Eight years ago I wrote a pattern for knitting a mouse. High time for an translation of this (free) pattern. Check out this step by step guide with lots of photos!
knitted mouse
First version: May 2015
Translation: April 2023
Free knitting pattern, flat knitted on 2 needles.
Make your cat happy! A playing cat is a joy forever. My cat: Please knit me lots of mice ❤️
Material
- Left over yarn. The exemples are knitted with Katia Baby Jacquard (color 93)
- Filling or left over yarn to fill the mouse
- Two straight 3 mm knitting needles (size C2 US, 11 UK)
- 3 mm crochet hook without a handle
- Thin darning needle
Used stitches
- Knit (k) and purl (p)
- Stockingstitch (ss): 1 row knit stitches, 1 row purl stitches
- Increase: purl one, then insert the left needle from below into the loop and purl this stitch as well (see photo in description)
- p2tog: purl 2 together
- psso: pass the slip stitch over
- sl1 kw: slip one knitwise = slip the first stitch of the row without knitting it
- sl1 pw: slip one purlwise
- (..) the number in brackets is the number of stitches at the end of the row
Knitting Mouse Pattern
Cast on 6 stitches. Make sure to leave a tail of at least 50 cm (20 inches), which you will use later.
Row 1: knit
Row 2: p1, increase 4x, p1 (10)
Row 3: knit
Row 4: p1, increase 8x, p1 (18)
Row 5: knit
Row 6: p1, increase 16x, p1 (34)
Row 7 – 20: stocking stitch
Row 21: * k2, k2tog *, repeat 3x from * to *, k2, ** sl1 kw, k1, psso, k2 **, repeat 3x from ** to ** (26)
Row 22: purl
Row 23: * k1, k2tog *, repeat 3x from * to *, k2, ** sl1 kw, k1, psso, k1 **, repeat 3x from ** to ** (18)
Row 24: purl
Row 25: 4x p2tog, k2, ** sl1 kw, k1, psso, k1 **, repeat 3x from ** to ** (10)
Row 26: purl
Row 27: 2x p2tog, k2, ** sl1 kw, k1, psso, k1 **, repeat from ** to ** (6)
Cut the yarn at approx. 40 cm (16 inches), stitch with a (thin) darning needle through the remaining stitches and through the loop that this creates. This forms the tip of the nose.
Sew up a small piece of the mouse.
Use backstitches. Pick up two ‘intermediate loops’ on one side and then two ‘intermediate loops’ on the other side. After ‘zigzagging’ a few times, pull the yarn carefully to a tight seam. After a few cm (an inch), let the yarn hang loose and continue with the ears and eyes.
You can see the forehead of the mouse (arrows) on the two stitches you knitted in the middle. You can mark the location of the ears.
Make 7 stitches with a crochet hook without a handle and slide them off the back to the knitting needle. Knit an ear as follows:
Row 1: averecht
Row 2: sl1 kw, k1, slip 1 knitwise, k1, psso, k2tog, k1 (5)
Row 3: slip first stitch purlwise (selvage edge), 2x p2tog (3)
Cut the yarn, seam it through the remaining stitches and in the loop that is created as a result. Knit a second ear and cast off.
Embroider the eyes with a dark yarn. Four stitches per eye.
Twist the yarn of the tail and it will automatically curl. Sew the butt of the mouse with the end of the yarn.
Fill the mouse and sew the last piece of the body with backstitches.
Lots of knitting & playing fun!