Crochet Mouse Cat Toy

My son gave me a bag of his old socks.   I did not want to toss them,  so I thought of a way to reuse them.  Since he has cats,  I decided to  crochet some toy mice for the cats and use the socks for the stuffing.  I am adding the pattern here if anyone would like to make some for their pets.  This is my own copyright pattern.  You may sell items made from the pattern but not the pattern itself.  Please do not attach the pattern to other sites, please link to my site.  They measure 4 inches without the tail.

Materials needed

worsted weight yarn- 1oz more or less

size F crochet hook

old sock for stuffing.

Stitch marker

small amount of black crochet or embroidery thread for eyes and nose

Stitches Used

sc – single crochet

hdc-half double crochet

4dccl- double crochet cluster, keeping the last loop on hook, dc 4 times in the next st, yarn over and draw through all 5 loops.

Scdec- single crochet decrease- draw up a loop through the next 2 st, yarn over and draw through all three loops.

Page 1 You will be working in rounds, do not join at the end of the round, work in top of the beginning stitch at the end of the round. If you want to work the ears before closing, make an extra small ball of yarn or use the other end of the skein.

Row 1: ch 3 (does not count a hdc), 4 hdc in 3^rd ch from hook,

Row 2: add marker to your first hdc, you will be moving the maker on each round to keep track of the rows, 2hdc in first hdc made on row 1, hdc in next 3 hdc

Row 3-5: *2 hdc next st, hdc in next st * repeat between * around.
Row 6: hdc next 5 st, working in the back loops only, hdc next 3 st ( you will be working the ears in these stitches later), hdc through both loops on next 2 st, hdc in the back loops only of the next 3 st, hdc through booth loops of remaining st to marker

Row 7-11: hdc in each st around. Do not fasten off.

Row 12: At this point insert the sock in the mouse, you may need to cut the sock to fit, I also at this point worked the ears, and pull the end tails to the inside of the mouse.

Scdec around.

Row 13: scdec around.

Row 14, scdec remaining st together to close end. Ch 25 for tail and fasten off.

For ears, join with a sl st to the first unworked front stitch on row 5, ch 3, 4dccl in the next front st, ch 3, sl st in 3^rd front st. Fasten off and work in ends. Repeat for other ear in the remaining unworked front loops.

Use black  crochet thread to make the eyes and nose

You can also make them for your dog.