Mosaic Knitting - Keep on Trying! (Designing Your Own Projects)

Mosaic knitting is such a fun technique. Working with only one color at time makes it easy to do color-work knitting. Designing your own mosaic-knitting projects can be easy and fun, too.

This brief tutorial explains how I designed my "Moose and Squirrel - My Moose Hero" mosaic-knitted towel pattern by using templates for copying and pasting dark-colored and light-colored areas in Microsoft "Excel."

You could use similar steps in other spreadsheet programs like Apple "Numbers" or Google "Sheets" to do the same things.

(Google "Sheets" is a free program on line - you can read about it at https://www.google.com/sheets/about/)

If you're already familiar with mosaic knitting, you know how each color is used, one at a time, for two rows. (If you're new to mosaic knitting, I recommend J.G. Miller's tutorial, "Mosaic Charts Explained," free to download on Ravelry.)

I will be talking about mosaic garter-stitch in this tutorial; in a future tutorial, I'll talk about mosaic stockinette-stitch.


Here are two charts for mosaic garter-stitch, made with 1s and 0s and "conditional formatting":

In this chart, the background is light and the foreground dots are dark. Each light-colored row in the chart is knitted across in the light-colored yarn for two rows.

The "dotted" rows are worked with knit stitches for the dark dots and slipped stitches for the light background in between the dots.

In this chart, the background is dark and the foreground dots are light. Each dark-colored row in the chart is knitted across in the dark-colored yarn for two rows.

The "dotted" rows are worked with knit stitches for the light dots and slipped stitches for the dark background in between the dots.








By copying and pasting from one chart to the other, you can "paint" a design. Here's an example.

Copying the elements from one chart and repeatedly pasting into the other chart let's you create shapes, as long as you paste elements in line with their matching rows and columns. 

Note: these Excel mosaic coaster templates will be free on line through my Ravelry store soon.

For "Moose Hero," I "sketched" in large blocks of dark color for my Moose's body, face, and antlers. Then I added his top hat, his magic bunny, and details for his eyes and his tuxedo coat.

I took my time and worked with my Moose until his arms, legs, and feet were in a proportion I liked before I knitted a sample to test my design.

"Moose Hero" has meaning for me because, no matter how many times he tried and failed in the past, he tried again and "Pulled a rabbit out of his hat!"



His "Squirrel Buddy" has been a design challenge for me, but I'll "Keep on trying!"



If you would like to knit your own "Moose Hero," the pattern is available for immediate download in my Ravelry store:

          https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/moose-and-squirrel---moose-hero

The pattern includes written instructions, helpful tutorial links, full and expanded charts and complete row-by-row stitch counts.

You may use the pattern to knit for yourself, for charity, or for sale (please credit Janet Bailey Designs for the pattern).

You may not sell the pattern or give it away. Thank you for supporting my designs!

I hope you will enjoy knitting and using your own "Moose Hero" towel!

Double-Knitting Adventures - The Chess Set - Bishops and Rooks

“Bishops and Rooks" is the fourth pattern release from the Chess Set of double-knitting patterns.

You can knit hot pads or coasters with these patterns, or you can use the charts to embellish larger projects.

Other patterns in the Chess Set:  

• “Kings and Queens – The Royal Couples”

• “Knights! – Champions of Honor”

• “Pawns! Attack… or Defend?” (free pattern!)

Size estimates for some suggested yarns and needle sizes:

• worsted-weight yarn (one skein each in dark and light),

at a gauge of 21 stitches and 30 rows in 4 inches

(about 5.25 st/in and about 7.5 rows/in),

with U.S. size 3 (3.25 mm) or 4 (3.50 mm) needles

will produce a hot pad measuring about 6 ¼ inches square.

suggested yarns –

Hobby Lobby “I Love this Cotton” (100% Cotton)

Knit Picks Wool of the Andes (100% Wool)

• fingering-weight yarn (one skein each in dark and light),

at a gauge of 30 stitches and 38 rows in 4 inches

(about 7.5 st/in and 9.5 rows/in),

with U.S. size 0 (2.00 mm) or 1 (2.25 mm) needles

will produce a coaster measuring about 4 ½ inches square.

suggested yarn –

Cascade Heritage (75% Wool, 25% Nylon)

Choose 100% cotton or wool yarns to make your Chess Set squares heat-resistant and moisture-absorbing. 

Knitters have many techniques for casting on, binding off, and finishing edges in double-knitting. The Double-Knitting Group on Ravelry is a helpful resource of ideas.

My worsted-weight samples, pictured to the left and below, used Sarah E. White’s “Two Color Cast-on for Double-Knitting,”  and Sockmatician’s “Slip-Stitch Edges for Double-Knitting.”

I like combination knitting to help achieve even double-knitting tension. Ellen, “The Chilly Dog,” has a fantastic article and video on combination knitting that explains why you would want to use the technique and shows how to do combination knitting for both English-style and continental-style knitters.

I used a simple sewn bind-off for these samples – instructions follow: 

For Row 47 (not shown on the charts) you will be knitting the front and back layers together. You start Row 47 with 33 dark/light pairs (33 double stitches), then knit a dark stitch and light stitch together (k2tog) across, so that you end Row 47 with 33 single stitches.

To finish binding off, use Elizabeth Zimmerman’s Sewn Bind-off, as described at the end of Knitty’s  Summer 2006  “Techniques with Theresa” feature, on binding off in knitting.

Complete your project by hiding yarn ends in between the front and back layers. For Chess Set squares in kitchen cottons, be sure to treat for color fastness! 

Block as appropriate for your yarn, shaping your hot pad or coaster into a square or nearly-square shape.

This "Bishops and Rooks - Shields of the Realm" double-knitting pattern is available as a pdf for immediate download. The pattern includes written instructions, links to tutorials, and separate front and back charts for knitting the King and Queen (four charts are included in the pattern). You may use the pattern to knit for yourself, for gifts, or for charity. If you sell items made from my pattern, please credit Janet Bailey Designs. You may not sell the pattern itself, or give it away. Thank you for supporting my designs!


Instant pdf download on Ravelry.
Instant pdf download on Etsy.

I hope you enjoy knitting and using your "Bishops and Rooks" and I would love to see your project photos on Ravelry!

Double-Knitting Adventures - The Chess Set - Kings and Queens

“Kings and Queens” is the third pattern release from the Chess Set of double-knitting patterns.

You can knit hot pads or coasters with these patterns, or you can use the charts to embellish larger projects.

Other patterns in the Chess Set:  

• “Knights! – Champions of Honor”

• “Bishops and Rooks – Shields of the Realm”

• “Pawns! Attack… or Defend?” (free pattern!)

Size estimates for some suggested yarns and needle sizes:

• worsted-weight yarn (one skein each in dark and light),

at a gauge of 21 stitches and 30 rows in 4 inches

(about 5.25 st/in and about 7.5 rows/in),

with U.S. size 3 (3.25 mm) or 4 (3.50 mm) needles

will produce a hot pad measuring about 6 ¼ inches square.

suggested yarns –

Hobby Lobby “I Love this Cotton” (100% Cotton)

Knit Picks Wool of the Andes (100% Wool)

• fingering-weight yarn (one skein each in dark and light),

at a gauge of 30 stitches and 38 rows in 4 inches

(about 7.5 st/in and 9.5 rows/in),

with U.S. size 0 (2.00 mm) or 1 (2.25 mm) needles

will produce a coaster measuring about 4 ½ inches square.

suggested yarn –

Cascade Heritage (75% Wool, 25% Nylon)

Choose 100% cotton or wool yarns to make your Chess Set squares heat-resistant and moisture-absorbing. 

Knitters have many techniques for casting on, binding off, and finishing edges in double-knitting. The Double-Knitting Group on Ravelry is a helpful resource of ideas.

My worsted-weight samples, pictured to the left and below, used Sarah E. White’s “Two Color Cast-on for Double-Knitting,”  and Sockmatician’s “Slip-Stitch Edges for Double-Knitting.”

I like combination knitting to help achieve even double-knitting tension. Ellen, “The Chilly Dog,” has a fantastic article and video on combination knitting that explains why you would want to use the technique and shows how to do combination knitting for both English-style and continental-style knitters.

I used a simple sewn bind-off for these samples – instructions follow:

For Row 47 (not shown on the charts) you will be knitting the front and back layers together. You start Row 47 with 33 dark/light pairs (33 double stitches), then knit a dark stitch and light stitch together (k2tog) across, so that you end Row 47 with 33 single stitches.

To finish binding off, use Elizabeth Zimmerman’s Sewn Bind-off, as described at the end of Knitty’s  Summer 2006  “Techniques with Theresa” feature, on binding off in knitting.

Complete your project by hiding yarn ends in between the front and back layers. For Chess Set squares in kitchen cottons, be sure to treat for color fastness! 

Block as appropriate for your yarn, shaping your hot pad or coaster into a square or nearly-square shape.

This "Kings and Queens – The Royal Couples" double-knitting pattern is available as a pdf for immediate download. The pattern includes written instructions, links to tutorials, and separate front and back charts for knitting the King and Queen (four charts are included in the pattern). You may use the pattern to knit for yourself, for gifts, or for charity. If you sell items made from my pattern, please credit Janet Bailey Designs. You may not sell the pattern itself, or give it away. Thank you for supporting my designs!


Instant pdf download on Ravelry.
Instant pdf download on Etsy.

I hope you enjoy knitting and using your "Kings and Queens" and I would love to see your project photos on Ravelry!

Dachshund Cloths - On Their Way

Frank and Phoebe, 
the Dachshund Cloths I knitted for my son and daughter-in-law are on their way as a late holiday gift. Since Max, another mini-doxie, joined their family, it looks like I have another Dachshund Cloth to knit!

My project page tells a little about how I wrote the pattern. I had to test-knit several designs to get the body shape and the face I wanted with textured knitting in garter-stitch ridges on a stockinette background.

I use these little cloths to save on paper towels. I like the rectangular shape and they're the perfect size for wiping up spills or drying and polishing glassware. I hope my son and his wife like their cloths!

Update 1/3/2020: Darling Son and Daughter-in-Law say they love their "Weenie-Dog Cloths"!

A Dachshund Cloth in Textured Knitting - Free Pattern

Designing pictures in textured knitting is challenging. Horizontal purl stitch rows pop out against the stockinette background (as they do in welting), but vertical purl stitch columns recede (as they do in ribbing). What looks good on a chart may translate as a different image when knitted.

The design for this dachshund cloth was test-knitted and revised several times. I wanted my dachshund’s body, feet, and tail to be in scale with each other, and I wanted a wagging tail with at least an indication of ears. The dachshund’s face was challenging since one stitch difference on nose or ears can make the design look like a mouse or a bunny! You can see two versions of the face on the gold and brown dachshunds in the photo. The chart is for a face more like the gold dachshund.

The samples are knitted in cotton worsted-weight (standard weight 4) yarn on size 6 needles (4.0 mm) needles. Gauge is not too important but you want your stitches to be dense so that the design shows clearly. For the samples, my gauge was 5.5 st/in and 8.5 rows/in (22 stitches and 34 rows in 4 inches). At that gauge my cloths were about 10 ½” wide and about 5 ¼” tall.

You might want to go up to size 7 needles if your worsted cotton is more like an aran-weight. Or you might want to make a smaller cloth in dk-weight cotton on smaller needles. Have fun with your dachshunds!

Dachshund Cloth in Textured Knitting - Free Pattern Download on Ravelry.com

To keep your dachshunds looking frisky, be sure to treat kitchen cottons for color fastness and block them to shape!