Meet the Spooky Carnival Mouse – a soft beige mouse in a black harlequin dress with orange and purple diamonds, white ruffled collar, matching party hat, black Mary Jane shoes, holding an orange balloon and a little popcorn bucket with a red heart and ticket tag.
Please note: I strive for accuracy in every pattern, but occasional errors can happen. Thank you for understanding and for enjoying my designs.
Abbreviations (US Terms)
- MR – magic ring
- ch – chain
- sc – single crochet
- hdc – half double crochet
- dc – double crochet
- sl st – slip stitch
- inc – increase (2 sc in same st)
- dec – invisible decrease (sc 2 sts together)
- BLO – back loops only
- FLO – front loops only
- st(s) – stitch(es)
- rnd – round
- row – row
- FO – fasten off
Work in continuous rounds unless otherwise stated. Use a stitch marker for the first stitch of each round.
Materials
- Worsted weight yarn (category 4):
- Beige/light tan – head, body, limbs, ears, tail
- Cream or off-white – collar, popcorn
- Black – dress base, shoes, hat brim, balloon string, nose
- Orange – diamonds on dress, parts of hat, balloon, popcorn bucket
- Purple – diamonds on dress and hat
- Red – heart motif and ticket
- Crochet hook 2.75–3.0 mm (use a size that gives tight fabric)
- 8 mm black safety eyes (2 pcs)
- Polyester fiberfill stuffing
- Yarn needle
- Stitch markers
- Optional: sewing thread or thin black yarn for smile and eyebrows
Finished mouse stands about 8–9 in (20–23 cm) tall without the hat.
General Notes
- Stuff firmly but not lumpy, especially head and feet.
- All clothing and accessories are designed to match this body size. If you change yarn weight, adjust counts as needed.
- Diamonds and constellations on dress/hat are embroidered on top of the black fabric to keep crocheting simple but still accurate to the look.
Construction Overview
- Crochet legs, join them, and work the body.
- Make head, ears, and small muzzle, then join to the body.
- Add arms and thin tail.
- Crochet dress, ruffled collar, party hat, shoes, balloon, and popcorn bucket with ticket.
- Embroider facial features and harlequin pattern, assemble, and pose.
Mouse Body
Use beige yarn unless noted.
Head
Rnd 1: MR, 6 sc (6)
Rnd 2: inc in each st around (12)
Rnd 3: (sc, inc) x 6 (18)
Rnd 4: (2 sc, inc) x 6 (24)
Rnd 5: (3 sc, inc) x 6 (30)
Rnd 6: (4 sc, inc) x 6 (36)
Rnds 7–11: sc around (36)
Place safety eyes between rnds 9–10, about 7 sts apart.
Rnd 12: (4 sc, dec) x 6 (30)
Rnd 13: (3 sc, dec) x 6 (24)
Begin stuffing firmly.
Rnd 14: (2 sc, dec) x 6 (18)
Rnd 15: (sc, dec) x 6 (12)
Rnd 16: dec around (6)
FO, close the opening, finish stuffing into a smooth ball.
Muzzle
Use beige.
Rnd 1: MR, 6 sc (6)
Rnd 2: (sc, inc) x 3 (9)
Rnd 3: sc around (9)
FO leaving a long tail. Lightly stuff. Sew centered below the eyes.
With black yarn, embroider a small oval nose at the top of the muzzle and a short vertical line down, then a soft smiling curve.
Add thin curved eyebrow lines above the eyes if desired.
Ears (make 2)
Rnd 1: MR, 6 sc (6)
Rnd 2: inc around (12)
Rnd 3: (sc, inc) x 6 (18)
Rnd 4: (2 sc, inc) x 6 (24)
Rnd 5: sc around (24)
FO leaving a long tail. Flatten; do not stuff.
Sew ears to the top sides of the head, slightly angled outward. The ears should stand wide and round, giving a cute mouse look.
Legs (make 2)
Rnd 1: MR, 6 sc (6)
Rnd 2: inc around (12)
Rnd 3: (3 sc, inc) x 3 (15)
Rnd 4: sc in BLO around (15) – creates sole edge
Rnds 5–7: sc in both loops around (15)
Rnd 8: (3 sc, dec) x 3 (12)
Rnds 9–15: sc around (12)
Stuff foot and leg firmly. FO first leg only. For second leg, leave yarn attached to join body.
Join Legs & Body
With yarn on second leg:
Rnd 1 (join): ch 2, sc around first leg (12), sc in back bumps of ch (2), sc around second leg (12) (26 sts).
Rnds 2–4: sc around (26)
Rnd 5: (12 sc, inc) x 2 (28)
Rnds 6–7: sc around (28)
Rnd 8: (5 sc, dec) x 4 (24)
Rnd 9: sc around (24)
Rnd 10: (4 sc, dec) x 4 (20)
Rnds 11–12: sc around (20)
Rnd 13: (3 sc, dec) x 4 (16)
Stuff body firmly. FO, leaving long tail to sew head later.
Arms (make 2)
Rnd 1: MR, 6 sc (6)
Rnd 2: (sc, inc) x 3 (9)
Rnds 3–4: sc around (9)
Rnd 5: (sc, dec) x 3 (6)
Rnds 6–12: sc around (6)
Lightly stuff only the hand area. FO leaving long tail.
Tail
Use beige.
Rnd 1: MR, 5 sc (5)
Rnds 2–12: sc around (5)
Stuff very lightly or not at all, for a flexible tail. FO leaving long tail.
Assembly – Body
- Sew head to body using long tail from body, adding extra stuffing at the neck as you sew.
- Sew arms to sides of body at shoulder height, angled slightly forward so one hand can hold the balloon, the other the popcorn bucket.
- Sew tail at center back, just above the leg line.
At this point you have a nude mouse ready for carnival clothes.
Clothing & Accessories
Harlequin Dress
Dress is worked top down in rounds using black yarn, then embroidered with orange and purple diamonds.
Neckline
Row 1: ch 30, sc in 2nd ch from hook and across (29)
Row 2: ch 1, turn, sc across (29)
Join ends with sl st to form a ring (be sure not to twist). This ring sits at the base of the head.
Rnd 3: sc around (29)
Bodice and Armholes
Rnd 4: (8 sc, inc) x 3, 5 sc (32)
Rnd 5: sc around (32)
Rnd 6: sc 5, ch 4, skip 4 sts (first armhole), sc 14, ch 4, skip 4 sts (second armhole), sc 5 (32 incl ch).
Rnd 7: sc around, working 1 sc in each st and 4 sc into each ch-4 space (32).
Skirt
Rnd 8: (3 sc, inc) x 8 (40)
Rnd 9: sc around (40)
Rnd 10: (4 sc, inc) x 8 (48)
Rnds 11–13: sc around (48)
Rnd 14: (5 sc, inc) x 8 (56)
Rnds 15–17: sc around (56)
Try dress on the mouse; length should reach just above the shoe tops and flare slightly. Adjust with extra rounds if you like.
Rnd 18 (hem): sc, ch 1, sc in same st, skip next st repeat around to create soft scallops. FO and weave in end.
Harlequin Embroidery
Using orange and purple yarn, embroider diamonds on the skirt in alternating rows.
- Each diamond:
- Work a small “X” of straight stitches for the center, then extend a stitch up, down, left, and right to form a diamond.
- Arrange them in columns: orange and purple alternating, matching the photo’s look.
Keep diamonds mostly on front and sides; a few on back is fine.
Ruffled Collar
Use cream.
Rnd 1: MR, 24 sc (or ch 24 and join) (24)
Rnd 2: sc around (24)
Rnd 3 (ruffle): (sc, ch 2, sc) in same st, skip next st repeat around (creates frill).
FO leaving a tail. Place around the mouse’s neck so the ruffles sit evenly; stitch ends together invisibly at the back.
Party Hat
Use black, orange, and purple.
Cone
Rnd 1: With black, MR, 4 sc (4)
Rnd 2: sc around (4)
Change to orange.
Rnd 3: (sc, inc) x 2 (6)
Rnd 4: sc around (6)
Change to purple.
Rnd 5: (2 sc, inc) x 2 (8)
Rnd 6: sc around (8)
Change to orange again.
Rnd 7: (3 sc, inc) x 2 (10)
Rnd 8: sc around (10)
Change to purple.
Rnd 9: (4 sc, inc) x 2 (12)
Rnd 10: sc around (12)
Change to black for bottom border.
Rnd 11 (increase for small brim edge): FLO, (sc, inc) around (18)
Rnd 12: sc around (18)
Stuff lightly if you want a firm cone. FO and weave in.
Pompom
With black: MR, 6 sc (6), FO, leaving tail. Pull tight into a tiny ball, sew to tip of cone.
Attach hat slightly to one side of mouse’s head with a few stitches so it stays in place.
Shoes (make 2)
Use black.
Rnd 1: MR, 6 sc (6)
Rnd 2: inc around (12)
Rnd 3: (sc, inc) x 6 (18)
Rnd 4: sc in BLO around (18)
Rnds 5–6: sc around (18)
Rnd 7: sc 5, dec 4 times, sc 5 (14)
Rnd 8: sc 4, dec 3 times, sc 4 (11)
Row 9 (opening): sc in first 9 sts only, ch 1, turn (leave 2 sts unworked at heel).
Row 10: sc across 9.
FO, weave ends.
Straps
Attach yarn at one side of opening: ch 9, sl st to other side to form Mary Jane strap. FO. Repeat for second shoe.
Slip shoes onto the legs; the black toes of the mouse are hidden, only beige legs show at the back.
Balloon
Balloon Head
Use orange.
Rnd 1: MR, 6 sc (6)
Rnd 2: inc around (12)
Rnd 3: (sc, inc) x 6 (18)
Rnd 4: (2 sc, inc) x 6 (24)
Rnds 5–7: sc around (24)
Rnd 8: (2 sc, dec) x 6 (18)
Rnd 9: (sc, dec) x 6 (12)
Stuff firmly.
Rnd 10: dec around (6)
FO and close, leaving a small nub at bottom.
Balloon Neck & String
With orange, join at bottom, sc around 4 sts for one short round to form neck. FO.
Cut a long length of black yarn. Insert one end through the neck of balloon and knot securely inside so it doesn’t pull out.
Tie other end around mouse’s hand. A tiny invisible stitch between knot and hand helps balloon stand upright.
Popcorn Bucket & Ticket
Bucket
Use orange.
Rnd 1: MR, 6 sc (6)
Rnd 2: inc around (12)
Rnd 3: sc in BLO around (12) – forms base edge
Rnds 4–6: sc around (12)
Rnd 7: (sc, inc) x 6 (18) – slight flare at top
Rnd 8: sc around (18)
Stuff lightly. FO.
Heart Motif
With red:
Rnd 1: MR, (ch 2, 3 hdc, 3 dc, ch 1, dc, 3 dc, 3 hdc, ch 2) into ring, sl st to close. Tighten ring to form heart.
FO leaving tail. Sew heart centered on bucket front.
Popcorn
With cream:
Make several tiny popcorn puffs: MR, 4 sc, sl st to first st, FO. Lightly stuff if needed. Sew multiple puffs closely packed at the top edge of bucket so it looks overflowing.
Sew or tack bucket into mouse’s other hand.
Ticket Tag
Use red.
Row 1: ch 11, sc in 2nd ch from hook and across (10)
Rows 2–3: ch 1, turn, sc across (10)
FO. With black yarn, embroider small border and the word “TICKET” in block letters across the rectangle.
Attach one corner of the ticket to the side/back of the bucket with a couple of stitches so it hangs like a carnival admission stub.
Final Details & Styling
- Double-check that the collar sits evenly, dress hem is smooth, and shoes are pulled on fully.
- Adjust balloon string length so balloon floats nicely in the photo frame.
- Bend tail slightly to one side for extra character.
Your Spooky Carnival Mouse is now ready for Halloween nights at the carnival – with her harlequin dress, party hat, black shoes, balloon, and popcorn bucket all matching the cozy handmade look in the photo.
