Crochet Pilgrim Finger Puppet Pattern

Well, as promised, here is the crochet pattern for the pilgrim finger puppet, I made this weekend.

I'm not really a pattern writer, so you might have to use your imagination some. Still, if you're interested in crocheting a pilgrim finger puppet, this will get you started.

Puppet:

Chain 2, with a cream colored yarn.
Rnd 1: Work 4 single stitch(sc), in first chain(ch). Do not join the rounds.
Rnd 2: 2 sc in each sc around - 8 sc.
Rnd 3: *2 sc in next sc, sc in next sc; repeat from * around - 12 sc.
Rnd 4: *2 sc in next sc, sc in each of the next 2 sc; repeat from * around - 16 sc.
Rnds 5-7: Sc in each sc around.
Rnd 8: *Sc two together(2tog), sc in each of the next 2 sc, rep from * around - 12 sc.
Rnd 9: *Sc 2tog, sc in the next sc, rep from * around - 8 sc.
Embroider eyes, mouth onto face (with single stitches of black yarn, and two stitches of red).
Change to black yarn.
Rnds 10-15: Sc in each sc around.
Fasten off.

Ears (make 2):

Ch 3, with cream colored yarn.
Slip st through the first ch.
Fasten off, and sew to the side of the puppet head.

Arms (Make 2):

Ch 4, with black yarn.
Starting in second ch from the hook, sc in each ch.
Fold vertically, and slip st the through last stitch and the ch to fold the arm vertically, making it like a cord.
Hook through some white yarn, and sc a couple of stitches onto the end of the arm to make a ball like hand. (I'm sorry if this isn't terribly clear - it only takes a tiny bit of white at the end of the arms, and I just muddled my way through it.)
Sew arms to the side of the puppet.

Collar:

Ch 19, in white. (Depending on your gage, you might need fewer, or more stitches. You need it long enough to wrap around the puppet's neck).
Starting at the second st from the hook, st in every ch.
Fasten off with a long tail.
Use the tail to sew the top edge of the collar around the puppets neck, bringing the two ends together, but not connected, in front.

Hat:

Ch 2 in black.
Rnd 1: Work 4 sc into the first ch.
Rnd 2: 2 sc in each sc - 8 sc.
Rnd 3: In back loops only, 1 sc in each sc - 8sc.
Rnd 4: In both loops, 1 sc in each sc.
Rnd 5: In front loops only, 1 sc in each sc.
Rnd 6: In both loops again, *2 sc in next sc, sc in next sc, repeat from * around - 12 sc.
Rnd 7: *2 sc in next sc, sc in each of the next 2 scs, repeat from * around - 16 sc.
Rnd 8: *2 sc in next sc, sc in each of the next 3 scs, repeat from * around - 20 sc.
Fasten off. Weave in loose end.

Ch 10, or how many it takes to fit as a belt around the hat. Sew it on around the hat, with the loose end, and sew on four stitches of grey, or gold yarn for the buckle.

Sew the hat to the puppet's head.

If you have any questions about this pattern, I will try to answer them. But, as time passes, I will totally forget everything - and then, your guess will be as good as mine.

It's great to be a homeshooler.

Toilet Paper Tube Indian, or Harvest Corn Napkin Rings, and Decorations.

After seeing the pretty Thanksgiving corn craft, on Ramblings of a Crazy Woman (via One Pretty Thing), and since I already had the construction paper out, I decided to do one more quick, Indian/harvest corn craft, with the girls.

I had them cut strips of brown, yellow, red, and orange construction paper into squares. C (age 4), was especially fond of this step.

Then, they glued their paper kernels onto empty toilet paper rolls.

The younger girls were a good deal more haphazard in their kernel placement, than their older sisters - but the copious amount of glue they used, held everything in place.

When they were dry, or at least mostly dry, I stuffed some lunch size paper bags, through them. Recycled, brown, packing paper would be even better.

Then, I ripped, and twisted the tops, to suggest dried husks...

...tied them together with ribbons...

...and hung them up.

I didn't glue the paper bags to the toilet paper tubes, they're just held in place by friction, because I want to be able to easily remove them, so on Thanksgiving Day, they can double as napkin rings.

It's great to be a homeschooler.

Indian, or Harvest Corn, Paper Weaving Craft For Children

Thanksgiving time just begs for a children's, paper weaving, craft. But, taking on an entire place mat's worth of weaving construction paper, can be a bit much for younger children.

I decided to start mine off with a smaller, cob of corn, sized project for a warm-up.

It's pretty simple. Cut a roughly corn shaped piece out of brown construction paper.

Fold it, and cut vertical slits, leaving about 1/4 inch from the edge, intact.



Give it to your child, with thin strips of construction paper, in orange, red, and yellow, and let the weaving begin.


When they are done, have them glue down the loose ends, to the brown piece.

Then, trim off the extra, around the edges.

Depending on how corn shaped your original piece was, you will either have a lovely, cob of colorful corn, or a fall colored Easter egg.

The nice thing about harvest, or Indian corn is that even if the children make a mistake, and forget to alternate a strip, it only adds to the random kernel effect.

It's great to be homeschooler.

A Picture's Worth a Thousand Words

E (age 5) drew this picture of me, and I don't know... she says the hippy part is a puffy skirt...but I'm thinking, maybe it's time to up the exercise.


It's great to be a homeschooler.

What My Child is Reading - A Journey Into American History

You might have noticed our crafts are transitioning toward Thanksgiving. Our history lessons, and reading are, too. This time of year we tend to fall naturally into a study of early American history.

This year though, after enjoying a little pre-Columbus Day foray into the voyages of the Vikings. I'm hoping to cover more with the children, than the usual Plymouth fare.

I'm thinking conquistadors, and early Indian slave trade (Squanto couldn't have been the only one captured, and taken off to Europe), and some of the non-English colonies, early in the country's forming.

Finding good books for children, on this time period, has proved challenging. I have a few ordered in at the library, but for the most part, the choices were dismal, and disheartening. I did happen onto a radio interview of Tony Horwitz, on YouTube, discussing his book A Voyage Long and Strange: Rediscovering the New World. It is not written for children, but it does seem to cover exactly what I was looking for.

So, it's become our family read-aloud for the month. So far, we've made it through the prologue in which Mr. Horwitz promises to take us on a journey through some of the lesser studied parts of the American past, and the first two chapters, about the Vikings, and Columbus.

It's part travelogue, part history book, and written in a very accessible, conversational style, that so far, has kept the entire family engaged (as long as the little ones have coloring sheets). It is not written for children however, and the language from time to time, is colorful - but nothing that the careful reader can't sidestep. So, while it's not one I'd give to the children to read alone, it has made for some interesting, and entertaining evenings, together.

Find out what other families are reading, at this week's What My Child is Reading blog-hop, hosted by Mouse Grows, Mouse Learns.







It's great to be a homeschooler.

Crochet Pilgrim Finger Puppet Preview

Do you remember last year's crocheted turkey finger puppet?

I think I've found him a friend.

This is what happens when I stay up too late, watching Netflix, with the Man of the House. Anyway, it's a work in progress.

I have a little more tweaking to do, and then I'll try to get something like a pattern up, for anyone who's interested. So, check back.

In the meantime, I'm going to get some much needed sleep.

It's great to be a homeschooler.

Pilgrim and Indian Windowsill Egghead Planters

C (age 4), still had some crafty energy left, after all our thankful turkeys were complete. Actually, I don't know if she so much wanted to craft, or if she just wasn't ready to relinquish the glue stick.

At any rate, I cut, and she glued, and together we turned three more toilet paper tubes into a seasonal change of clothing, for our egghead planters, on the kitchen windowsill.

Thankfully, two of the scarecrow mouths were drawn with pencil, so I could easily erase their stitchy grins, and give them normal smiles. For the one in pen...

My first attempt, at disguising the scarecrow, cross-stitches, caused the Man of the House, to say, "How doest thou?" in his best, Italian-Pilgrim-English, every time he walked by. So, I ended up turning the egg around, and drawing a new face, altogether.

Now, our pilgrim gentleman is two-faced. Which, depending on your view of the early American settlers, and their policies toward the native peoples, might be fitting. We weren't going for symbolism, though, just for something cute to put on the windowsill.

It's great to be a homeschooler.