• Mosaic Knitting

Mosaic Knitting

Mosaic knitting is an easy way to work with two colors of yarn. You end up with an interesting two-color pattern, but you only work with one yarn at a time -- the first two rows are knitted with one color, the next two rows are worked with the other color, etc. The technique was developed by Barbara Walker, and her book Mosaic Knitting is loaded with charts for motifs and bands.

The designs can be worked in garter stitch or stockinette stitch, or a combination of the two. Mosaic patterns can be written out, but they are most commonly presented in chart form, which is much easier to follow. You need to know only three things to follow a mosaic pattern.

1. The color of the first stitch of an odd-numbered (right-side) row is the color you'll work for that row and the next (wrong-side) row.
2. On a dark-color row, you knit all the dark stitches and slip all the light stitches. On a light-color row, you knit the light stitches and slip the dark stitches.
3. On right-side rows, slip stitches with yarn held in back (to the wrong side). On wrong-side rows, slip stitches with yarn held in front (also to the wrong side).

Reading Mosaic Charts

Here is a chart for a herringbone pattern from Barbara Walker's book. The pattern is worked on a multiple of eight stitches plus three. If you want to work multiple repeats, work the first stitch, and then work the eight-stitch repeat as many times as you want; then work the last two stitches.

Because the first stitch in Row 1 is dark, you will work Rows 1 and 2 with your dark-color yarn. However, you can see that there is one light-color stitch in these rows -- this means that you will have to cast on with the light-color yarn or work one row before beginning the chart with the light color. Because the light stitch would be a slipped stitch, you need to have a light-color stitch already on the needle.

The first four rows written out would look like this:

Row 1 (RS, dark): K1, *k3, sl 1 wyib, k4; rep from * to last 2 sts, k2.
Row 2 (WS, dark): K2, *k4, sl 1 wyif, k3; rep from * to last st, k1.
Row 3 (RS, light): K1, *k2, sl 1 wyib, k1, sl 1 wyib, k1, sl 1 wyib, k1; rep from * to last 2 sts, k2.
Row 4 (WS, light): K2, *k1, sl 1 wyif, k1, sl 1 wyif, k1, sl 1 wyif, k2; rep from * to last st, k1.

Tip: You don't actually have to look at the chart to work the even-numbered, wrong-side rows. Simply knit the stitches that were knit in Row 1 and slip the stitches that were slipped in Row 1.

Photos 1 through 3 show the motif worked three different ways. Each sample has two repeats. The sample in Photo 1 was worked with all knit stitches (garter stitch). The sample in Photo 2 shows all the light stitches knit (garter stitch), and all the dark stitches knit on right-side rows and purled on wrong-side rows (stockinette stitch). In the final sample, shown in Photo 3, all stitches are knit on the right side and purled on the wrong side.

Photo 1	Photo 2	Photo 3

Designing Mosaics

Once you get the hang of this technique, you may want to create your own motifs. The most important thing to know is that you shouldn't slip more than three stitches in a row or the work will pucker. The only other rule is that if you're working a light row and want a dark stitch, that stitch has to have been knit with the dark yarn in the previous row (so it can be slipped) and vice versa.

Designs that are square lend themselves to mosaics better than those that have a lot of curves. But it is possible to work designs with a little bit of curve. If your design requires a large background, add single stitches of the second color to the background as necessary to satisfy the "don't slip more than three stitches" rule.

In honor of Valentine's Day, try your hand at this heart motif. Sew the finished motif to a piece of cardstock as a very special gift to your sweetheart.

Cast on 31 stitches with red, work Rows 1 through 74, and then bind off with red. Lovely!

Let Them Eat Chocolate

Speaking of Valentine's Day, Creative Knitting magazine editor, Kara Gott Warner, has been searching far and wide for V-Day knitting knickknacks, notions ... and yes, even chocolate! Lantern Moon has crafted yarn-inspired chocolates designed specifically to make someone's Valentine's Day extra-yummy! Treat yourself, or one of your knitting friends, to a box of these delightful treats! To find out how you can get your hands on these and more, visit the Creative Knitting editor's blog.