Oma's Mickey Mouse

My maternal grandparents

My grandmother was of a generation where empty hands meant idle hands. I never saw her without a needle or two in her hand. She was always doing embroidery, crocheting doilies and bed spreads and knitting mice. And most of what she created ended up in local bazaars making money for charities, especially the Red Cross. 

My sister's mouse

She would always boast about how many mice she had knitted. I think by the time she died, it was over 1000. Big and small and all of them made with leftover wool. Yarn she got from everywhere. Which meant that no two mice were ever the same. She gave them away as well. I got a small and a big one, as did my siblings and even friends got one. But, I grew up and thought it was a bit daft and old-fashioned so mine ended up in the bin most likely. 

After she had gone however I was sorry I had gotten rid of them and wanted to make my own. After all, I could knit! But, I needed a pattern and my grandmother made them from memory, having made so many of them. Her pattern had long since been lost. 

My version

Help was at hand though: my sister still had a small one. And a big one she claimed was mine, which is now sitting in my bedroom. The only thing to do was count. But that was virtually impossible. The mouse was old, it was quite deteriorated and even after 'fixing' it, it still was no good. Back to square one it was. 

But then there was my old school friend. She had at one point owned a Mickey as well and sort of knew what I was looking for. And where I had never succeeded, she did! I got the link, I printed it out and off I went. And it started looking more and more like the one my grandmother had made. 

The two of them together, mine is on the left

The end result is good. There are still some adjustments to be made (shorter arms, longer and thinner legs, slightly different feet, stumpier head), others have already been implemented. I am definitely pleased with the result!

A mouse on the box. Was it fate?

I am most pleased with the tail though. My grandmother used a French Knitting bobbin for all of her tails and I was allowed to borrow it from my uncle after she had passed away. I have just never given it back (could you please not tell my parents?).