009

The Materials
For the Lamb (top row)
• Main Color: 1 skein of Blue Sky’s Sportweight Alpaca, color #517 “Lemondrop”
• Hair: several yards of a white fuzzy sportweight yarn - this is Blue Sky’s Brushed Suri, color #900 “Whipped Cream”
• Eyes: a yard of white sportweight yarn - this is Koigu’s KPM in color #00
• Eyes, Ears, Nose and Hooves: several yards of brown sportweight yarn - this is Alchemy’s Temple in “Twig”
• Mouth: a yard of pink sportweight yarn - this is Koigu’s KPM in color #1184
• A small crochet hook
For the Bunny (middle row)
• Main Color: 1 skein of Blue Sky’s Sportweight Alpaca Melange, color #810 “Cotton Candy”
• Inner Ears and Tail: several yards of a white fuzzy sportweight yarn - this is Blue Sky’s Brushed Suri, color #900 “Whipped Cream”
• Eyes: a yard of white sportweight yarn - this is Koigu’s KPM in color #00
• Eyes: a yard of brown sportweight yarn - this is Alchemy’s Temple in “Twig”
• Nose and Mouth: a yard of pink sportweight yarn - this is Koigu’s KPM in color #1184
• Bow Tie: several yards of buttery yellow sportweight yarn - this is Koigu’s KPM in color #2370
For the Chick (bottom row)
• Main Color: 1 skein of Blue Sky’s Sportweight Alpaca, color #537 “Buttercup”
• Belly: several yards of a white fuzzy sportweight yarn - this is Blue Sky’s Brushed Suri, color #900 “Whipped Cream”
• Eyes: a yard of white sportweight yarn - this is Koigu’s KPM in color #00
• Beak: Eyes: a yard of orange sportweight yarn - this is Koigu’s KPM in color #1209
• Eyes: a yard of blue sportweight yarn - this is Blue Sky’s Sportweight Alpaca in color #539 “Capri”
• A small tuft of stuffing (or a cotton ball) - this is Fairfield’s Bamboo Fiber Fill
For All Three Puppets
• A set of US #4 double pointed needles
• A tapestry needle

The Pattern
Gauge
6 stitches = 1 inch in stockinette stitch

Finished Size
3 inches high

The Basic Body
All three finger puppets begin with the same basic body shape. Here’s how to make it:
With US #4 double pointed needles, cast on 14 stitches.
Distribute the stitches onto three needles, and join for working in the round, being careful to not twist the stitches.
Round 1: K1, p1, repeat from to end of round.
Repeat Round 1 two more times.
Knit every round until the piece measures 2 3/4 inches from the cast on edge (about 20 rounds).
Next Round: Ssk, k3, k2tog, ssk, k3, k2tog. (10 stitches)
Next Round: Ssk, k1, k2tog, ssk, k1, k2tog. (6 stitches)
Cut the yarn and thread the tail through the remaining stitches. Sew the tail through the top middle and weave it in to the inside of the finger puppet. Weave in the cast on tail too.

The Bunny
The Outer Ears
With the Main Color and two of the double pointed needles, cast on 5 stitches, leaving about an 8 inch tail.
Row 1: Knit.
Row 2: Purl.
Repeat Rows 1 and 2 four more times.
Next Row: Ssk, k1, k2tog. (3 stitches)
Next Row: P3tog. (1 stitch)
Cut an 8 inch tail and pull it through the last stitch.

The Inner Ears
With the fuzzy sportweight yarn and two double pointed needles, cast on 3 stitches.
Row 1: Knit
Row 2: Purl
Repeat Rows 1 and 2 three more times.
Next Row: K3tog. (1 stitch)
Cut the yarn and pull it through the last stitch.
Weave the ends in to the purl side of the piece.

Assemble the Ears
Now with the purl sides facing each other, use the tails of the Outer Ear to sew the two pieces together. Use one tail to sew up one side of the ear and the other tail to sew down the second side.
Sew under the purl bumps right inside of the selvedge of the Outer Ear so that the fuzzy Inner Ear is nestled inside the Outer Ear.

Weave in the tail that ends up at the tip of the ear (the tail that ends up at the cast on edge will be used to sew the ears to the finger puppet.)

Make a second ear identical to the first.

Attach the Ears
Using the remaining tail, sew an ear to each side of the puppet’s head.
Sew under the knit stitches right below the cast on edge of the ear:

And then sew under the “ladders” of the puppet, like you do for mattress stitch:

Alternate sewing one stitch of the ear and then one stitch of the puppet, all the way around the entire base of each ear.

The Face
With a sportweight white yarn, use duplicate stitch to make two eyes. (I went over the same stitch twice so the eyes would stand out a little better.)

Add some definition to the eyes with whatever color sportweight yarn you want.

With another sportweight yarn, sew a little nose straight across the center line of the face. If your yarn is a little thin, like mine, try going over the stitch twice.

Then make a few stitches to indicate a mouth. I made my bunny with a big goofy smile, but subtle changes in the angle and size of the stiches make very different expressions, so keep trying until you like your bunny’s personality!

The Bow Tie
With a sportweight yarn and two double pointed needle, cast on 4 stitches.
Knit 4 rows.
Next Row: Ssk, k2tog. (2 stitches)
Next Row: Kfb, kfb. (4 stitches)
Knit 4 rows.
Bind off.
Cut a 12 inch tail, thread it into a tapestry needle and travel under a few stitches to the center of the bow tie.

Neatly wrap the tail around the center of the bow tie as many times as you like.

Then thread the tail under the wraps and pull tight.

Use the same tail to attach the bow tie to the bunny. Sew under the center knit stitch of the puppet, and then sew under the wraps of the bow tie again.

The Tail
With about 12 inches of the fuzzy yarn threaded onto a tapestry needle, sew about four evenly sized loops to the back of the bunny.

Wrap the yarn around the base of the loops several times.

Then thread the needle through the middle of the tail to the inside of the puppet.

And pull tight.

Weave in all the remaining tails and your bunny is done!

The Chick
The Wings
With the main yarn and two double pointed needles, cast on 1 stitch, leaving a 12 inch tail.
Row 1: Kfb. (2 stitches)
Row 2: Purl into the front and back loop (pfb), pfb. (4 stitches)
Row 3: Kfb, k2, kfb. (6 stitches)
Row 4: Pfb, p4, pfb. (8 stitches)
Row 5: Knit.
Row 6: Purl.
Row 7: Ssk, k4, k2tog. (6 stitches)
Row 8: Purl.
Row 9: Ssk, k2, k2tog. (4 stitches)
Row 10: P2tog, p2tog through the back loop. (2 stitches)
Row 11: k2tog. (1 stitch)
Cut the yarn and weave in the end.

Thread the cast on tail onto a tapestry needle and sew it through a couple of purl bumps to the corner of the wing.

Now sew the wing to the puppet, aligning Point A of the wing to Point A of the puppet and Point B to Point B and Point C to Point C (located on the back side of the puppet).

Make another wing identical to the first, and sew it onto the other side of the puppet.

The Belly
With the fuzzy yarn and two double pointed needles, cast on 3 stitches, leaving a 12 inch tail.
Row 1: Kfb, k1, kfb. (5 stitches)
Row 2: Purl
Row 3: Knit.
Repeat Rows 2 and 3.
Next Row: Purl.
Next Row: Ssk, k1, k2tog. (3 stitches)
Bind off in purl stitch and weave in the tail.

Using the cast on tail, sew three sides of the belly to the center of the puppet. Put some stuffing into the belly.

Sew up the final side of the belly.

The Face
Use the duplicate stitch to make the whites of the eyes.

And use a contrast color to finish the eyes.

With a good beak color, use the duplicate stitch again to make a triangular beak.

The Hair
Cut four or five 6 inch long pieces of the main yarn. Use a small crochet hook to pull the middle of the first piece of yarn through the top of the puppet to form a loop.

Thread the ends of the yarn through the loop and pull tight.

Repeat these steps with the rest of the pieces of yarn, across the top of the chick’s head. Then give the chick a haircut!

Weave in all the ends and ta da!

The Lamb
The Ears
Decide which side you want to be the front, or face, side of the puppet. Then with the front facing you and using the brown yarn, pick up 3 stitches from the right side of the lamb’s head.

Knit 3 rows.
Next Row: Slip 1, k2tog, pass the slipped stitch over.
Cut the tail and pull it throught the last stitch.

With the front facing you, pick up 3 stitches for the left ear.

Make this ear the same as the other:
Knit 3 rows.
Next Row: Slip 1, k2tog, pass the slipped stitch over.
Cut the tail and thread it through the remaining stitch.

The Hair
With the fuzzy yarn threaded onto a tapestry needle, sew evenly sized loops through the top of the lamb’s head.

Bring the yarn through to the inside of the puppet and help to secure the loops in place by weaving under the purl bumps of the main yarn and over the stitches of the hair.

The Face
Make the whites of the eyes using the duplicate stitch and then accent them with a couple of simple stitches in a contrast color. Bring the contrast yarn out where you want to start the nose.

Stitch a cute nose and then switch colors to sew a mouth. My lamb is little dopey, but yours can have any personality you want depending especially on the angles of the eyebrows and mouth.

The Arms
With a double pointed needle and the main yarn pick up 3 stitches from the right side of the puppet.

Knit 6 rows of an I-cord.
Change to the contrast color and knit 1 more row of the I-cord.
Bind off.

Now pick up 3 stitches from the left side of the puppet.

And knit this arm the same way you knit the other arm: 6 rows of I-cord, change colors, 1 row of I-cord and bind off.

Weave in the remaining ends and your lamb is done!

Article originally appeared on Knitting Crochet Sewing Embroidery Crafts Patterns and Ideas! (http://www.purlbee.com/).
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