Mosaic Crochet Pattern Book for Beginners: 80 Overlay & Center-Out Designs — Paperback

Many crochet books print tiny mosaic charts that are hard to follow. Here every chart has been redrawn in a large, clear format with row numbers and stitch numbers, so you can crochet comfortably without squinting or enlarging pages on a copier. Each pattern also shows its stitch multiple, which tells you how many stitches you need to chain for your project. That is the key to adapting any design to a different width, from a narrow pillow strip to a full blanket panel.

If charts still feel unfamiliar, you don't have to use them at all. For all 64 flat and round designs, the book gives you written row-by-row instructions as well. You can follow the words, follow the chart, or switch between both until reading charts becomes second nature. The chapter on how to read mosaic charts walks you through the logic step by step.

12 borders

Borders are the perfect place to start. They are narrow, quick and show you within a few rows how the mosaic effect builds up. Use them to frame a blanket, decorate the edge of a pillow or practice the technique before you begin a bigger piece.

23 easy designs

The easy designs repeat over small stitch multiples, so the pattern quickly becomes familiar and you can crochet in a relaxed rhythm. They are ideal for your first mosaic crochet blanket strips or a simple cushion cover.

29 advanced designs

Once you feel confident, the advanced designs bring bigger repeats, more intricate geometric motifs and striking contrasts. They are where mosaic crochet really shows what it can do on afghans, throws and statement pillows.

16 center-out squares

Center-out mosaic is worked from the middle outward, so the motif grows around a central point. These squares are wonderful for pillow fronts and for blankets made of joined squares, and the book includes a step-by-step photo tutorial for this technique.

A stitch library is only half the fun. The book also gives you complete projects that turn the designs into real pieces for your home:

• The Never-Boring Blanket, plus 9 blanket layouts that show you how to combine borders and designs into your own crochet blanket
• Geometric Pillow, Steps Pillow, Eastern Envelope Pillow and Whirlwind Pillow
• Tablet Sleeve and Mosaic Snood for quick colorwork projects

A Pattern Finder helps you quickly match every design to the right project, so you never have to leaf through the whole book to find a motif that fits your blanket or pillow.

This is a book for crocheters who know the basic stitches and want to learn overlay mosaic crochet. You start with easy borders and simple designs, then grow into the advanced patterns and the center-out squares. Along the way you get:

• Step-by-step photo tutorials for flat mosaic, mosaic in the round and center-out mosaic
• a simple explanation of how to read mosaic charts, with clear rules and examples
• a yarn, hook and color guide that helps you choose combinations that make your patterns pop
• written row-by-row instructions for every flat and round design

Experienced makers will love the large pattern library for afghans, throws, cushions and home decor, and the stitch multiples make it easy to plan your own pieces.

Mosaic crochet lives from contrast. Two colors with a clear difference in lightness, for example a dark plum with a pale pink or a deep blue with cream, make the geometric pattern stand out from across the room. Colors that are too similar blur together. A good test is to take a black-and-white photo of your two yarn balls: if they look almost the same in gray, pick a stronger contrast.

Smooth yarns with good stitch definition show the motifs most clearly, while fuzzy or highly textured yarns soften them. The yarn, hook and color guide in the book explains how to choose combinations for the look you want, and each project tells you what to use. Use the hook recommended for your yarn so the fabric stays firm and the long double crochet stitches lie neatly over the rows below. Measure your swatch in inches and centimeters and compare it before you begin a large blanket.

• Start with a border: you will see the mosaic effect appear within a few rows.
• Chain exactly the stitch multiple given for the pattern, plus the extra stitches the pattern asks for.
• Count your stitches at the end of every row; mosaic patterns rely on stitches lining up.
• Leave the yarn tails at the row ends: many mosaic blankets hide them later in a border.
• Block your finished piece gently so the geometric lines look crisp and straight.

Whether you want a cozy mosaic crochet blanket for the sofa, a modern pillow cover, a tablet sleeve or a quick snood, this book gives you everything you need: clear charts, written rows and friendly guidance on every page. Mosaic pieces also make beautiful handmade gifts, and the book itself is a lovely present for anyone who enjoys colorwork.

All finished items you crochet from the patterns in this book may be sold. A credit to MrsCrochetWorld is appreciated but never required. What is not allowed is copying, sharing, reselling or uploading the patterns or the book itself.