Animal Hand Puppet Knitting Pattern

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This knitted animal hand puppet is made in a number of pieces and then sewn together.

It has a moveable mouth which allows you to insert your hand to make him (or her!) talk.

The hand puppet knitting pattern is fairly easy for beginners, with basic knit and purl stitches used.

Animal Hand Puppet

An Easy Level Knitting Pattern

This is an easy pattern for those of you who are advanced beginner level, and the techniques you will need to know are knit, purl, K2tog and P2tog.

Using mainly knit and purl stitches, it will also introduce you to decreasing and shaping.

The jacket requires a little crochet knowledge, but you can knit it instead if you want to.

*Please scroll down to see the free pattern*

Related Post: Crochet Basics

Animal hand puppet pattern

Resources and tutorials you may find helpful in following this pattern:

This pattern is great for any advanced beginner knitters.

Hand puppet

Yield: Animal Hand Puppet

Animal Hand Puppet Knitting Pattern

Animal hand puppet pattern

This knitted animal hand puppet is made in a number of pieces and then sewn together.

Prep Time 30 minutes
Active Time 8 hours
Additional Time 1 hour
Total Time 9 hours 30 minutes
Difficulty Intermediate
Estimated Cost $15

Materials

  • 1 x 100G bulky yarn (I used Hayfield Bonus Chunky) in a light brown
  • 1 x 100G bulky yarn (Hayfield Bonus Chunky) in flesh tone/light pink
  • 1 x 50G bulky yarn in green for the jacket
  • 1 x 50G double knit yarn in brown – or a small amount for eyes and nose
  • 1 x 50G Sirdar Snuggly Snowflake yarn in white
  • 1 x Double knit yarn in pink (small amount for tongue)

Tools

  • 1 x 6.5 mm (10.5 US) knitting needles
  • 1 x 4mm (6 US) knitting needles
  • 1 x 4 mm (G/6 US) crochet hook
  • Darning needle
  • Scissors

Instructions

Body and Head – Make 2 pieces

With chunky yarn in light brown and 6.5mm (10.5 US) knitting needles cast on 20

Knit all rows until the piece measures 8 inches (This can be longer or shorter depending on how long your arm is and how long you want the body to be).

Shape head – Front piece

  1. Skpo, knit to last 2 stitches K2TOG
  2. Knit
  3. Repeat those two rows until row 13 – Change yarn to sirdar snuggly snowflake in white and knit (this is the white and fluffy nose)
  4. 14. Knit
  5. 15. Knit
  6. 16. Skpo knit to last 2 stitches K2TOG
  7. 17. Knit
  8. 18. Cast off.

Shape head – for the back piece –

  1. Skpo, knit to last 2 stitches K2TOG
  2. Knit

Repeat those two rows until you have 4 stitches left and cast off.

**Fluffy white nose on the front piece only.**

Mouth Insert

  1. With chunky yarn in flesh tone or light pink and 6.5mm (10.5 US) knitting needles cast on 4
  2. Knit 3 rows
  3. Row 4: Increase row – K1, M1, Knit to last stitch M1, K1
  4. Row 5: Knit
  5. Row 6: K1, M1, Knit to last stitch M1, K1
  6. Row 7: Knit
  7. Row 8: K1, M1, Knit to last stitch M1, K1
  8. Row 9: Knit
  9. Row 10: K1, M1, Knit to last stitch M1, K1
  10. Row 11: Knit
  11. Row 12: K1, M1, Knit to last stitch M1, K1
  12. Row 13: Knit
  13. Row 14: K1, M1, Knit to last stitch M1, K1
  14. Row 15: Knit
  15. Row 16: K1, M1, Knit to last stitch M1, K1
  16. Row 17: Knit
  17. Row 18: K1, M1, Knit to last stitch M1, K1
  18. Row 19: Knit
  19. Row 20: K1, M1, Knit to last stitch M1, K1
  20. Row 21: Knit
  21. Row 22: Knit 6 rows
  22. Row 23: – Decrease – SKPO knit to last 2 stitches K2TOG
  23. Row 24: Knit
  24. Row 25: SKPO knit to last 2 stitches K2TOG
  25. Row 26: Knit
  26. Row 27: SKPO knit to last 2 stitches K2TOG
  27. Row 28: Knit
  28. Row 29: SKPO knit to last 2 stitches K2TOG
  29. Row 30: Knit
  30. Row 31: SKPO knit to last 2 stitches K2TOG
  31. Row 32: Knit
  32. Row 33: SKPO knit to last 2 stitches K2TOG
  33. Row 34: Knit
  34. Row 35: SKPO knit to last 2 stitches K2TOG
  35. Row 36: Knit
  36. Row 37: SKPO knit to last 2 stitches K2TOG
  37. Row 38: Knit
  38. Row 39: SKPO knit to last 2 stitches K2TOG
  39. Row 40: Knit
  40. Row 41: 4 Stitches left Knit
  41. Row 42: knit
  42. Row 43: Cast off. Hand puppet

Tongue

  1. With pink double knit yarn and 4mm (US 6) knitting needles cast on 3 stitches
  2. K1, M1, K1, M1, K1
  3. Purl
  4. K2, M1, K1, M1, K2
  5. Purl
  6. K3, M1, K1, M1, K3
  7. Purl
  8. K4, M1, K1, M1, K4
  9. Purl
  10. K5, M1, K1, M1, K5
  11. Purl
  12. K6, M1, K1, M1, K6
  13. Purl
  14. K2TOG, K1, K2TOG, K8, K2TOG
  15. Purl
  16. K2TOG, K1, K2TOG, K5, K2TOG
  17. Purl
  18. K2TOG, K1, K2TOG, K2, K2TOG
  19. Purl
  20. K2TOG, K2, K2TOG
  21. Purl
  22. K2TOG, K2TOG
  23. P2TOG
  24. Fasten off.

Arms – Make 2

  1. With chunky yarn in light brown and 6.5mm (10.5 US) knitting needles cast on 6
  2. Row 1: Purl
  3. Row 2: K1, M1 to end
  4. Row 3: Purl
  5. Row 4: K1, M1, K4, M1, K1, M1, K4, M1, K1
  6. Row 5: Purl
  7. Row 6: Knit
  8. Row 7: Purl
  9. Row 8: Knit
  10. Row 9: Purl
  11. Row 10: Knit
  12. Row 11: Purl
  13. Row 12: Knit – (change to Sirdar snuggly snowflake yarn)
  14. Row 13: Purl
  15. Row 14: K1, K2TOG, K1, K2TOG, K1, K2TOG, K1, K2TOG
  16. Row 15: Purl
  17. Row 16: K1, K2TOG to end.

Ears – Make 2

  1. With chunky yarn in light brown and 6.5mm (10.5 US) knitting needles cast on 7
  2. Knit 10 rows
  3. SKPO knit to last 2 stitches K2TOG
  4. Knit
  5. Repeat the last two rows until you have 2 stitches left.
  6. Cast off.

Eyes – Make 2

With double knit yarn in brown and 4mm (US 6) Knitting needles cast on 4

  1. Purl
  2. Purl
  3. Knit
  4. Purl
  5. Knit
  6. Purl
  7. Purl
  8. K2TOG to end

Thread yarn through all edges then pull tight into a ball. Stitch through the bottom of the ball to secure. Leave a tail of at least 7 inches for sewing onto the puppet head.

Nose – Make 1

With double knit yarn in brown and 4mm (US 6) Knitting needles cast on 6

  1. Purl
  2. Purl
  3. Knit
  4. Purl
  5. Knit
  6. Purl
  7. Knit
  8. Purl
  9. Knit
  10. Purl
  11. Purl
  12. K2TOG to end.

Thread yarn through all edges then pull tight into a ball.

Stitch through the bottom of the ball to secure. Leave a tail of at least 7 inches for sewing onto the puppet head.

Making up.

  1. Stitch the eyes into place on the front headpiece.
  2. Stitch the brown nose into place on the white fluffy yarn.
  3. With brown yarn stitch, a line from the nose, and on the bottom jaw piece stitch a smile so when you close the mouth he looks like his nose and mouth connect.
  4. If you want your puppet to have whiskers, thread brown yarn onto your darning needle and knot at one end, thread through near the nose, and leave hanging free. Do three on each side.
  5. Stitch the tongue into place in the middle of the mouth insert piece.
  6. Sew the mouth insert piece to the front head/body piece (inside out) leaving a gap for where the hand will go inside
  7. Sew the mouth insert piece to the underside of the head/body piece (inside out) leaving a gap so you can fit your hand in to move the mouth.
  8. The arms should be sewn next leaving them open so you can place your thumb/fingers inside to make the bunny clap. Sew around catching the edge of the body as you go.
  9. Stitch the length of the body closed on either side with the light brown yarn.
  10. Attach the ears to the top of the head (curl the edges together to touch) and stitch around the bottom edge catching the yarn to the head as you go. Hand puppet

Crochet Jacket

The jacket is made up of 3 separate pieces that are stitched together.

Back Piece

With a 4 mm (G/6 US) crochet hook and green chunky yarn chain 30

Single crochet until piece measures 3.5 inches.

Front Piece 1

With a 4 mm (G/6 US) crochet hook and green chunky yarn chain 12

Single crochet until piece measures 3.5 inches.

Front Piece 2

With a 4 mm (G/6 US) crochet hook and green chunky yarn chain 18

Single crochet until piece measures 3.5 inches.

Trim

Add another color along the top of the jacket edge. Stitch the back collar into place so it doesn’t go over the ears.

Button Fastening

Add a button to one of the front pieces to close the jacket.

Making up

Stitch the front pieces inside out to the back piece. Leave holes on either side for the arms to fit through.

When the button is in place fasten the jacket onto the body.

Notes

Gauge - 4 inches/10 cm = 16 stitches in 14 rows of st st. (For the 6.5mm needles)

Abbreviations

K – knit

P – purl

P2tog – purl 2 stitches together

Sts – stitches

Garter stitch – every row knit

Stocking stitch – knit 1 row (front), Purl one row (back)

K2TOG – knit 2 stitches together

SKPO – slip one stitch; knit one stitch, and pass slipped stitch over knit stitch.

M1 – make one stitch

Did you make this project?

Please leave a comment on the blog or share a photo on Instagram

© Louise Bollanos
Project Type: Knitting / Category: Kids Knitting Patterns
I love seeing your finished projects!

If you enjoyed making the hand puppet, I’d love to see yours on Instagram, be sure to tag me @handylittleme.

If you are on Facebook, stop over to the handylittleme Facebook page and share a photo!  I’d love to see your work!

Happy Knitting! xoxo

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