Hand Puppet Menagerie

Knit up a zoo full of hand puppets! Or just make one or two. With so many options, this super fun pattern is easily customizable. The pattern includes options to make four sets with five puppets each: Farm, Pets, Safari and Woodland. Animals included: chicken, cow, horse, pig, sheep, bunny, cat, dog, frog, parrot, elephant, giraffe, lion, monkey, zebra, bear, deer, fox, owl and raccoon. The body of the puppet is worked the same for all versions except in different colors. There are multiple options for the arms, ears, muzzle, tail and extras depending on the animal being made. A table shows which pieces to make in which colors for each animal. There is a section in the pattern for each option- arms ears, muzzle, tail and extras. Use the table as a guide to make the animal(s) you want. The spots for the giraffe and cow are made using duplicate stitch. Charts are included as a guide for this. Finished Measurements: Approximately 8.5” tall (from bottom to the top of the head) and 8” across (including arms) Materials: US Size 5 (3.75mm) DPNs or long circular for working in the round Knit Picks Swish Worsted- one ball of each color indicated in the Pieces and Colors Table for the puppet(s) being made Stuffing Yarn needle Spare needle or stitch holder Crochet hook Mini pom-pom maker (if making bunny) Gauge: 22 sts and 32 rnds = 4 inches in Stockinette Stitch in the round Notes: The arms, ears, muzzles, tails and other extras don’t take as much yarn as the body. If multiple puppets are being made, one ball can be used for multiple muzzles, hooves, etc. In some cases, scrap yarn could easily be used for small pieces. Also, scrap yarn or embroidery thread could be used in place of colors only used for embroidering the eyes, mouth and nose. The colors in the table are what was used for the samples. Below are colors and quantities used for each set. Farm: Squirrel Heather, White, Camel Heather, Carnation, Bare, Black, Cornmeal, Serrano, one ball each. Pets: Dove Heather, Marble Heather, Bark, Peapod, Honey, Marine Heather, Black, one ball each, scrap of Cobblestone Heather. Safari: Bark, two balls, Marble Heather, Cornmeal, Honey, Black, White, Camel Heather, one ball each, scrap of Cobblestone Heather. Woodland: Black, two balls, Camel Heather, Allspice, Squirrel Heather, Cobblestone Heather, White, Cornmeal, Marine Heather, one ball each.