Brenda the Ballerina Mouse

Brenda.

You don’t hear that name very often.

Brenda is what we have called our Ballerina Mouse.

Isn’t she adorable?

I used this pattern by Lilleliis on etsy. I original came across it via the Lilleliis Blog. If you are into crochet amigurumi take a look, you are in for a treat.

Fabulous little details make this mouse very special

And if you don’t know, courtesy of wikipedia, ‘amigurumi is the Japanese art of knitting or crocheting small stuffed and anthropomorphic creatures. The word is derived from a combination of the Japanese words ami, meaning crocheted or knitted, andnuigurumi, meaning stuffed doll. Amigurumi are typically animals, but can include artistic renderings or inanimate objects endowed with anthropomorphic features, as is typical in Japanese culture. Amigurumi first started appealing to the masses in 2003. By 2006, amigurumi were reported to be the most popular items on Etsy, where they typically sold for $10 to $100!’

This DMC crochet cotton is courtesy of Minerva Crafts. This will be my ‘go to’ choice of crochet cotton for amigurumi from now on. The cotton creates lovely crisp stitches, Perfect for these double crochets. There are 60 (!!!) colours 

One ball of each was perfect for her. In fact I’ve bought another of the grey enabling me to also make ‘Rosie the Rabbit’ with what is left.

The pattern was incredibly clear and precise. I followed it to the letter and she came out looking exactly like the pattern image.She took me a week of evenings and a sunny afternoon.

This mouse will remind me of crocheting in the garden in the sunshine of 2014.

I used some black safety eyes, also from Minerva. There is no shifting these when they are on so truly safe for a little one.

I’ll have the photos but not the finished article to remind me. It is going into my slowly growing Christmas present box along side Gerald.

I’ve already made a start on Rosie the Rabbit, another pattern from the same designer, using the same colours as Brenda.

Another quick and satisfying make.

Has anyone else started creating for Christmas? Or is it just me?

Love, Lucie x