Retro Mosaic

By Angela Tong

Instagram handle: @angelatongdesigns

Angela Tong is a designer, teacher, mother, and food lover living in New Jersey. Her knit designs have been published in numerous magazines, books, and with multiple yarn companies. Angela enjoys knitting, weaving, sewing, and making pottery. She loves to teach, and you can find her knitting and weaving classes at www.mybluprint.com and www.interweave.com. 

Inspiration: I had a lot of fun designing this stitch block. I wanted to show how slip stitches can produce lovely colorwork in knitting. The best part is that you only work with one color at a time.

Tip: You will want to choose colors with a high contrast to make the most of the mosaic pattern. To check if you have two yarn colors that contrast against each other, take a black-and-white picture of your yarn together with your phone. One color should be light/bright and the other should be dark so that the pattern will show up.

Finished Stitch Block Measurements

8 x 8 inch/20 x 20cm stitch block square, blocked (including garter stitch borders)

Materials

Worsted weight yarn

Size 9 US (5.5mm) needle

Gauge

18 sts and 28 rows = 4 inches/10cm in pattern

Retro Mosaic Pattern (multiple of 6 sts)

Row 8 (RS): Knit.

Row 9 (WS): Purl.

Row 10: [Sl1 purlwise wyif, k1] 3 times.

Row 11: Purl.

Row 12: Knit.

Row 13: Knit.

Row 14: Knit.

Row 15: Purl.

Row 16: Knit.

Row 17: Knit.

Row 18: Knit.

Row 19: Purl.

Row 20: [Sl1 purlwise wyib, k1] 3 times.

Row 21: [P1, sl1 purlwise wyif] 3 times.

Row 22: Knit.

Row 23: Purl.

Row 24: Knit.

Row 25: Knit.

Row 26: Knit.

Row 27: Purl.

Row 28: K1, [sl1 purlwise wyib] 4 times, k1.

Row 29: P2, [sl1 purlwise wyif] 2 times, p2.

Row 30: Knit.

Row 31: Purl.

Row 32: K1, [sl1 purlwise wyib] 4 times, k1.

Row 33: P1, [sl1 purlwise wyif] 4 times, p1.

Row 34: K2, [sl1 purlwise wyib] 2 times, k2.

Row 35: Purl.

Row 36: K1, [sl1 purlwise wyib] 4 times, k1.

Row 37: P2, [sl1 purlwise wyif] 2 times, p2.

Row 38: Knit.

Row 39: Purl.

Row 40: [K1, sl1 purlwise wyib] 3 times.

Row 41: [Sl1 purlwise wyif, p1] 3 times.

Row 42: Knit.

Row 43: Purl.

Stitch Block Instructions

Bottom Garter Stitch Edging

CO 36 sts.

Row 1 (WS): Knit.

Row 2 (RS): Knit.

Rows 3-6: Knit.

Square Body

Row 7: K3, p30, k3.

Work Rows 8-43 of chart.

Rows 44-46: Knit.

Row 47: K3, p30, k3.

Row 48: Knit.

Row 49: Rep Row 47.

Top Garter Stitch Edging

Rows 50-56: Knit.

BO all sts.