Mouse in a Red Vest with Cheese Needle Felting Kit by Charivna Mit V-49C

Felt the Mouse in a Red Vest with Cheese, a needle felting kit by Charivna Mit: a grey mouse in a red vest with wire whiskers and bead eyes, eyeing a wedge of cheese.

In folk tales the little mouse is the clever hero who outwits the bigger animals, and a wedge of cheese is always its well-earned reward.

Why this kit: needle felting needs no sewing and no counting, only wool and a barbed needle, and Charivna Mit sorts the wool by color and adds a color scheme so you always know which shade goes where. 5 wool colors give it lifelike shading without being fiddly. Czech Preciosa beads add the eyes and a little sparkle.

Kit includes: 5 colors of New Zealand wool, Czech Preciosa bead eyes, black wire for whiskers, 2 felting needles, a color scheme and instructions. Made in Ukraine. Not included: a foam felting pad to work on and small scissors for trimming stray fibers.

How to felt it: pull off small tufts of wool, roll them loosely and jab them with the felting needle, turning the shape as you go so it firms up evenly. Build the body first, then the head, legs and colored details, following the color scheme. Then add the bead details and the wire parts as the instructions show. Work on a foam pad, keep your fingers clear of the needle tip and store the needles safely after use.

Finished size: about 10×6 cm (3.9×2.4 in). Stand it on a shelf, desk or windowsill, or give it as a homemade gift for animal lovers, teens and friends; the kit itself is an easy present for teens and adults. Recommended for ages 14 and up; the felting needles are very sharp, so keep them away from young children.