Knitted Strawberry Mouse
The knitted strawberry mouse is an adorable and whimsical creation that brings a touch of sweetness and charm wherever it goes. With its vibrant red color and cute little ears, this handmade toy is sure to capture the hearts of both children and adults alike. Its soft, knitted texture makes it perfect for cuddling or displaying as a cute decoration in any room. Whether given as a gift or kept as a delightful addition to your own collection, the knitted strawberry mouse is bound to bring joy and smiles to anyone who lays eyes on it. Its charming design and intricate details showcase the love and craftsmanship that went into making this lovable little creature a truly special and heartwarming treasure.
You will need:
– 4mm double pointed knitting needles
– DK yarn in red, green, yellow (and a scrap of black)
– Darning needle and scissors
– Eyes (or use black yarn and sew them on)
– Stuffing
There are 2 different mice. Mouse 1 is easier and has fewer parts. Mouse 2 has separate leaves knitted and sewn on at the end, so it a bit more challenging.
Cast on is at the nose point, and knitting goes to the tail. The tail is knit as an icord as part of the body.
Mouse 1
Cast on 3 stitches in red – spread out over the 3 needles.
Row 1: knit
Row 2: knit front and back of every stitch (6 stitches – 2 on each needle)
Row 3: knit
Row 4: knit 1, knit 1 front and back (9 stitches – 3 on each needle)
Row 5: knit
Row 6: knit 2, knit 1 front and back (12 stitches – 4 on each needle)
Row 7: knit
Row 8: knit 3, knit 1 front and back (15 stitches – 5 on each needle)
Row 9: knit
Row 10: knit 4, knit 1 front and back (18 stitches – 6 on each needle)
Row 11: knit
Row 12: knit 5, knit 1 front and back (21 stitches – 7 on each needle)
Row 13: knit
Row 14: knit 6, knit 1 front and back (24 stitches – 8 on each needle)
Rows 15-22: Knit 8 rows
Adding in the green
Row 23: knit 1 green, 5 red, 1 green, 5 red, 1 green, 5 red, 1 green, 5 red
Row 24: knit 2 green, 3 red, 3 green, 3 red, 3 green, 3 red, 3 green, 3 red, 1 green
Row 25: knit 3 green, 1 red, 5 green, 1 red, 5 green, 1 red, 5 green, 1 red, 2 green
Trim off the red yarn with a tail remaining. You can tie this to the green yarn tail at the start to secure them both.
Row 26: Knit all (in green)
Row 27: Knit all (in green)
Now is the point to attach your eyes if you are using safety eyes and to stuff the strawberry mouse.
Row 28: knit 2 together – repeat over the whole row (4 stitches on each needle – 12 in total)
Row 29: knit all the stitches
Row 30: knit 2 together – repeat over the whole row (2 stitches on each needle – 6 in total)
Row 31: knit 2 together – repeat over the whole row (1 stitch on each needle – 3 in total)
Take these 3 stitches and slip them all onto the one double pointed needle. You will now complete these as an icord tail.
Row 32-50: Knit all the rows in the icord form.
Row 51: Knit 3 together. Cut yarn with a short yarn tail, pass through remaining stitch and pull tight.
Ears
Cast on 6 stitches in red
Row 1: Knit all the stitches
Row 2: Purl 2 together over whole row – 3 stitches remain
Row 3: Knit 3 together. Cut yarn with a short yarn tail, pass through remaining stitch and pull tight.
Fold the ears down the centre with the cast on edge as the top of the rounded ear. Stitch in place to the top of the mouse above the eyes.
Mouse 2
Cast on 3 stitches – spread out over the 3 needles.
Row 1: knit
Row 2: knit front and back of every stitch (6 stitches – 2 on each needle)
Row 3: knit
Row 4: knit 1, knit 1 front and back (9 stitches – 3 on each needle)
Row 5: knit
Row 6: knit 2, knit 1 front and back (12 stitches – 4 on each needle)
Row 7: knit
Row 8: knit 3, knit 1 front and back (15 stitches – 5 on each needle)
Row 9: knit
Row 10: knit 4, knit 1 front and back (18 stitches – 6 on each needle)
Row 11: knit
Row 12: knit 5, knit 1 front and back (21 stitches – 7 on each needle)
Row 13: knit
Row 14: knit 6, knit 1 front and back (24 stitches – 8 on each needle)
Rows 15-27: Knit 11 rows
Row 28: knit 2 together – repeat over the whole row (4 stitches on each needle – 12 in total)
Row 29: knit all the stitches
Row 30: Change to green yarn. Knit 2 together – repeat over the whole row (2 stitches on each needle – 6 in total)
Row 31: knit 2 together – repeat over the whole row (1 stitch on each needle – 3 in total)
Take these 3 stitches and slip them all onto the one double pointed needle. You will now complete these as an icord tail.
Row 32-50: Knit all the rows in the icord form.
Row 51: Knit 3 together. Cut yarn with a short yarn tail, pass through remaining stitch and pull tight.
Leaves
Cast on 4 stitches in green – join in the round.
Row 1: Knit front and back of each stitch. (8 stitches total)
Row 2: Knit all the stitches
Row 3: Knit front and back of each stitch. (16 stitches total)
Row 4: Knit all the stitches
Row 5: Knit 1, knit front and back of stitch. Repeat to the end of the row (24 stitches total)
Row 6: Knit all the stitches
You will now create 4 leaves. Section the knitting off to create 4 sections of 6 stitches each. Each stitch is knit individually on these 6 stitches, and the knitting needs to be repeated for each one.
Leaf – on just 6 stitches at a time
Row 7: knit 3, make 1 (by picking up and knitting the bridge between stitches 3 and 4), knit 3
Row 8: Purl
Row 9: Knit 2, slip 2 stitches together as if to knit, knit 1, pass the slipped stitches over the stitch just knitted (also called a centre double decrease), knit 2
Row 10: Purl
Row 11: Knit 1, slip 2 stitches together as if to knit, knit 1, pass the slipped stitches over the stitch just knitted, knit 1
Row 12: Purl
Row 13: Knit 3 together, Cut yarn with a short yarn tail, pass through remaining stitch and pull tight.
Repeat 3 more times.
There is now a small hole in the centre of the leaf piece. Pass the tail of the mouse through this, slide to the base, and stitch in place to the mouse.
Finishing both mice
Using the yellow yarn, use a duplicate stitch (or individual short line stitches) to add “seeds” randomly to the mouses body.
Using the black yarn, stitch over the tip of the mouses nose to create his nose.