Wee Mouse

Free Mouse Toy Knitting Pattern by Raynor Gellatly.

This little fellow was inspired by one of my favourite poems by a famous Scottish poet called Robert Burns, the poem is titled To a mouse.

In the poem it talks of how the mouse has been run out of his nest by a farm field being ploughed. the picture of the wee mouse shows how he has now made a new home in a caravan at the bottom of my gardern!

Truth be told this little mouse actually started out as a hamster when I sat down with my ball of scrap yarn to create. However the more I knit on the more I realised he actually looked like a little field mouse, and so Wee Mouse was created. As you may already know wee means tiny or very small in Scotland,

He knits up super quick even for those who aren't fast knitters, because he is only a tiny 3.5" tall. As usual knit on two straight needles but you'll be better using two dpns as the pattern calls for I-cord as well.

Material

Materials
• Set of 3.25mm needles (UK size 10, US size 3)
• Yarn needle
• Toy stuffing
• Pink embroidery thread
• 5mm safety eyes or black yarn/thread

Yarn colours
• Brown
• Beige

Yarn weight: Double knitting/ worsted weight

Gauge: not important but make it tight so stuffing doesn’t show through

Finished measurements: approx 3.5" tall

Click here for my abbreviation list

TOY SAFETY
Remember never use toy safety eyes on a toy intended for a child under 3 years old, they are a potential choking hazard, please embroider on any features so they cannot be easily removed by little fingers or gnashers!

Please click here for my copyright info

HeadCO 6 in brown
1. purl
2. *kfb* along(12sts)
3. purl
4. *kfb, k1* along(18sts)
5. purl
6. knit
7. purl
8. *k2tog,k1* along(12sts)
9. purl
10. knit
11. purl
12. *k2tog* along(6sts)

Cut yarn, leaving a long tail. Draw tail through remaining stitches and pull tightly and secure. Use tail to mattress stitch row ends closed stopping halfway to add eyes and embroider on a nose and fill with stuffing. Close remaining opening and secure any loose yarn ends.

BodyCO 6 in brown
1. purl
2. *kfb* along (12sts)
3. purl
4. *kfb,k1* along (18sts)
5-13. Begin with purl and st-st 9 rows
14. *k2tog* along (9sts)
15. BO

BO remaining stitches leaving a long tail. Use tail to mattress stitch the body closed stopping halfway to fill with stuffing. Continue to mattress stitch until you reach the cast on stitches. Draw the yarn through the cast off stitches, pull tightly and secure. Weave in any leftover yarn ends.

Arms
CO 4 in brown
1-5. i-cord for 5 rows

Cut a long yarn tail and draw it through the remaining stitches,leave the remaining yarn tail to attach arms to body.

Legs
CO 6 in brown
1-7. Begin with purl and st-st 7 rows

Cut yarn leaving a long yarn tail to mattress stitch the row end together. Continue up to the cast on stitches, then draw through all the cast on stitches to give a drawstring effect, pull tightly and secure and leave a long tail to sew onto body.

Ears
CO 3 on brown
1. purl
2. *kfb* along (6sts)
3. purl
4. BO leaving a long yarn tail

Fold the ear in half width wise and stitch from the BO stitches down to the CO stitches. Leave a long yarn tail to attach to head.


Tail
CO 2 in beige
1-9. I-cord for 9 rows

Cut a long yarn tail and draw it through the remaining stitches,leave the remaining yarn tail to attach arms to body.

If you knit up a wee mouse please post your pictures on the knitted toy box flickr group or if your a member of Ravelry put it on your project page so I can have a peek. I'd love to see the secret lives of your little mice.
Happy knitting everyone
Raynor x