I wish I could share this beautiful tree in a shaft of sunlight with a blue sky background, but alas the gloom of the last few days makes me worry if I wait for the sun to come out, all the blossom will have faded and died. It tends to run in a two year cycle, last year there were about three flowers, this years it’s really going to town!
I seem to have spent so much time over the past week with my head down, working, that things are popping out in the garden and I’m missing them. I’m hopelessly behind with the Garden Diaries, I was full of good intentions but there is only one of me, and it’s a bit of a struggle to not only do it all, but write about it too!
We’re really in the run up to the Norfolk and Norwich Open Studios now, doors open next Saturday for three weekends, which is both scary and exciting. We’re not novices this year though, we had a really positive experience last year, so we’re looking forward to it.
In between winding many, many little balls of cotton over the last week for the Rainbow Mouse Kits I’ve been working on a new pattern and I’ve just finished making the prototype in time to show it to my Handmade Monday chums… I seem to be in the grip of a mouse obsession at the moment, both crochet and needlefelt and I can’t quite move on from it yet. I wanted to devise something small, to use up those little oddments of yarn which might otherwise be wasted, so I’ve now got a teeny, tiny mini mouse!
I couldn’t let him be lonely…
…and in the end of course, there had to be one of each colour… and then I thought… MAGNETS!
I’ve had quite a lot of fun playing with them….!
I hope to write the pattern before too long and I’ll put it on the Etsy shop, although if you’ve bought a Planet Penny Yarn pack I will send you the pattern on request. I’m thinking about a kit too, but does anyone know whether sending magnets through the mail, especially overseas, is a potential problem? I hate to think of one of my ‘pink parcels’ being detonated in a car park somewhere!
If you are a Handmade Monday regular and wondering about the rest of the wedding bits and pieces, I wrote about it in my last post which you will find here. It’s worth a visit just to see the amazing wedding cake made entirely from….well I won’t spoil it, go and take a peek!
Next week, hopefully on Thursday, I will publish my first ever Guest Post. If you have children, or grandchildren aged 10+ or are an avid reader yourself come back to meet the author Thomas Taylor, talking about his novel, ‘Haunters’, which is published next week. (It’s dedicated to me and Tim, it’s amazing what people will do to be allowed on Planet Penny!!!)
I’ll leave you with a link to Wendy’s Handmade Harbour so you can visit all the other Handmade Monday blogs, and yet more mice…
See you soon….squeak! x
I love that tree so summery shame about the sky but blue sky will appear some day. The plethora of micies are so sweet and was that cake made of cheese?
your mice are utterly adorable
what a fabulous idea to turn them into magnets! i’m sure the pattern will be very popular 
i won’t give away the surprise but i love the wedding cake! what a fun idea
Good luck with opening your studio – i’m sure it will looking quite magical judging by last year’s pictures
fingers crossed for good weather!!! x
would love the pattern for the mice if you have one
The teeny tiny mice are adorable! I would forever be rearranging them!
I loved the wedding things, the cake was fantastic!
xxx
Fantastic idea! Absolutely love them.
Those little mousies are just too cute! The Goatmother would love to have the pattern when you get it! By the way, your yard is just lovely!
Just brilliant Penny! So creative… hugs, Jill x
You seem to love making mice. They look so cute. Such a great idea turning them into magnets. How did you do it? Did you manage to attach the magnets to the mice or are the magnets inside them?
these are amazing I really want to learn how to make one
Love the teeny mice! I’m really looking forward to the open studios, can’t wait!
Claire
Oh my word the mouse magnets are just adorable!! Do keep us informed about the open studios event – would love to hear all about it xx
I love the mouse they are so cute.How can Iget the pattern.
Delightful meece but I love the laburnum tree too. One of my fave arbiters of Spring… along with crocheted meece
tThose mice are the cutest thing i have seen in ages and I love the idea of the fridge magnet I have some made out of sequins attached to my pin board so cute xxxx
I love laburnum trees they are so bright and cheerful. Your little baby mice are so cute. Just right for using all those odds and ends up. I’m sure they will a big sucess the same as their big bros and sisters!
Now that’s just too cute for words Penny, I love them , especially when they are huddled in their similar colours x
Mice magnets….so colourful…so beautiful!!!
xxx Alessandra
Gorgeous mice – you have chosen such lovely colours, all sparkly and summery. The tree in your garden looks beautiful – we have an apple tree that fruits every other year. think they need a rest in between. Hope you have a good week.
What a great idea! I’d certainly like the pattern – I’ve still got some of my cotton club pack left…
Gorgeous as always!
Such cute little mice. Using them as fridge magnets is great idea. Hopefully we’ll get some sun soon.
I, like everyone else, just love those mini mice magnets!
They are adorable, I love these rainbow colours.
I haven’t heard of having problems sending magnets through the post, I get mine through ebay.
Jan x
Very sweet! Love the rainbow of colour : ) its not sunny here yet – I’m hoping it might brighten up towards the end of the week though! Ever hopeful
Wait a minute … I’m starting to see a connection here. Mice … cheese. Is it a familial fascination?
These are so cute. Their little ears and tails are perfect.
Beautiful tree too! Good luck with the upcoming show.
Cheese wedding cake………..that sounds like heaven to me, and as said before maybe your love of mice stems from your love of cheese!! The mice are super cute, I’m a nightmare with a crotchet hook, I’ve never got the hang of it so I’m always in awe of anyone who can make such fab things!!!
They’re fab – so many of them – well done!
Posting magnets is fine so long as you state fridge magnet on the pack – I posted some to UK from NZ and none were detonated!
Will be back for Haunters guest post
so glad you had a great time at the wefdding – loved the little mice on the cheese – love your multi coloured mice too – don’t work too hard
Lovely, lovely!
Lovely mice, lovely photos, lovely wedding pictures …..
PS – you couldn’t create a mouse pattern pretty please?
PPS – I tried to leave an emphasis on the word knitted in my last post, but it deleted it instead!!!!!!
[...] I introduced the Mini Mice on a Handmade Monday Post a month ago I had just finished making them, hadn’t written the pattern and was in the run up [...]
It has been a while since I purchased the pattern for these mice but today I made my first one. I made it with worsted yarn, so he is large, but that is what I wanted. I put catnip in it for my cat and he just loves it!! My mouse has a tail and ears, but that is it. Note to self – do not make a catnip mouse in the same room as the cat!! Thanks Penny, it is a wonderful pattern and now will go find some finer yarn to make some smaller ones for the tree… perhaps for family’s trees also.
me fascinan los ratoncitos como puedo obtener los patrones