Sometime in the summer, I agreed to knit a turkey finger puppet for my friend, Julie. Actually, we had just met that night and totally bonded over several martinis and the fact that we were both left-handed Julies. Since then, we have become friends even while sober, and it was her birthday this month. So I thought it was high time I came through on my drunken turkey finger puppet promise:

Turkey Finger Puppet
(great pattern name, I know. I’m so imaginative, it hurts.)

Materials:
– set of 3.25 mm dpns
– any kind of worsted weight yarn (this makes for a stiffer puppet, but that helps keep the tail upright. Sport weight could also be used, but will result in a floppier tail) in dark brown, beige, white, burgundy, and some yellow for embroidering the beak.

Body:
Cast on 17 stitches in dark brown. Join for knitting in the round.

Knit in the round until the body is 3 inches long. Change to burgundy yarn for ribbing.

In burgundy yarn, *k1, p1*, and at the same time, increase 4 stitches evenly in this round. Do 3 more rows of k1, p1 ribbing (4 rows total).

Knit(knit all stitches) 5 more rounds.

Decrease: *k2tog, k1*, repeat to end of round.

Knit one round.

K2tog all stitches, then thread remaining loops with a tapestry needle and sew up tight.

Tail:
In beige yarn, cast on 50 stitches. The tail will be worked flat on two of the dpns.

*k2, p2* for three rows.

Switch to dark brown yarn. *k2,p2* for 3 rows.

Decrease: k2, p2tog, until end of row.

Next row: p2, k1 until end of row.

Change to white yarn. k2, p1 to end of row.

Change to beige. p2, k1 to end of row.

Decrease: k2 tog, p1 to end of row.

Next row: p1, k1 to end.

Change to dark brown. k1,p1 to end. Continue in dark brown, in pattern, for another 3rows.

Decrease: *p2tog, k2tog* until last stitch. k1.

Next row: p1, k1, to end.

k1, p1 to end.

Change to white, contiue in pattern for one row. Then cast off, in pattern.

Here’s a clear shot of the back of tail, for reference:

Wings: (make 2)

In white yarn, cast on 4 stitches. Change to beige.

Purl one row. Knit one row. Purl one row.

Change to dark brown, do four rows in the established stockinette. Cast off.

Finishing:

Weave in all ends (this takes longer than it does to knit the thing, I found). Taking a small amount of dark brown, make french knots for the eyes. The beak is nothing more than one straight stitch down the middle. The red waddle is done by making a loose loop in burgundy, and then keeping your finger in the loop as your pull it taut. While keeping the loop intact, remove finger, and make another (much smaller) straight stitch across the loop to secure it in place.

As for the tail, I used the white to secure the cast off edge to the puppet, and the dark brown to sew the bottom dark brown portion to the back of the puppet as well. This seems to provide a stable tail. Sew on wings wherever you would like them.
I liked doing the ribbing for the head, since I find that without some kind of head definition, some finger puppets look like condoms. But not this little guy!

Rumor has it that American thanksgiving is coming up soon (this week? next week? I have no idea), so I guess it’s seasonally appropriate!

And if anyone finds any pattern problems, let me know.