[tutorial] Mosaic Knitting

Yarn

At least 2 colors of yarn. We used SweetGeorgia Tough Love Sock in Sourpuss (MC, the lime green) and Empress (CC, the purple)

Mosaic Knitting Facts and Opinions

• It’s an easier alternative to stranded projects.
• Many people find it easier to create an even tension since you’re only working with a single color in each row (it’s closer to “normal” knitting).
• It’s a different way to add another color to your projects.
• You can work some stranded patterns in the mosaic format.
  • I’d suggest trying a swatch before you commit.
  • In general, it’s easier to convert in-the-round projects to this method.
• Mosaic projects can be a great stash-buster!
  • You can even use different weights of yarn, although I suggest this for more advanced mosaic knitters.
• I suggest using a yarn that has a little give so those slipped stitches don’t ripple or pull.
• If worked flat, most patterns have you work that same row twice.
  • This can result in stitch patterns that look more geometric (not really a Pro or Con, but rather just an observation).
• The slipped stitches can give the whole piece more dimension because the slipped stitches appear raised (like they do in a slipped stitch heel)
• The color that’s slipped will stand out more. The same stitch pattern with the colors reversed will look very different.
• Don’t cut the yarn every two rows unless you want to spend the rest of your life weaving in ends (iow, I HIGHLY recommend against this)
  • Instead, wrap the yarns like this at the starts of every other row. Here’s how we did it on this swatch:

 

How to Work Mosaic Knitting

For this swatch, cast on a multiple of 2 + 1. So, that would be 2x + 1 (3 or any multiple of 2 added to that).

All slips are worked purlwise (no twisting).

Here’s the chart. If you need help with reading it, get more details from our post on reading a mosaic knitting chart.

A few of the Special Stitches

Slipping the stitch purlwise on the RS:

Slipping the stitch purlwise on the WS:

Tips on Color Choices

• A quick way to check that the colors have enough contrast is to do this little trick that stranded colorwork knitters have been doing for generations. Take a pic and then convert the pic to black and white. If the yarns still look different, then you’re all set! If they don’t, either change one of them or make a swatch to see if they work together.
  • The black and white test isn’t 100%, but it’s a good test to check if it’s OK to use it. I haven’t seen it NOT work when showing that the colors are different. But, I have seen some colors that look the same actually work in-person.
  • Here are my colors, both the full-color pic and the black and white pic. See how they look very different? That’s an easy way to check if our eyes will read them as different colors.

My Swatch

I cast on 13 sts (2x + 1).