Hand Puppets - crochet pattern

 

Hand Puppet by Maggie Goodsell

I was asked to recreate a favourite toy by a friend - they couldn't find another or a pattern. This was the result. The finished puppet is about 6" tall.

Crochet hooks 5mm, 3.5mm, 2.5mm (for smaller features)

DK yarn - jumper colour, head/hand colour, white, pink & black

UK terms

ch chain

slst slip stitch

dc double crochet

tr treble

htr half treble

dec decrease over 2 sts

st/s stitches

inc 2 sts in a st

Apart from the 2 rows of trebles at the bottom of the jumper, pattern is all worked in continuous amigurumi rounds. Magic circles need to be pulled tight & ends woven in when you have finished each bit.

Jumper & Arms

Chain 32 with 5mm hook - jumper colour

switch to 3.5mm hook, join chain

1. 3ch, 31 tr, slst to top of chain

2. 3ch, 31 tr, slst to top of chain

3. working in back of loop 32 dc

4-8 32 dc in continuous rounds

9. 12dc, put in marker,

*Arm 6dc, 6ch, bring end of chain to marker, starting in stitch after maker work 5 rounds of 12dc, change to hand colour, 3 rounds 12dc, 2 rounds of dec, Fasten off *

Rejoin jumper colour after the arm, 12dc repeat from *-* for second arm.

10. Rejoin jumper colour after 2nd arm, 12dc 6slst across arm, 8dc, 6slst across arm

11. 14dc, dec, 12dc, dec, 2dc This should give 30 sts but often gives 26-28, no idea why but it doesn't matter !!

12. dc all round

13. dc in back of loop all round

14. dc

Head

15. Change to head colour, dc in back of loop

16-25 dc

26-27 (2dc, dec) repeat to end

28. (1dc, dec) repeat to end

29. dec all round

Fasten off & weave ends in to close any holes there might be.

Ears - 2 head colour, 2 - do first 2 rounds in pink.

1 6dc in a magic ring

2 inc in each st - 12 sts

3 (dc, inc) repeat to end - 18sts

Fasten off head colour ones.

When finished pink fronts join front & back together with a round of dc. Sew onto head.

All the fiddly bits !!

Ears sewn on & starting to place the features

 

 

Large features - this is where it gets fiddly !!

Do 5 white & 2 pink of the following

Large features

10 tr in a Magic circle, leave a long end for sewing onto face.

Pupils - 2 black - 6dc in a Magic circle, leave an end for sewing

Tongue - white - 4ch, 3tr back along chain. Work a line of pink stitches over this.

Sew features to face. My order was:-

White circle for chin, sew tongue on top

Pink cheeks

White cheeks

Sew black pupils to white eye backs - couple of stitches of white for highlight, sew to face.

Make nose

Nose - black - 8dc in a magic circle - leave a long end (more than you think you'll need), 1ch, 1dc

Sew in place

Chain around base of check for mouth - just catching it as you go. Or just chain & sew it down.

Using the long end do the same the other side.

 

Small features

Smaller features using 2.5mm hook, even more fiddly !!

2 x Pink - 10tr in a magic circle

5 x White - 8htr in a magic circle

2 x Black - 4dc in magic circle

Tongue - white - 5ch, htr in last 2 chain from hook, oversew in pink.

Nose - black - 6dc in magic circle, 1ch 1dc, then chain for mouth as above.

 

Hopefully this all makes sense - please let me know if you find a glaring error. Don't worry if you get a different count of stitches - as long as everything is secure it really doesn't matter.

Where I have worked in the back of a stitch this is purely aesthetic.

It took me ages to get to grips with a magic circle but once mastered they are so easy.

I can't work out how to upload the pattern as a pdf so I have put photos of it. Although the original concept wasn't mine I have written this pattern. Please do not sell it or pass it off as your own.