Caterpillar Hand Puppet, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland Puppet

The Caterpillar Hand Puppet Pattern is the next in our series! He was such a fun one to make! While reading Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, if you’ve seen the movie first, it is almost impossible to read the Caterpillar’s lines without the pauses and severe punctuation. He has so many short lines of questioning; who and why and he talks poor Alice in circles!

“Come back!” the Caterpillar called after her. “I’ve something important to say!”

This sounded promising, certainly. Alice turned and came back again.

“Keep your temper,” said the Caterpillar.

If you’re interested in a printer-friendly PDF of the Caterpillar 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! 

If you are interested in the entire Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland Puppet Collection, check out the Supply List for all the supplies needed, as well as updated links to each pattern that has already been shared! 

Materials:

Worsted Weight (4) Yarn

Red Heart With Love

1. Peacock – Body (A), approximately 89 yds

Red Heart Super Saver Yarns

1. Buff – face, belly, legs (B), approximately 45 yds

1. Saffron – sleeves (C), approximately 16 yds

Small amount of worsted black for the eyes. 

Crochet Hook, H-5mm

Scissors

Stitch marker

Tapestry needle

Terms and abbreviations to know:

magic ring

rnd, rnds – round, rounds

ch, chs – chain, chains

st, sts – stitch, stitches

sl st – slip stitch

sk – skip

sp – space

sc – single crochet

inc – increase, 2 sc sts in same st

BLO – back loop only

FLO – front loop only

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.

puff st – puff stitch

1. Yarn over and insert hook into next st.
2. Yarn over and pull up a loop (3 loops on hook).
3. Yarn over and insert hook back into same st.
4. Yarn over and pull up a loop (5 loops on hook).
5. Yarn over and insert hook back into same st.
6. Yarn over and pull up a loop (7 loops on hook).
7. Yarn over and pull through all 7 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 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 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 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 on hook.
13. Yarn over and pull through all 5 loops.

popcorn st – popcorn stitch, used for the little legs 

1. Make 5 dc sts in same st
2. Drop loop of the last dc.
3. Insert hook into the top of the 1st dc sts.
4. Pick up dropped loop from the last dc.
5. Pull dropped loop through the top of the 1st dc.

Notes:

The body of the Caterpillar Hand Puppet is worked from the top down, in the rnd, with some joining, only where specified. The arms, face, and belly with legs are made separately and sewn on. The eyes are sewn on as well. 

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 the gauge or go down a hook size. 

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

Caterpillar Hand Puppet

Body – beginning at the head, with (A)

Begin with a 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

Rnd 6: sc in next 2 sts, 3 inc, sc in next 12, 3 inc, sc in next 10 sts; 36 sts

Rnds 7-13: sc in each st around; 36 sts

Rnd 14: (6 dec, sc in next 6 sts)2x, join to the first st with a sl st; 24 sts

Rnd 15: ch 1, puff st into same st as joining sl st, puff st in next 3 sts, sc in next 11 sts, puff st in next 9 sts, join to the first puff st with sl st; 24 sts

Rnd 16: ch 1, sc in same st as joining sl st, sc in next st, ch 7, sk next 4 sts, sc in next 8 sts, ch 7, sk next 4 sts, sc in next 6 sts, do NOT join, continue in continuous rnds; 30 sts including the chs

Rnd 17: sc in first 2 sts, sc in first 2 chs, inc in next 3 chs, sc in next 2 chs, sc in next 8 sts, sc in next 2 chs, inc in next 3 chs, sc in next 2 chs, sc in next 6 sts; 36 sts

Rnds 18-22: sc in each st around; 36 sts

Rnd 23: sc in next 2 sts, 6 invsc2tog, sc in next 6 sts, 6 invsc2tog, sc in next 4 sts, join to the first st with sl st; 24 sts

Rnd 24: ch 1, puff st into same st as joining sl st, puff st in next 5 sts, sc in next 11 sts, puff st in next 7 sts, join to the first puff st with sl st; 24 sts 

Rnd 25: ch 1, sc in same st as joining sl st, sc in next 2 sts, 6 inc, sc in next 6 sts, 6 inc, sc in next 3 sts, do NOT join, continue in continuous rnds; 36 sts

Rnds 26-30: sc in each st around; 36 sts

Rnd 31: sc in next 4 sts, 6 invsc2tog, sc in next 6 sts, 6 invsc2tog, sc in next 2 sts, join to the first st with sl st; 24 sts

Rnd 32: ch 1, puff st into same st as joining sl st, puff st in next 6 sts, sc in next 11 sts, puff st in next 6 sts, join to the first puff st with sl st; 24 sts

Rnd 33: ch 1, sc in same st as joining sl st, sc in next 3 sts, 6 inc, sc in next 6 sts, 6 inc, sc in next 2 sts, do NOT join, continue in continuous rnds; 36 sts

Rnds 34-38: sc in each st around; 36 sts

Rnd 39: (sc in next 6 sts, 6 invsc2tog)2x, join to the first st with sl st; 24 sts

Rnd 40: ch 1, puff st into same st as joining sl st, puff st in next 8 sts, sc in next 11 sts, puff st in next 4 sts, join to the first puff st with sl st; 24 sts

Fasten off and weave in ends. 

Sleeves, in C Make 2 

Begin with a long tail for sewing later, and ch 12, join to the first ch with sl st, careful not to twist your ch.

Rnd 1: ch 1, sc in same ch as joining sl st, sc in each ch around, do NOT join, but work in continuous rnds; 12 sts

Rnds 2-4: sc in each st around; 12 sts

Rnd 5: FLO (inc, sc in next 3 sts)3x; 15 sts

Rnd 6: sc in each st around; 15 sts

Rnd 7: (inc, sc in next 4 sts)3x; 18 sts

Rnd 8: sc in each st around; 18 sts

Fasten off and weave in the last tail. Set aside and make the hands.

Hands, Make 2

In B

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 6-7: sc in each st around; 9 sts

Rnd 8: (inc, sc in next 2 sts)3x; 12 sts

Fasten off, leaving a long tail for sewing. 

Assembly

Using your beginning tail of the sleeves, sew onto the arm holes of the puppet, and weave in ends. Then fold the last 4 rows of the sleeve down, and sew the last rnd of the hand to the unworked loops of rnd 4 of the sleeves. Be sure to have the thumbs (the bobbles) facing in toward the head. Fasten off, and weave in ends. 

Face, Belly, Legs in B

Ch 6

Row 1: turn and sc in 2nd ch from hook, sc in next 4 chs; 5 sts

Row 2: ch 1 and turn, inc, sc in next 3 sts, inc; 7 sts

Row 3: ch 1 and turn, inc, sc in next 5 sts, inc; 9 sts

Row 4: ch 1 and turn, inc, sc in next 7 sts, inc; 11 sts

Row 5: ch 1 and turn, sc in each st across; 11 sts

Row 6: ch 1 and turn, inc, sc in next 9 sts, inc; 13 sts

Rows 7-9: ch 1 and turn, sc in each st across; 13 sts

Row 10: ch 1 and turn, dec, sc in next 4 sts, dc bobble, sc in next 4 sts, dec; 11 sts

Row 11: ch 1 and turn, dec, sc in next 7 sts, dec; 9 sts

Row 12: ch 1 and turn, BLO sc in each st across; 9 sts

Row 13: ch 1 and turn, sc in each st across; 9 sts

Row 14: ch 1 and turn, inc, sc in next 7 sts, inc; 11 sts

Row 15: ch 1 and turn, inc, sc in next 9 sts, inc; 13 sts

Rows 16-19: ch 1 and turn, sc in each st across; 13 sts

Row 20: ch 1 and turn, BLO sc in next st, popcorn st, sc in next 9 sts, popcorn st, sc in last st; 13 sts

Rows 21-25: ch 1 and turn, sc in each st across; 13 sts

Row 26: repeat row 20

Rows 27-31: ch 1 and turn, sc in each st across; 13 sts

Row 32: repeat row 20; 13 sts

Fasten off, leaving a long tail for sewing. 

Before sewing: with the face/front panel right side facing, reattach color A with sl st to the right side at row 4, puff st in the same sp as sl st, puff st up the side in the side of rows 3, 2, and 1, work 5 puff sts along the beginning ch at the top of the face, then 4 puff sts down the other side of rows 1-4, ch 1 and sl st into the same sp as the last puff st. Fasten off leaving a long tail for sewing.

Eyes: Using black yarn, sew the eyes to rows 5 and 6, 2 sts in from the sides, with 1 st between them. Knot the black yarn in the back before sewing the face to the body of the puppet. 

Sew this front body panel to the front of the puppet, with the puff sts at the top at about rnd 3, and lining up the legs to the puff st rnds of the body. Weave in ends. 

I hope you have enjoyed making the Caterpillar Hand Puppet! If you love this design, be sure to check out some of my other free patterns on the blog! Follow me along on Instagram for more sneak peeks and new pattern releases! If you loved making any of my patterns, and show them off on Instagram, please be sure to tag @ekaygdesigns to let me know, and I will share in my stories!