Nibbles the Mouse – Free Knitting Pattern

If you’ve ever wanted to knit an adorable little creature that fits in the palm of your hand, melts hearts without even trying, and makes the perfect gift for children and adults alike, then this free knitting pattern for Nibbles the Mouse is exactly what you’ve been looking for. Nibbles is a sweet, tiny mouse with a plump tummy, a looping tail, and the kind of face that somehow makes everyone who sees it say “aww” without a second thought. Whether you’re a seasoned knitter or someone who has just graduated from scarves and dishcloths, this pattern is approachable, satisfying, and completely free.

Let’s dive into everything you need to know to bring Nibbles to life, from the materials you’ll need to finishing touches that give this little mouse all its personality.

Why Knit a Mouse?

Knitted animals, often called amigurumi-style toys in knitting (borrowing a term more commonly used in crochet), have surged in popularity over the last several years, and for good reason. They are small enough to knit up quickly, they use minimal yarn so they’re economical to make, and they are endlessly customizable. A mouse in particular has a charming, timeless quality. Think of all the beloved fictional mice throughout literature and pop culture — there’s something universally appealing about a tiny creature with big ears and a twitching nose.

Nibbles is designed to be that kind of character. The pattern uses simple shaping techniques — increases and decreases — that are well within reach of a beginner who has mastered the knit and purl stitches. The body is worked in the round, which gives it a seamless, polished finish, and the details like the ears and tail are so simple they can be done in just a few minutes each. The finished mouse measures approximately four inches from nose to rump (not counting the tail), making it a satisfying but not overwhelming project.

Materials You’ll Need

Before you cast on, gather your supplies. Part of what makes Nibbles so economical is that you likely already have most of what you need in your stash.

You will need a small amount of DK weight yarn in your chosen mouse color. Gray is the classic choice and gives Nibbles a very realistic, charming look, but don’t let that stop you from going brown, white, cream, lavender, or even a variegated yarn that you’ve been dying to use up. You’ll need roughly 30 to 40 yards of your main color. For the inner ear and nose, a small amount of pink yarn — just a few yards — works beautifully.

For needles, you’ll want a set of double-pointed needles (DPNs) or a short circular needle in the size appropriate for your yarn. For DK weight, this is typically US size 4 (3.5mm) or US size 5 (3.75mm). Working a bit tightly is fine for a stuffed toy, as it prevents the stuffing from showing through the stitches.

You’ll also need polyester fiberfill stuffing, a tapestry needle for seaming and weaving in ends, two small black beads or safety eyes (6mm is ideal), and a small amount of black embroidery floss or yarn if you prefer to embroider the eyes rather than use beads. A stitch marker or two will also be helpful.

Optional but fun: a tiny piece of pipe cleaner or floral wire to thread through the tail so it can be posed, though this is not recommended for very young children as it can become a hazard.

Gauge and Size

Gauge: approximately 22 stitches and 30 rows over four inches in stockinette stitch.

Finished size: approximately 4 inches from nose to rump, with a tail of about 3 inches.

Gauge doesn’t need to be perfectly precise for a stuffed toy, but keeping your tension fairly consistent will give Nibbles a tidy, plump shape. If your gauge is significantly looser, the stuffing may peek through the stitches, so err toward a slightly tighter needle size if you’re in doubt.

Abbreviations Used in This Pattern

CO — cast on
K — knit
P — purl
K2tog — knit two stitches together (a right-leaning decrease)
SSK — slip, slip, knit (a left-leaning decrease)
Kfb — knit into the front and back of a stitch (an increase)
PM — place marker
SM — slip marker
St(s) — stitch(es)
MR — work in the round

The Pattern: Nibbles the Mouse

Body

The body of Nibbles is worked from the nose toward the rump, beginning with a small number of stitches and increasing to a round belly before decreasing back down.

Cast on 6 stitches and distribute evenly across three double-pointed needles, or use the magic loop method if you prefer. Join to work in the round, being careful not to twist. Place a marker at the beginning of the round.

Round 1: Knit all stitches.
Round 2: Kfb in each stitch. (12 sts)
Round 3: Knit all stitches.
Round 4: Kfb, K1 repeat to end. (18 sts)
Round 5: Knit all stitches.
Round 6: Kfb, K2 repeat to end. (24 sts)
Round 7: Knit all stitches.
Round 8: Kfb, K3 repeat to end. (30 sts)
Round 9: Knit all stitches.
Round 10: Kfb, K4 repeat to end. (36 sts)

Rounds 11 through 22: Knit all stitches. (12 rounds of plain knitting to build out the belly)

Now begin the decreases to shape the rump.

Round 23: K2tog, K4 repeat to end. (30 sts)
Round 24: Knit all stitches.
Round 25: K2tog, K3 repeat to end. (24 sts)
Round 26: Knit all stitches.

At this point, stuff Nibbles firmly with polyester fiberfill. It’s easier to add stuffing now before the opening becomes too small to work with comfortably.

Round 27: K2tog, K2 repeat to end. (18 sts)
Round 28: K2tog, K1 repeat to end. (12 sts)
Round 29: K2tog to end. (6 sts)

Cut the yarn, leaving a tail of about six inches. Thread the tail through a tapestry needle and draw it through the remaining six stitches, pulling tight to close. Weave in the end on the inside.

Head

The head is worked separately and then seamed to the body, which gives you the freedom to angle it slightly if you’d like Nibbles to look like she’s tilting her head with curiosity.

Cast on 6 stitches and join in the round as before.

Round 1: Knit all stitches.
Round 2: Kfb in each stitch. (12 sts)
Round 3: Knit all stitches.
Round 4: Kfb, K1 repeat to end. (18 sts)
Round 5: Knit all stitches.
Round 6: Kfb, K2 repeat to end. (24 sts)
Round 7: Knit all stitches.
Round 8: Kfb, K3 repeat to end. (30 sts)

Rounds 9 through 16: Knit all stitches. (8 rounds plain)

Round 17: K2tog, K3 repeat to end. (24 sts)
Round 18: Knit all stitches.
Round 19: K2tog, K2 repeat to end. (18 sts)
Round 20: Knit all stitches.

Stuff the head firmly at this point.

Round 21: K2tog, K1 repeat to end. (12 sts)
Round 22: K2tog to end. (6 sts)

Fasten off as with the body, drawing the yarn through the remaining stitches and pulling closed.

Ears (Make Two)

The ears are worked flat, which makes them very quick and satisfying to complete.

Using your main color yarn, cast on 8 stitches.

Row 1: Knit across.
Row 2: K1, SSK, K2, K2tog, K1. (6 sts)
Row 3: Knit across.
Row 4: K1, SSK, K2tog, K1. (4 sts)
Row 5: K2tog, K2tog. (2 sts)
Row 6: K2tog. (1 st)

Fasten off.

For the inner ear, use your pink yarn and cast on 6 stitches.

Row 1: Knit across.
Row 2: K1, SSK, K2tog, K1. (4 sts)
Row 3: Knit across.
Row 4: K2tog, K2tog. (2 sts)
Row 5: K2tog. (1 st)

Fasten off. Using the tapestry needle, seam or simply tack the pink inner ear onto the gray outer ear, then sew the completed ear onto the head. Position the ears about a third of the way back from the nose, with a gap between them roughly equal to the width of the head.

Tail

The tail is a simple i-cord, which is a tube of knitting worked on two double-pointed needles.

Cast on 3 stitches on one double-pointed needle. Do not turn the work. Slide the stitches to the other end of the needle, bring the yarn around from the back, and knit the three stitches. Repeat this process, sliding stitches back to the right end of the needle each time, for approximately 3 inches or until the tail is as long as you’d like it to be.

When you’ve reached your desired length, cut the yarn and draw it through all three stitches to fasten off. Sew the cast-on end of the tail to the rump of the mouse at the center back, and leave the other end free. If you’re adding a pipe cleaner for posability, thread it through the center of the i-cord before attaching.

Limbs (Optional)

Some knitters love to add four little legs to Nibbles, while others prefer the simpler look of a legless mouse. If you’d like to add legs, here is a quick approach.

Make four small i-cords, each about three-quarters of an inch long, using the same cast-on and technique as the tail. Sew two to the underside of the body toward the front (front legs) and two toward the back (hind legs). You can use a small amount of pink yarn to add a tiny French knot at the tip of each leg for a paw.

Assembly

Once all your pieces are complete, the assembly is what brings Nibbles fully to life. Using your tapestry needle and the main color yarn, seam the head to the body. The nose end of the head should face away from the body, and you can angle it slightly upward for a curious, alert expression. Sew all the way around the neck opening, then go around a second time to make sure the join is secure and no stuffing can escape.

If you’re using safety eyes, now is the time to attach them. Position them on either side of the head, roughly in the middle and a bit toward the front. The eyes should be spaced far enough apart to look natural but close enough together that Nibbles reads as alert and cute rather than startled. Push the post of each safety eye through the knitting, then attach the washer on the inside. If you’re embroidering the eyes instead, use black embroidery floss and a satin stitch or a few small stitches in a circular shape.

For the nose, use pink yarn and a tapestry needle to create a small inverted triangle of satin stitches at the very tip of the head, right where the cast-on stitches close at the front. A few stitches over each other will create a raised, defined little nose.

Attach the ears, legs (if using), and tail as described in their respective sections. Take a moment to review Nibbles from all angles, adjust the stuffing if needed by pressing gently to distribute it, and weave in any remaining yarn ends on the inside.

Tips and Tricks for a Beautiful Finish

Working in the round with double-pointed needles can be fiddly when you have just a few stitches, especially at the very beginning and very end. One trick is to use a circular needle with a very short cable (a 9-inch circular works beautifully for small toys) or to try the magic loop method on a longer circular if you find DPNs frustrating.

When stuffing, aim for a firm but not rock-hard result. Nibbles should feel pleasantly plump and a little squeezable. Too little stuffing and she’ll look deflated; too much and the stitches will stretch and distort.

If you’d like to make Nibbles even more expressive, consider adding a few backstitch lines beneath the nose to suggest a tiny smile, or use a loop of thread to create whiskers. Long, thin silver or white thread makes excellent whiskers — just run a long thread through the nose area, leaving equal lengths on both sides, then tie a loose knot to hold them in place.

Variations and Customization

One of the most delightful things about a pattern this simple is how easily it adapts to your imagination. Here are a few ideas to take Nibbles in a new direction.

A field mouse can be made in warm brown tones, while a white laboratory mouse (perhaps one who has gone on to great adventures) looks charming in bright white with pink eyes made from pink embroidery floss. A holiday version in red and white stripes would make Nibbles look like a tiny candy cane. You could even knit a whole family of mice in graduating sizes by going up or down a needle size and yarn weight.

If you’re making Nibbles as a gift for a baby, be sure to embroider all the features rather than using beads or safety eyes, as these can become detached and pose a choking hazard. A soft, washable yarn like a superwash merino or acrylic blend is also a practical choice for a baby gift.

Making It Your Own: A Note on Yarn Choices

The beauty of a small project like Nibbles is that she’s an ideal stash-buster. That small ball of DK weight wool you’ve been holding onto, the remnant from a sweater project, the single skein you bought because it was beautiful even though you had no plan for it — Nibbles is the answer to all of those. Don’t feel constrained by the idea that a mouse must be gray. Yarn comes in thousands of colors, and a mouse in deep teal or warm mustard is just as delightful.

If you’re new to knitting in the round or working with double-pointed needles, this pattern is genuinely a wonderful project to practice with. The stakes are low (you’re using a small amount of yarn), the repetition of each round reinforces the basic knit stitch, and the increasing and decreasing rounds give you practice with two of the most foundational shaping techniques in knitting. By the time Nibbles is finished, you’ll feel noticeably more comfortable with all of those skills.

Sharing Your Nibbles

If you knit Nibbles, please consider sharing a photo! There is something wonderful about seeing the same pattern interpreted through different yarn choices, different needle tensions, and different creative instincts. Every single one looks a little different, and that variety is what makes handmade objects so special. Tag your finished mouse with the name of this pattern so other knitters can find you and be inspired.

Knitting is, at its heart, a conversation — between the maker and the materials, between the pattern and the person following it, and between knitters who share what they make with one another. A tiny mouse made from a ball of yarn and a pair of needles is a small thing in one sense, but it carries a lot of that warmth with it.

Happy knitting, and may Nibbles bring a smile to every face she meets.