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.

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The other day I saw a post from Pinterest about trends for summer and it said one of them was “cultivating whimsy.”

Well, I don’t know where Pinterest has been all this time, but we’ve been cultivating whimsy here at Craft Gossip for a long time. I love sharing projects that are a little different, things that make you smile when you see them, and will make you smile when you knit them and wear them or use them.

Such it is with the Tutti Frutti tee knitting pattern from Bea Creative Knits.

This cute little baby tee is worked top down in the round with contiguous shoulder construction to shape the sleeve caps. There are short rows for the neckline and folded hems with picot edging at the hemline, neckline and edges of the sleeves.

All of this would be great on its own, but then there’s the addition of a super cute fruit icon, which is added with duplicate stitch. There are a lot of options, including strawberry, banana, orange, cherries, watermelon, lemon, blueberries, kiwi, peach, dragon fruit, apple and pear, so it’s likely you can add on your favorite fruit.

It is offered in eight sizes, to fit a bust measurement ranging from 28-30 inches (71-76 cm) to 56-58 inches (142-147 cm). The design is meant to be worn with around 6.3 inches/16 cm of negative ease, but you can choose the fit you prefer. There’s also optional bust and waist shaping included in the pattern if you want to make it even curvier.

This is considered an advanced beginner or intermediate project because of all the skills involved, but it’s sure to be a lot of fun even if some of these techniques are new to you.

Grab a copy of the pattern for yourself form Bea Creative Knits on Etsy.

[Photo: Bea Creative Knits]

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