Nibbles the Mouse

Nibbles the Mouse Knitting Pattern

What is Being Made

Nibbles the Mouse is a charming knitted toy mouse designed by Amanda Berry. This free knitting pattern creates a small stuffed mouse character that is depicted nibbling on cheese. The pattern includes instructions for the mouse toy itself, with a companion free pattern available for a coordinating Gouda Cheese accessory that completes the playful scene.

Craft and Techniques

This project uses knitting as the primary craft technique. The mouse is worked flat, meaning it is knitted back and forth on single pointed needles rather than in the round, though the pattern notes that the body could be easily converted to circular knitting if preferred. The tail is created using the i-cord technique, which is worked on two double-pointed needles (DPNs) to create a small cord that forms the mouse's tail.

Stitches and Construction Methods

• Long tail cast on is used throughout the pattern to begin the knitting
• Pull through cast off is the finishing technique, where yarn is cut leaving at least a 30cm tail, which is then threaded onto a darning needle to secure the final stitches
• I-cord technique creates the tail using two double-pointed needles

Materials and Yarn Specifications

This toy is designed for DK weight yarn (also known as double knitting, 8 ply, or light worsted weight). The pattern requires less than 25g each of two yarn colors: a grey shade for the main body and a pink shade for accents. The sample shown was knitted using Sirdar Hayfield Bonus DK, a 100% acrylic yarn, in the shades Light Grey Mix and Peaches. Standard single pointed knitting needles are used for the flat knitting, with two double-pointed needles required for the i-cord tail.

Difficulty Level

This pattern is rated as beginner level, making it an excellent introduction to toy knitting and stuffed animal construction for new knitters.