Mermaid Hand Puppet

The Mermaid Hand Puppet is the first puppet created in my Under the Sea Puppet Collection! When I was a little girl, I wanted to be The Little Mermaid. I wanted to swim no matter what the temperature of the water. I wanted to be able to stay under water as long as humanly possible, and wished for longer! I would hold my ankles together and try to swim just like the mermaids do.

So creating this puppet was so fun for me. This is something I absolutely would have played with as a child, using my vivid imagination. You can make the Mermaid Hand Puppet in either acrylic worsted weight yarn OR cotton worsted weight yarn for a fun bathtub toy! I have not done this yet, but think it would be fantastic! 

If you’re interested in a printer-friendly PDF of the Shepherd Hand Puppet Pattern, you can find the design in my Ravelry or Etsy shops! If you prefer to use the free blog copy below, I still appreciate you being here! And another great way to support my blog is simply by sharing! Thank you for supporting my business! 

Materials:

any worsted weight yarn

Used here: Big Twist Worsted

1. Cream (A) – approximately 70 yds
2. Sage (B) – approximately 24 yds
3. Teal (C) – approximately 16 yds
4. Orange (D) – approximately 24 yds
5. Grape (E) – approximately 10 yds
6. Small amount of worsted weight black yarn for the eyes.

Crochet hook size H – 5mm

Tapestry needle

Stitch Marker

Terms and abbreviations to know:

magic ring

rnd, rnds – round, rounds

ch, chs – chain, chains

st, sts – stitch, stitches

sl st – slip stitch

sc – single crochet

hdc – half double crochet

dc – double crochet

inc – increase, 2 sts in same st

dec – decrease, used only in reference to sc sts in this pattern

sc2tog – basic decrease, turning 2 sts into 1

hdc2tog – decrease using hdc

dc2tog – decrease using dc

invsc2tog – invisible single crochet 2 together; this is essentially a decrease, but done in such a way as to make the continuous stitching smoother, and the decrease not as noticeable. 

1. Insert hook into front loop only of next stitch, DO NOT yarn over.
2. Insert hook into front loop of second stitch. 
3. Yarn over. Pull through 2 loops. 
4. Yarn over and pull through last 2 loops.

dc bobble – double crochet bobble

1. Yarn over, and insert hook into designated st.
2. Pull up a loop. 
3. Yarn over, and pull through 2 loops, leaving 2 loops left on hook.
4. Yarn over, and insert hook into same st.
5. Pull up a loop.
6. Yarn over, and pull through 2 loops, leaving 3 loops left on hook.
7. Yarn over, and insert hook into same st.
8. Pull up a loop. 
9. Yarn over, and pull through 2 loops, leaving 4 loops left on hook.
10. Yarn over, and insert hook into same st.
11. Pull up a loop.
12. Yarn over, and pull through 2 loops, leaving 5 loops left on hook.
13. ​Yarn over and pull through all 5 loops.

Notes:

The Mermaid Hand Puppet pattern is worked from the top down, in the rnd, with no joining unless specified. The arms, hair, fins, and seashell top are made separately and sewn on. The eyes are sewn on with black worsted weight yarn; the nose with matching skin color. Please note that this pattern was updated in 2023 to work with an H hook in keeping consistent with all of my more recent puppet designs, and to adjust based on available yarn colors, but any worsted weight yarns in your colors of choice would work. 

Size: This is one size, fitting child through adult, but if you wish to make it smaller for a smaller child to play with, simply tighten gauge or go down a hook size. 

Gauge: 7 sts across and 7 rnds down = approximately 2 inches

Body, beginning with the head, in A 

Begin with magic ring. 

Rnd 1: 6 sc in magic ring; 6 sts

Rnd 2: inc in each st around; 12 sts

Rnd 3: (inc, sc in next st)6x; 18 sts

Rnd 4: (inc, sc in next 2 sts)6x; 24 sts

Rnd 5: (3 inc, sc in next 9 sts)2x; 30 sts

Rnds 6-14: sc in each st around; 30 sts

Rnd 15: (3 invsc2tog, sc in next 9 sts)6x; 24 sts

Rnd 16: sc in each st around; 24 sts 

Rnd 17: (ch 7, sk next 4 sts, sc in next 8 sts)2x; 30 sts, counting the chs

Rnd 18: (sc into each of the 7 chs, sc in next 8 sts)2x; 30 sts 

Rnds 19-22: sc in each st around; 30 sts

Rnd 23: sc in next st, 3 invsc2tog, sc in next 9 sts, 3 invsc2tog, sc in next 8 sts; 24 sts

Rnd 24: sc in each st around; 24 sts

Attach B, and fasten off A.

Rnd 25: [(sc, dc, sc) in next st, sc in next st, sk next st]8x; 32 sts

Attach C, but do NOT fasten off B. You will be alternating rnds with C and B.

Rnd 26: [sk next st, sc in the dc of next shell, sk next st, (sc, dc, sc) in the next st]9x; 32 sts

Pull up B.

Rnd 27: [(sc, dc, sc) in next st, sk next st, sc in the dc of next shell, sk next st]9x, sc in the dc of last shell, sk last st; 32 sts

Rnds 28-34: continue to repeat rnds 26 and 27, alternating your colors; 32 sts

Fasten off, and weave in ends.

*Note that you are skipping the last st of your even rnds, AND the first st of you odd rnds, so the beginning of your odd rnds, it will look like you are skipping 2 sts to get to that first dc

Arms, in A, Make 2

Begin with magic ring.

Rnd 1: 6 sc in magic ring; 6 sts

Rnd 2: (inc, sc in next st)3x; 9 sts

Rnds 3-4: sc in each st around; 9 sts

Rnd 5: dc bobble, sc in next 8 sts; 9 sts 

Rnds 6-8: sc in each st around; 9 sts

Rnd 9: inc, sc in next 8 sts; 10 sts

Rnd 10: sc in each st around; 10 sts

Rnd 11: inc, sc in next 9 sts; 11 sts

Rnd 12: sc in each st around; 11 sts

Rnd 13: inc, sc in next 10 sts; 12 sts

Fasten off, leaving a long tail for sewing, and sew the arms onto the arm holes. Knot inside the body of the puppet and weave in ends. 

Fins, in B
Ch 16
Row 1: turn and dc into 3rd ch from hook, dc in next 3 chs, hdc in next 4 chs, sc in next 4 chs, loosely sl st into last 2 sts; 14 sts
Row 2: ch 1 and turn, BLO loosely sl st into next 2 sts, sc in next 4 sts, hdc in next 4 sts, 2 dc2tog, 12 sts
Row 3: ch 2 and turn, BLO dc2tog, hdc2tog, hdc in 2 next sts, sc in next 4 sts, loosely sl st into next 2 sts; 10 sts
Row 4: ch 1 and turn, BLO loosely sl st into next 2 sts, sc in next 4 sts, 2 hdc2tog; 8 sts
Row 5: ch 1 and turn, BLO hdc2tog, sc2tog, sc in next 2 sts, loosely sl st into last 2 sts; 6 sts
Row 6: ch 1 and turn, BLO sc in each st across; 6 sts
Row 7: ch 1 and turn, BLO 2 hdc in next st, 2 sc in next st, sc in next 2 sts, loosely sl st into last 2 sts; 8 sts
Row 8: ch 1 and turn, BLO loosely sl st into first 2 sts, sc in next 4 sts, 2 hdc in each of the last 2 sts; 10 sts
Row 9: ch 2 and turn, BLO 2 dc in first st, 2 hdc in next st, hdc in next 2 sts, sc in next 4 sts, loosely sl st into last 2 sts; 12 sts
Row 10: ch 1 and turn, BLO loosely sl st into first 2 sts, sc in next 4 sts, hdc in next 4 sts, 2 dc in each of the last 2 sts ; 14 sts
Row 11: ch 1 and turn, BLO dc in next 4 sts, hdc in next 4 sts, sc in next 4 sts, sl st in last 2 sts; 14 sts
Do NOT turn. After the last st, ch 2, dc into same st as last sl st, then work as follows across the bottom of the fin – dc, 2 hdc, 2 sc, 2 sl st. Do NOT go up the side of the other fin, but fasten off here, leaving a long tail for sewing.
​Sew the fin to the bottom end of the back, below the arm, so that it is as though the fin is waving behind the mermaid. You can sew it to either side. Weave in ends.

Shell Top, in E, Make 2
Ch 4
Row 1: sc in 2nd ch from hook, and remaining 2 chs; 3 sts
Row 2: ch 1 and turn, inc, sc in next st, inc; 5 sts
Row 3: ch 2 and turn, dc in next 2 sts, 3 dc in next st, dc in last 2 sts; 8 sts
Row 4: ch 1 and turn, (inc in next st, sl st in next st)3x, inc in last st; 11 sts
Do not turn, sl st down the side, across the bottom, and up the other side, but do NOT sl st across the top.
Fasten off, leaving a long tail for sewing, and sew onto the front of your mermaid just above rnd 26, under the arms, but centered.

Hair, in D or hair color of choice 

Ch 7

Row 1: sc in 2nd ch from hook and next 5 chs; 6 sts

Row 2: ch 1 and turn, inc, sc in next 4 sts, inc; 8 sts

Row 3: ch 1 and turn, inc, sc in next 6 sts, inc; 10 sts

Rows 4-12: ch 1 and turn, sc in each st across; 10 sts

Row 13: ch 1 and turn, dec, sc in next 6 sts, dec; 8 sts

Row 14: ch 1 and turn, dec, sc in next 4 sts, dec; 6 sts

Do not turn.

Rnd 1: beginning with a sc in the same st as last st in row 14, continue to work 38 sc evenly around the hair until you get back to where you started. This amounts to 13 sc down each side, and 6 sc across the bottom and the top. Sl st into the first st of the rnd to join, and continue forming the bangs.

Side swept bangs are worked in rows which run perpendicular to the top of the hair. Each row is in (). 

Begin with sl st into next st, (ch 4, turn and inc in 2nd ch from hook, inc in next 2 chs, sl st into next 2 sts of rnd 1)2x, (ch 5, turn and inc in 2nd ch from hook, inc in next 3 chs, sl st into next 2 sts of rnd 1)2x, (ch 6, turn and inc in 2nd ch from hook, inc in next 4 chs, sl st into next st of rnd 1), (ch 8, turn and inc in 2nd ch from hook, inc in next 6 chs, sl st into next st of rnd 1).  

Do NOT fasten off. 

Continue working sc in next 20 sts around. Then work the side swept hair in rows, perpendicular to and joining rnd 1.

Ch 15

Row 1: turn and sl st into 3rd ch from hook, sc in next 4 chs, hdc in next 8 chs, sl st into next 2 sts of rnd 1; 15 sts

Row 2: ch 1 and turn, sk 2 sl sts, hdc in next 6 sts, sc in next 5 sts, sl st in next st, and leave last st unworked; 12 sts

Row 3: ch 1 and turn, sk sl st, sl st in next st, sc in next 3 sts, hdc in next 7 sts, sl st in next 2 sts of rnd 1; 13 sts

Row 4: ch 1 and turn, sk 2 sl sts, hdc in next 5 sts, sc in next 4 sts, sl st in next st, leave last st unworked; 10 sts

Row 5: ch 1 and turn, sk sl st, sl st in next st, sc in next 3 sts, hdc in next 5 sts, sl st in next 2 sts of rnd 1; 11 sts

Fasten off, leaving a VERY long tail for sewing. You may need to pin this into place to sew properly, but align so that the bangs and the lower sweep of hair are placed toward your left (puppet’s right). Sew all the way around the head, sewing each piece of the bangs down, individually, both to the head and to each other. Then sew the lower sweep of hair placed over top of the doll’s right arm. Sew it to the head, and a little down the arm. Weave in ends.