Book Review: Mosaic Chart Directory for Knitting and Crochet

I’m a big fan of mosaic knitting, which is a way to make colorwork designs in two colors while knitting with only one strand of yarn at a time. You slip the stitches that show as the second color, and each “row” is what you’d normally consider a row and the return on the wrong side.

It’s pretty logical once you understand how it works and there are lots of designs you can make with this technique. (One of my favorite patterns of mine that uses mosaic knitting is this mosaic knit cowl.)

Anna Nikipirowicz is a crocheter and knitter who loves the look of mosaic, too, and her book, Mosaic Chart Directory for Knitting and Crochet, includes 75 different charts you can use on projects for both knitting and crochet.

The book opens with an overview of mosaic knitting and crochet, basic tools and how to read charts. The main thing with reading and following a mosaic knitting chart is that each row has two numbers. If you’re working flat you work from right to left first, then left to right on the wrong side. Each of the patterns in this book includes written instructions for both the knit and crochet versions, but it’s good practice to learn how to work from the charts.

The 75 designs are arranged into themes: geometric, Aztec, general, nature and seasonal. I guess they had to be organized in some way but these classifications are pretty vague. You’ll just want to flip through and see what you like.

Patterns are also given skill levels from 1 to 3 needles or hooks. Many of them are level 3, but there are few in each section that rate a 1 or 2. I would have liked an index of projects by skill level, or just having them arranged by skill level, but you’ll want to look at all of them anyway.

Some of these designs are classics (like the little squares I used on the cowl linked above, brick stitch and chevrons) while others Nikipirowicz developed. There are no patterns in the book showing how the stitches look in a finished project, just the swatches to use as inspiration for adding them to your projects.

It’s fun to see how different the same pattern can look when worked in knitting or crochet (this is mostly due to the stitches being different shapes/sizes). If you know how to both knit and crochet you can play with these designs in different projects and in different kinds of stitching to come up with the perfect project to make!

About the book: 176 pages, paperback, 75 patterns. Published 2024 by David & Charles. Suggested retail price $26.99.

A few years ago I wrote a post that was full of patterns for knit mushrooms, but I don’t think I ever did a post that was knitting patterns with mushrooms on them, so today’s the day.

I love the Fungi Beanie from Jacki Bean, which calls for worsted weight yarn and uses duplicate stitch to add the mushrooms and other details. I think the colors she used for the design are tonal/multicolor so it doesn’t use as many colors as it looks like, but you can use whatever red, green, brown and white yarn you have in your stash for those details.

How about some mushroom socks? The Magic Toadstool sock form Stone Knits includes a ring of mushrooms around the leg, contrasting heel and toe and a little more colorwork at the toe for extra cuteness. As shown it uses four colors and comes in three sizes.

Or there’s the Fairy Ring Socks from Katie Green, which have mushrooms of two sizes on the legs, plus a bit of wavy grass. They have a contrasting cuff, heel and toe and some colorwork flecks in the body of the sock as well. This one is available in eight sizes to fit everyone from a baby to an XL adult.

This trippy cowl from Hunt Hand Knits looks like a lot of fun to knit. The Fungus Among Us Cowl is shown using four colors of DK weight yarn, though you can do it with as few as two if you’d rather.

Stitch some mushroom mittens with this cute pattern from Holly C Watson. This design uses three colors, and it’s shown with a self-striping yarn on the mushroom caps, which makes the colors change without you having to do any work. The pattern is charted but it’s a pretty easy repeat. The mittens are one size.

If you don’t feel like knitting mushrooms but still want to give your project a touch of the forest, the Toadstools Cardigan from Julie Taylor may be what you’re looking for. It’s stitched as a plain cardigan worked in DK weight yarn and sized for newborns up to 4 years old. The mushrooms are added with embroidery and the pattern includes the design, which you can trace onto water soluble stabilizer to stitch the mushrooms onto your sweater. Or anything else you want. You can find this pattern on Ravelry.

Have you read?