Show and Share = Amigurumi Mouse

Every week in my daughters Nursery, it is a new letter of the alphabet or sound of the week and on a Friday it is 'show and share' where the children are asked to bring something in to school that starts with the sound of the week.  Being the scatty mum that I am I frequently forget and provide much amusement to the other mums as I walk up to the gate and mutter once again, 'Oh no, show and share!'

Anyway, just before the school holidays I remembered that it was show and share the Thursday night and the sound of the week was M, could I think of anything that began with the letter M, no, not a one!  I can think of lots now, Milk, Money, Mop etc etc, the only thing that I could think of was Mouse, could not think of anything else, even when I was lying in bed trying to get to sleep, all I could think about was mouse, mouse, mouse!

Even when I woke up it was still mouse mouse mouse!  So that was it, she needed to take a mouse to school, so while the littlies were eating their breakfast, I sat there creating a pattern for a mouse and making it at the same time, considering it was such a rush job (45 mins) and was being made up as I went along I think it turned out alright and because of that I decided to right the pattern down so that I could make it again.

I did make it again, today as a matter of fact as I am making some cute little amigurumi animals to put in my Folksy shop, and because the pattern works well I have decided to share it with you all.
Here are the little fellas in question....

Cute or what?  Anyway here is the pattern if you are interested in making your own little mouse.

Yarn of choice, in this case DK acrylic - MC
Hook 3.5mm or hook of choice for yarn (remembering to go down half a hook size or a whole size when making amigurumi as it makes for a tighter fabric and the stuffing will not show through as easily)
Contrast colour of yarn for bow CC - if making one
Black crochet thread or embroidery thread for facial features
Safety polyfill stuffing
Split ring marker or piece of contrast yarn to mark beginning of rows
Yarn needle for sewing in ends and embroidery

Stitches used:
I use UK crochet terms, US terms will be in brackets.

dc - double crochet   (sc)
dc2tog - dc decrease (sc2tog)

If you have made crochet toys or amigurumi before then you may have been slightly annoyed by the spaces and/or bumps left when decreasing in the round which is why I now use the invisible decrease (instructions for this can be found here)

With MC, make a magic circle or ch2, leaving a long tail to be used later
Round 1 - ch1, 6 dc (sc) into magic ring or 6 dc (sc) into 2nd ch from hook - do not join rounds - 6 sts
- Place marker for beginning of round and move up with each round
Round 2 - 2dc (sc) into each dc (sc) around - 12 sts
Round 3 - 2dc (sc) into next dc (sc), dc (sc) into next, rep around - 18 sts
At this point, using your yarn needle, secure the magic circle with a knot and then pass needle through from wrong side to right side and leave the long thread for later.
Round 4 - dc (sc) into each dc (sc) around - 18sts
Rounds 5 - 11, rep round 4 - 18 sts
Round 12 - dc2tog (sc2tog), dc (sc) in next st, rep around - 12 sts
- Start stuffing at this point.
Round 13 - dc (sc) in each dc (sc) around - 12 sts
Round 14 - dc2tog (sc2tog) around - 6 sts
 - Stuff the nose as much as possible while keeping the shape of the mouse then with yarn needle, weave end through remaining stitches and cinch closed then pass the needle through the mouse and pull through thread and cut, hiding end inside the mouse.

Ears - Make 2

With MC, 2ch and 4 dc (sc) into 2nd ch from hook
- ch1 and turn, 2dc (sc) into each dc (sc) across
- Fasten off leaving a long end for sewing ear to body, sew in beginning tail.
Sew the flat edge of each ear to mouse in a slight curve, facing forward.

Bow for girlie mouse

With contrast yarn CC, 5ch, dc (sc) into 2nd ch from hook, dc (sc) into each ch across - 4 sts
 Row 1 - ch1 (does not count as dc (sc)), dc (sc) into each dc (sc) across - 4 sts
Rows 2 - 4 rep row 1
Fasten off and weave in ends
Cut a long piece of same yarn, join at middle back of rectangle then wrap around and around middle to make a bow shape, sew to keep shape, then use same yarn to sew into place on mouse's head, I put mine between her ears.

Remember the long tail of yarn from the beginning, well now you need to tie a knot so far down the tail and then cut excess off leaving about 1.5cm after the knot for fraying.

Now, using black thread, embroider on nose and eyes, then cut 3 pieces of thread, using needle pass through from one side of nose to the other, knot close to face on each side and trim to whisker length.

And there you go, your own little mouse!

Please feel free to let me know if I have made any glaring mistakes in this pattern, not much point putting it up for free if it doesn't work, thanks for reading and I hope you have fun making some mice.

Catch up soon.