Catnip mouse

2mm hook Noro Sock yarn Polyester or other filling Black thread for eyes Yarn for whiskers N.B. This pattern is in BRITISH English Abbreviations. Htr Half treble ss Slip stitch dc double crochet Dec1htr: work one stitch over two from previous row, by pulling yarn through first and then second sts and then completing the htr by pulling the yarn through all the loops on the hook

Method
BODY 1. Make a ring with the yarn and work 12htr into it. (Start with 2 ch to get to the height of the first stitch). Ss to first htr to join. 2. 1htr into 1st htr, 2 htr into next st. Work in this way to end, ss to join (18 sts). Work 6 rows straight. 1

9. Rep. row 2 (27 sts). (At this stage fill the head of the mouse with polyester stuffing or other appropriate filling.) Work 12 rows straight. 22. Decrease as follows: Work *1 htr into 1st st, (dec 1htr over next 2 st) 6 times. Rep from * to end. Ss to join (14 sts) (At this stage fill the body of the mouse with catnip, finally adding a little polyester filling to hold the catnip in place). End off, leaving a length of yarn for sewing up. (Do not fill and sew up until tail is completed). TAIL Make 40 ch. Work 1 row dc along the ch. End off. (The ends do not need sewing in as they will be inside the body of the mouse). EARS (make 2) Make 6 ch. Turn and work along ch as follows: Into 2nd ch work 1 dc, 1 htr into 3rd ch, 1 tr into 4th ch, 1 htr into 5th ch, 1 dc into last ch. End off, leaving a long length for sewing on. FINISHING Fill the body of the mouse with catnip and ram it down so that the mouse is quite firm. If you have bought your catnip and not dried your own, you might like to economise by filling part of the mouse with polyester stuffing but the cat may not like it as much! Thread the end of yarn that you have left through the final round of stitches. Insert the tail into the open end and pull up the yarn. Take a couple of sts through the tail to hold it in place before securing the yarn and cutting off the excess. Attaching the ears Sew the ears to the body at the 9th row (where the nose enlarges into the body), as shown on the picture. Sewing the eyes Using black embroidery thread or wool, sew a couple of straight stitches in front of each of the ears to represent the eyes. Adding the whiskers Using a heavier yarn such as 4 ply or cotton, insert three long lengths into the nose of the mouse. Tie a knot using all three lengths, either side of the nose, to hold the whiskers in place. Make sure the whiskers are secure, or your cat may swallow them! Trim to a suitable length.