Mosaic Knitting Patterns

Mosaic knitting or two-color slip-stitch knitting is one of a few techniques which give so many variations of patterns, to choose from. If you like Fair Isle knitting patterns, but still not sure about carrying two colors at once, mosaic knitting is right for you.

If you have never tried Mosaic knitting, please check out my tutorial which will walk you through all the things you need to know.  Once comfortable, come back here and let's start creating.

As a quick review, here are the principles of Mosaic knitting:

• Mosaic knitting is a two-color technique. To make a pattern, you will need two colors of yarn. Let's name them Color A and Color B,
  
  
• Knitting pattern has two different sides: Right side and Wrong side.
  
  
• Begin EVERY Right-side row from a NEW color. Work a Right-side row and a Wrong-side row with the same color. 
  
  
• Right-side rows. Every slip stitch is slipped with yarn in BACK (behind the slip stitch).
  Wrong-side rows. Every slip stitch is slipped with yarn in FRONT (keep the yarn in front of the slip stitch.)
  
  
• Follow a chart for the Right-side rows.
  Each Wrong-side row is EXACTLY like a preceding Right-side row: work every stitch being worked in the Right-side row, slip every stitch being slipped in the Right-side row.

Free Mosaic Knitting Patterns

We can thank the very talented knit instructor and prolific writer, Barbara G. Walker for popularizing this type of knitting.  In her 1976 book, Mosaic Knitting, Barbara offers hundreds of charts that could keep you busy for a very long time.  If you like this type of knitting, I highly recommend this book.

Free Caron Frenetic Stripes Mosaic Crochet Blanket Pattern

Get the Free Pattern

---

Mosaic Cowl

Get the Free Pattern

---

Free Lily Sugar'n Cream Modern Weave Knit Kitchen Set Pattern

Get the Free Pattern

---

Free Bernat Knit Diamond Mosaic Cushion Cover Pattern

Get the Free Pattern

---

Free Red Heart Crochet Mosaic Basketweave Placemat Pattern

Get the Free Pattern

---

Free Caron Mosaic Stitch Crochet Scarf Pattern

Get the Free Pattern

---

Designing Your Own

If you are adventurous, you might like to try your hand with your own patterns (charts).  Below are some of those that we played with, but if you're dying to know how to do these charts, jump down to the section below the patterns.

Knit Your First Mosaic Knitting Patterns. Pattern # 1.

Usually mosaic patterns are presented in charts like this one in the chart. A color bar on the right indicates which color (A or B) should be worked for each row.

Numbers by the letters indicate the ODD (right-side) rows. Read and knit them from RIGHT to LEFT. Wrong-side rows usually are not presented on the chart. To knit them, read the pattern of the preceding right-side row from LEFT to RIGHT since they are exactly the same.

Here is one more rule, to keep the edges of your knitting fabric neat.

Always KNIT the very first and the very last stitch of the right-side row.
Always SLIP the very first and the very last stitch of the wrong-side row.

Now let's make a swatch. Follow the chart above. Cast on 25 stitches.

Row 1A. Color A. It is a preparatory row. Knit all 25 stitches.

Row 2A. Color A. Slip first stitch, purl 23 stitches, slip last stitch.
Row 3B. Color B. Change color at the beginning of the row. Read pattern from right to left: knit 2, *slip 1 (yarn behind!), knit 3*, from * to * repeat 5 times, slip 1, knit 2.

Row 4B. Color B. Read pattern from left to right. Slip the first stitch, purl all the stitches which you worked in row 3B, slip all the same stitches (keep yarn in front!) which were slipped in the row 3B, slip the last stitch.

Row 5A. Color A. Change color at the beginning of the row. Read pattern from right to left: knit 1, *slip 1 (yarn behind!), knit 1*, from * to * repeat 11 times, knit 1.

Row 6A. Color A. Read pattern from left to right. Slip the first stitch, purl all the stitches which you worked in row 5A, slip all the same stitches (keep yarn in front!) which were slipped in the row 5A, slip the last stitch.

Row 7B. Color B. Change color at the beginning of the row. Read pattern from right to left: repeat Row 3B.

Row 8B. Color B. Read pattern from left to right. Repeat Row 4B.
To continue pattern, repeat rows from 1 to 8.

Pattern #2

Cast on 23 stitches. This pattern is not as easy as the first one. Nevertheless all rules for knitting it are the same (see above).

How to Create Your Own Mosaic Chart

Before you can create your own charts, you need to memorize these "rules."

1. Each row of squares on a mosaic chart represents 2 rows of knitting, first the right side and then the wrong side.
2. The right side row, labeled with an odd number is worked from the right to the left.  The wrong side row is the same but numbered with even numbers.  This row is read from left to right.
3. The first square on the right side row will either be black or white.  On right side rows that start with a black square, you knit the black squares and slip the white squares, purlwise with yarn in back.
4. On right side rows that begin with a white square, you would knit the white squares, and slip the black stitches, purlwise with yarn in back.
5. Like other knitting charts, you begin at the bottom of the chart and move upward to the top.
6. The red lines on the chart represent the repeats such as the *     *  you would see in written instructions.  There is always three extra stitches on the chart, one on the right and two on the left.
7. You really don't need to look at the chart when doing the wrong-side row. You would knit (or purl) the stitches that you that you knit before and slip the others.  (Example:  If you knit the black stitches, then knit the black stitches and slip the white stitches purlwise with the yarn in front.
8. You can also work mosaic knitting with written instructions such as the ones above.
9. Mosaic knitting is done on either garter or stockinette fabric.

Mosaic Knitting Patterns:  Pin Now, Knit Later

Disclosure:   This post contains affiliate links, which means if you make a purchase from one of these links I will get a small  commission.

Hi, there, I'm Janice, the voice behind this website and avid knitter and crochet enthusiast. I want to share my passion with you and help you learn how to knit or crochet, smarter.

Most Popular Pages