Fingerpuppet sources
Monday November 02nd 2009, 11:26 pm
Filed under: Family,Knit

Lots of shorter private answers, time to write a public one.  The fingerpuppets: I originally discovered their existence at a booth at Stitches West, years ago, when I bought a little penguin and put it on the joystick of my electric chair that I use for long days out. I found it was at eye level to and made me instant friends with every little kid being dragged around by their moms, and I ended up going back and buying more.

I later googled, found my own bulk supplier, and ordered directly from Peru–but that website has since disappeared. (I’m sure there are others now.)

So these days I take the easy way out and order them via Ebay.  Here‘s one seller, 20 for $20, free shipping, or he’s also got 50 for $34. Or here, 50 wool ones for $38.99 including shipping.  Some sellers will let you specify what type you want–farm animals, llamas, fish, people–some won’t. If you don’t want Decembery-specific ones right now, do say so.

Although, remember my dad’s axiom and be careful how you state your preferences: people remember the negative item only out of the negative request. He once ordered me a birthday cake in “anything but chocolate” while making reservations for a surprise party, and all the restaurant remembered was that lovely word “chocolate.” I got THE most glorious, the most intensely chocolatey cake my 13-year-old self could possibly have hoped for. I was in heaven.

Dad, whose allergy to the stuff was why we didn’t have it around the house, was not amused. At the time.

Back to the puppets.  The last time I bought them, it was a seller in Peru for whom I was his fifth Ebay sale. Unfortunately, his second and third sales went to someone who didn’t understand that the guy was in a third world country and mail might occasionally go at llama pace down there; they negatively rated him over a three-week delivery time, and he disappeared shortly after. Which is a shame; $24 for 100 plus $12 shipping?  Well worth the wait; I keep hoping he’ll pop back up again somehow (or I could certainly try googling again).

At any of those prices, one of those finger puppets is a heck of a lot cheaper than, say, paying the $4 bridge toll over the San Francisco Bay for the guy driving behind you.

Which is great fun and highly recommended too.  Cheap thrills.  I love’em.


12 Comments so far
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Thanks for this post. As I was waiting for my car to be finished at the dealership yesterday I was thinking about finding a source for the finger puppets. (new tire due to two nails close together, and both near the sidewall.)

Comment by Barbara-Kay 11.03.09 @ 3:25 am

What a great idea. The finger puppets are just precious. Thanks for the link, Alison!

Comment by Karen 11.03.09 @ 6:22 am

Neato!! Thanks for sharing your resources.

Comment by Channon 11.03.09 @ 8:04 am

I am usually at wheelchair height. When do I get to see a puppet?

Humor –

PUNNIES
I wondered why the baseball was getting bigger, then it hit me. 

Police were called to a daycare where a three-year-old was resisting a rest. 

Did you hear about the guy whose whole left side was cut off? He’s all right now. 

The roundest knight at King Arthur’s round table was Sir Cumference. 

Comment by Don Meyer 11.03.09 @ 10:35 am

Very cool! I love those finger puppets; I’ve picked them up from time to time in different places (including the Phoebe Hearst museum at Cal). They make lovely small gifts for kids…

Comment by Jocelyn 11.03.09 @ 12:56 pm

(Off topic) Have you received your October yarn from Three Irish Girls? thanks, gina.

Comment by gina 11.03.09 @ 1:03 pm

You are a blessing to me. You are always upbeat and more concerned with the welfare of others than your own concerns. I strive to interact with folks I meet the way you do.
Thank-you!

Comment by debra 11.03.09 @ 3:22 pm

And if one is desperate to make one’s own, there is a great pattern in an old Knitty – 2003 I think…

Comment by Joan 11.03.09 @ 4:48 pm

You have given me inspiration for next Halloween. Thanks!

Comment by Madeline 11.03.09 @ 8:50 pm

I can only agree with Debra — you inspire me to look beyond my own little troubles, and to try to make someone’s life a little easier, even if it’s only by smiling at them. Thank you for that!

Oh, and Joan, good memory! It was Summer 2003’s Knitty!
http://www.knitty.com/ISSUEsummer03/PATTpuppers.html

Comment by Pegi 11.03.09 @ 9:30 pm

There’s a book out now with patterns too…

Comment by AlisonH 11.03.09 @ 10:20 pm

More puppets. After I did the “buy it now” thing on the lot of 50 puppets, I see this: http://cgi.ebay.com/100-Handknitted-Finger-Puppets-PERU-Alpaca-Llama-Others_W0QQitemZ140339032505QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item20acdbb1b9

Next time! 🙂

Comment by Karen L 11.11.09 @ 6:56 pm



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