Nursery Rhyme Finger Puppets by Priscilla Gibson-Roberts

Nursery Rhyme Finger Puppets

Knitting
October 2003
Light Fingering ?
10 stitches and 14 rows = 1 inch
in stockinette stitch in the round
US 0 - 2.0 mm
US 3 - 3.25 mm
2.0 mm
2.5" to 3" tall
English

Pattern description from Weekend Knitting: “Priscilla Gibson-Roberts created this masterful menagerie of finger puppets with her grandchildren in mind. She based her designs on the Old MacDonald and Mary Had a Little Lamb nursery rhymes, but there are certainly enough characters here for lots of different stories - both classics you’ll tell to children and the new ones you’ll make up together.”

Finished Measurements: Puppets range from 2.5” to 3” tall, and fit toddler to adult fingers.

Yarn: Roros Lamullgarn (100% lambswool; 274 yarns / 50 grams): 1 skein each of L14 gray, L15 black, L12 white, L68 blue, L48 burgundy, L61 yellow, L56 medium pink, L46 magenta, L62 orange, L43 red, L82 navy blue, L12 silver-beige, L34 brown, L52 taupe, L94 green.

Needles:

  • One set of five double-pointed needles (dpn) size US 0 (2 mm), 4” long needles are preferred.
  • One set of five dpn size US 3 (2.5 mm) if fitting very large adult fingers (optional).
  • Change needle size if necessary to obtain the correct gauge, although exact gauge is not essential for this project.

Note from Weekend Knitting: “These seamless finger puppets require a number of advanced knitting skills. For the faint-of-heart, they have been arranged in order of difficulty, beginning with the burro, and working up to the red hen. Follow the directions for your chosen character, referring to the General Directions as required. All of the puppets are worked top down, form head to base.”

Notions: Polyester fiberfill or unspun wool for stuffing head and arms, small tapestry needle for weaving in ends and embroidering features, black buttonhole twist thread or craft thread for cat whiskers, small amounts of waste yarn for provisional cast-on, crochet hook size B/1 (2 mm).

Characters:

  • Burro
  • Bull
  • Pig
  • Large Cat
  • Small Cat
  • Lamb
  • Old MacDonald
  • Mary
  • Duck
  • Red Hen