Mosaic Knitting and Mosaic Crochet Resources
Mosaic designs are intricately patterned designs, often worked in two colors, that you can create using knitting, crochet, or Tunisian crochet. You can use different stitches and techniques in these crafts to achieve the desired effect. If you want to learn them all, you should sign up for Camp Colorwork, where we teach you various types of mosaic knitting and crochet, with patterns to boot.
What Is Mosaic Crochet?
There are different ways to achieve Mosaic Crochet. However, the basic concept is the same. You’ll work with one color across the row. This is different from other types of crochet colorwork, such as tapestry crochet or split single crochet, techniques where you work with two colors in the same row.
But wait!
When you look at mosaic knitting and mosaic crochet, it always looks like two colors are used in the same row to create the pattern detail.
It’s an illusion!
You’ll use specific stitches to create that effect. For example, you can use spike stitch in mosaic crochet. You can also use front loop only, worked in the row below, in an overlay crochet technique. The great thing is that you don’t have to carry yarn as you go, so you’re freed up to create colorful patterns in an entirely new way.
What Is Mosaic Knitting
Don’t be scared of mosaic knitting! It looks complicated, but you can use basic knitting skills to create this beautiful colorwork. Like with crochet, it’s a two-color pattern with graphic motif details. And, just like with crochet, you’re working with one color at a time, then working into the rows below to create the illusion that you’ve worked with two colors in the same row – and to create those great designs.
There are different techniques for mosaic knitting, of course, but basically, it’s a subset of knit slip stitches. As you learn mosaic, you’ll probably be surprised to realize just how much you can do with slipped stitches!
Slip a stitch to move the color to the row below, creating the aforementioned illusion. You alternate colors from row to row, slip stitching to work across one or more rows below.
You can use garter stitch with slip stitches to create mosaic knit patterns. Therefore, it’s a surprisingly easy technique to learn. However, you can also get more advanced. For example, you can combine garter and stockinette stitches in the same mosaic pattern. You can also use just stockinette; you’ll get a more impressionistic, elongated design if you use the same chart for stockinette as compared to garter, and it’s a really cool effect.
One of my very favorite techniques, which I learned from my friend Faina Goberstein, is woven slip stitch waves mosaic knitting. You still use slip stitches, but you do it with the yarn in front, creating this super cool wave effect.
Mosaic Knitting and Mosaic Crochet Charts
You use charts or grids rather than written patterns when working with the mosaic technique. (Although some patterns have written instructions, the charts are the best way to see the placement of each color as you work.)
You can use the same charts for mosaic knitting and mosaic crochet. You can even learn how to use those same charts for Tunisian mosaic crochet. The same charts will look slightly different depending on your technique. The design will generally be more elongated in crochet than knitting and even more so in Tunisian crochet. We go over all of this in detail in Camp Colorwork.
Are Mosaic Crochet and Knitting Reversible?
You might have seen that some mosaic crochet projects are reversible. It really depends, though, on what techniques you’re using. For example, if you use overlay crochet, you get completely different looks on the right side and the wrong side, although both are pretty. Whereas, using other mosaic crochet techniques, you might get a reversible fabric or one that really isn’t reversible at all. In mosaic knitting, you don’t really get a reversible fabric. Instead, you can easily tell the Right Side and Wrong Side of the fabric.
Helpful Books for Mosaic Knitting and Crochet
In addition to Camp Colorwork classes, you can get helpful information from the following books.
Mosaic Knitting by Barbara Walker
Mosaic Medley Slip Stitch Colorwork Collection by KnitPicks
The Art of Slip Stitch Knitting by Faina Goldstein
The Beginner’s Guide to Mosaic Knitting: Easy One Color Per Row Technique by Melissa Leapman Blowney
Alter-Knit Stitch Dictionary: 200 Modern Knitting Motifs by Andrea Rangel
Mosaic Crochet Stitches Visual Encyclopedia by Robyn Chachula
Modern geometric designs for throws and accessories by Esme Crick: Mosaic Crochet Workshop
Mosaic Crochet by Ana Morais Soares
Mosaic Knitting and Crochet Patterns
Truly, Camp Colorwork is the best place to learn all about mosaic knitting and mosaic crochet. We also have patterns for you there, of course. But here are some additional patterns that you might enjoy:
12″ Mosaic Crochet Square Patterns
Learn the basics with these two squares. Click the images above to get to the patterns.
Oliver and Olivia Mosaic Crochet Baby Blanket Pattern
This is the perfect baby blanket for anyone. The repeating pattern will help you work on mosaic crochet muscle memory. And the result is impressive.
Chic Modern Mosaic Blocks Throw
Another great two-color blanket pattern to work with.
Azores Mosaic Crochet Blanket Pattern
The Azores Blanket is an amazing 30+ page crochet pattern that teaches you all about colorful mosaic crochet techniques.
Pumpkin Spice Cropped Crochet Sweater Pattern
One of the great things about mosaic is that you can use just a band of it, like on this cropped sweater, to get a lot of bang for your buck.
TOS 2020 Knit Cowl Pattern
Each block of this knit cowl pattern has a different geometric design, allowing you to practice many ways to use mosaics within one pattern. Yet, you’re working with garter stitch and slip stitches, so it’s easy!
Crazy Stripes Mosaic Knit Shawl Pattern
I love this pattern so much. It uses garter and stockinette stitch, with one color of yarn in each. So, you’ll slip the stockinette stitch color over the garter stitch color to create the effect. It creates a really cool ribbed design.
Festive Textures Knit and Crochet Blanket Patterns
This was originally a CAL/KAL/SAL, so you can still follow along with each video and its instructions to complete the project. Note that the knit version is the one that uses some mosaic colorwork. The crochet version does not. However, it’s still a great colorwork pattern.
Mallow Crochet Mosaic Hat
This hat is a quick crochet project that uses the most amazingly soft yarn from WeCrochet. It is called Twill and it is AWESOME. You can get this pattern free on the website or purchase the ad-free pdf for a more uninterrupted experience.
And MORE:
- Dynamic Waves Mosaic Knit Hat FREE Pattern
- Clark Mosaic Knit hat for Men and Women Premium Pattern
- Echo Mosaic Knit Gloves Premium Pattern exclusive to Camp Colorwork
- Nebula Crochet Mosaic Crochet Cowl Premium Pattern exclusive to Camp Colorwork
- Mosaic Crochet Diamond Crochet Square
- 26 Free Mosaic Crochet Patterns
- 31 Free Mosaic Knitting Patterns
You Might Also Like:
- Camp Colorwork Self-Paced Knit and Crochet Online Masterclass
- 6 Crochet Techniques to Use with Color Grids
- Crochet Fair Isle Projects and Patterns
- 17 Free Fair Isle Cardigan Sweater Patterns
Frequently Asked Questions
What resources does this page collect for mosaic crafters?
This is a hub post that pulls together Marly’s full collection of mosaic knitting and mosaic crochet resources in one place! Patterns using mosaic techniques from across the blog. Video tutorials explaining how mosaic colorwork works in both crafts. Camp Colorwork course information for deeper learning. Tips and technique guidance. It’s designed as a starting point if you want to explore mosaic colorwork… rather than searching the whole blog, this page aggregates the relevant resources for you in one organized spot.
What is the main difference between mosaic knitting and mosaic crochet?
Same concept, different execution! Mosaic knitting uses slip stitches in knitting… you knit some stitches and slip others to create the pattern while working one color per row. Mosaic crochet uses a similar slip-stitch approach but in crochet… you work some stitches and slip (pass without crocheting into) others from the previous row. Both create geometric colorwork patterns using only one color at a time per row. The resulting fabrics look different (knit mosaic is stretchier, crochet mosaic is denser) but the visual effect of geometric colorwork from slipped stitches is very similar.
Which is easier to learn… mosaic knitting or mosaic crochet?
It depends on which craft you’re already more comfortable with! If you knit well, mosaic knitting will feel more natural. If you crochet well, mosaic crochet is your natural starting point. The fundamental technique (reading a chart, working one color per two rows, slipping the alternate color’s stitches) is the same in both… it’s really just which tool is in your hand. If you’re BiCrafty, try both and see which feels more intuitive to you. Many crafters who try both find that one clicks faster… and then they explore the other with the confidence from the first success.
What patterns from Marly Bird use mosaic techniques?
Quite a few! Marly has embraced mosaic colorwork across both crafts. Mosaic hats including the Twilight Trails Knit Mosaic Hat, the Northern Gleam Hat, the Pixel Pop Knit Hat, and the Flicker and Flash Crochet Hat. The Cinnamon Dreams Crochet Fingerless Mittens use mosaic stitches. Various shawls and accessories from Turkey Trot and other events feature mosaic elements. Camp Colorwork specifically teaches mosaic techniques. Check this resource page for the full current list of mosaic patterns available on the blog.
Can I learn mosaic colorwork without any prior colorwork experience?
Yes! Mosaic colorwork is actually THE recommended starting point for colorwork beginners in both knitting and crochet. Because you work only one color per row (never two at the same time), there are no floats to manage, no tension issues from carrying yarns, and no complicated yarn juggling. You just need to know basic knitting or crochet and be able to read a simple chart showing which stitches to work and which to slip. Camp Colorwork on Marly’s blog is specifically structured to teach mosaic as the first colorwork technique for exactly this reason.
