Mosaic Tapestry Crochet

Mosaic Tapestry crochet is a technique that uses two or more yarn colours within a single row, with frequent transitions between these colours to form intricate patterns. The colour not used at that time is crocheted over, concealing it within the stitches of your active colour.

If you wish to try the mosaic tapestry technique using the sample below, this video tutorial will show you how to read the chart and change colours when indicated.

To create a practice piece, you need to chain multiples of 8, plus 3, plus 1 to turn (or do a single crochet foundation of multiples of 8 plus 3)

You can download either of these files for a printable version of this sample pattern

Mosaic Tapestry Squares - US terms.pdf

Here is a quick summary of the mosaic tapestry technique:

On colour B rows:

Tie on both colours when creating your border stitch, and carry the 2nd colour along, trapping it within the SC stitches as you go.
Work up to the stitch with either a or a (these tell you to change colour)
Complete the last yarn over of the or stitch with the new colour you want to use.
Pull the new colour through the loops on the hook to complete the stitch.
Continue working with the new colour, carrying the old colour along the back of your work.
Repeat the process as needed for subsequent colour changes in the pattern.

On Colour A rows:

On the Colour A row, crochet as normal but trap the leftover yarn from the previous row in your stitches.

Mosaic tapestry charts

You can see in the image below that green and white are used throughout the pattern. Alongside these are distinct blocks of orange. To create these blocks, the mosaic tapestry technique will be applied, with both green and orange yarns worked in the same row, covering the entire length of the row.

The chart below is an example of a mosaic tapestry chart. It shows how the pattern will look should they require more than one colour in a row repeat.

Remember that the chart shows you what the pattern looks like ONCE it has been crocheted.

Colour A sometimes covers the stitch from the previous row. Whilst my chart details when to change colour with the circle symbol, you can also refer to the written instructions, as this details the colour of each stitch.

Row 9 - Work the whole row with Colour A

Row 8 - Work the whole row with Colour B1

Row 7 -Work the whole row with Colour A

Row 6 - Start with Colour B1. Change to Colour B2 on ST3 and change back on ST6

Row 5 - Work the whole row with Colour A

Row 4 - Start with Colour B1. Change to Colour B2 on ST3 and change back on ST6

Row 3 - Work the whole row with Colour A

Row 2 - Work the whole row with Colour B1

Row 1 - Work the whole row with Colour A

I'm designing the charts in a way that simplifies the mosaic tapestry technique for you, indicating precisely when to change colours. Please note that this approach is specific to my designs, as other designers might have different methods.

Mosaic tapestry chart legend

Mosaic tapestry instructions

How to use more than one colour per row as per the chart above:

Row 1 to 3 – work your mosaic crochet rows as normal.
Row 4 - Tie on both colour B1 and colour B2 when creating your border stitch,
- The row starts with colour B1, and you carry colour B2 along, trapping it within the stitches as you go.
- With colour B1, work up to the stitch before where colour B2 stitch starts (in this case, stitch 3)
- On stitch 3, complete the last yarn over of your stitch with colour B2. Pull colour B2 through both loops on the hook to complete the stitch. Stitch 3 will be in colour B1, but leaving colour B2 as the loop on your hook, ready to start stitch 4.
- Continue working with the colour B2, carrying colour B1 along the back of your work.
- Work up to the stitch before where the colour B1 stitch restarts (in this case, stitch 6)
- On stitch 6, complete the last yarn over of your stitch with colour B1. Pull colour B1 through both loops on the hook to complete the stitch. Stitch 6 will be in colour B2, but leaving colour B1 as the loop on your hook, ready to start stitch 7.
- Work stitches 7 and 8 and your last stitch with colour B1, again trapping colour B2 within the stitches.
- Create your final border stitch with Colour B1, then chain 1 to fasten off with both colours. Snip off both yarns.
Row 5 - work your mosaic crochet row as normal (Colour A).
Row 6 – Repeat stage 2 as above.
Row 7 to 9 – work your mosaic crochet rows as normal.

Mosaic tapestry written instructions

BS - Border Stitch – Single Crochet through both loops
SC - Single Crochet in back loop of the stitch in the current row (regardless of the colour in the box)
DC - Double Crochet front loop of the stitch two rows below (regardless of the colour in the box)

The table of written instructions for each pattern tells you which row you’re on and which colour to use on that row. In the example below:

Row 1 is highlighted in white; therefore, you are crocheting the whole row in colour A.
Row 2 is highlighted in green; therefore, you are crocheting the whole row in colour B1.
Row 3 is highlighted in white; therefore, you are crocheting the whole row in colour A.
However, Row 4 is highlighted in green and orange; therefore, this row uses the mosaic tapestry technique using both colour B1 and B2.
Row 5 is highlighted in white; therefore, you are crocheting the whole row in colour A.
Row 6 is highlighted in green and orange; therefore, this row uses the mosaic tapestry technique using both colour B1 and B2.
Row 7 is highlighted in white; therefore, you are crocheting the whole row in colour A.
Row 8 is highlighted in green; therefore, you are crocheting the whole row in colour B1.
Row 9 is highlighted in white; therefore, you are crocheting the whole row in colour A.

The colour of the stitches within the written instructions details which colour should be used for those stitches. On the rows that are mosaic tapestry rows, you will change colour on the last stitch crocheted in that colour.