Knit Felted Catnip Mice

Copyright 2007 by Jen Kubeck. All Rights Reserved.
For personal use only.

Materials:
     Needles: Size 8 for the body of the mouse, and size 6 dpns for the i-cord tail. Gauge isn't
hugely important here, but you don't want too tight a knit or the stitches won't felt well.
     Yarn: Any worsted weight, feltable, wool.

Abbreviations:                

K = Knit
K2tog = knit two stitches together (forms a right-slanting decrease)
Kfb = knit into front and back of next stitch (increases 1 stitch)
P = Purl
P2tog = purl two stitches together (decreases one stitch)
ssk = slip two stitches, one at a time, as if to knit. Then re-insert the tip of your left hand needle
into the two slipped stitches and knit them together. (Forms a left-slanting decrease)
st = stitch

Techniques:

3 stitch I-cord: Working on double point needles, knit 3 stitches. Slide the stitches to the opposite
end of the needle they are on; your working tail will be coming from the left hand end of the
knitting, but the next stitch you will work will be at the opposite (right hand) end of the needle.
Repeat this process - knit 3 stitches, slide to opposite end of needle - until desired length of cord
is reached.

Felting: Place the mouse in a zippered pillow protector, or tie it inside a kitchen towel. Add it to
a load of heavy clothes or towels on a hot water wash cycle in a top-loading washing machine.
(Front-load washing machines seldom provide enough agitation to induce felting.)

Before the machine enters a spin cycle, fish out the mouse to check it. You want to see the size
decrease, and the definition of your knit stitches should nearly vanish. If you're not there yet,
reset the washing machine to repeat the wash cycle, and try again. Repeat as necessary until the
mouse is felted enough.

Cast on 2
Row 1: K
Row 2: Kfb 2x (4 st)
Row 3: P
Row 4: Kfb 4x (8 st)
Row 5: P
Row 6: Kfb, k6, kfb (10 st)
Row 7: P
Row 8: Kfb, k8, kfb (12 st)
Row 9: P

Rows 10 - 12 include the bobbles that will form the mouse's ears. When knitting or purling 7
stitches together, a small crochet hook may be helpful to pull the working yarn through.

Row 10: Kfb, k6, K into next stitch 7 times, alternating front and back, k3, kfb (20 st)
Row 11: P5, P7 tog, P2, K into next stitch 7 times, alternating front and back, P5 (20 st)
Row 12: K5, K7 tog, K to end of row (14 st)
Row 13: P
Row 14: Kfb, K12, Kfb (16 st)
Row 16: Kfb, K6, kfb 2x, k6, kfb (20 st)
Row 18: Kfb, K8, kfb 2x, k8, kfb (24 st)
Row 20: Kfb, K10, Kfb 2x, K10, Kfb (28 st)
Row 22: K12, ssk, k2tog, k12 (26 st)
Row 24: K11, ssk, k2tog, k11 (24 st)
Row 26: K2tog to end of row (12 st)
Row 27: P2tog to end of row (6 st)
Row 28: K2tog to end of row (3 st)

Transfer stitches to dpn 2 sizes smaller. Work 3-st i-cord for 3 inches and bind off.     

Starting at the tip of the nose, stitch the body of the mouse together, leaving an opening under the
tail for later stuffing. Felt the mouse per the instructions above. After it has dried, alternate bits of
polyester fiberfill and a good quality dried catnip until nice and plump, then stitch the final
opening closed.

Offer to your kitties, and stand back!