Overlay Mosaic work is never turned, and every row has the yarn cut. Resulting in many ends to weave in. Inset Mosaic is worked with 2 rows, allowing you to carry the color changes along the side of the work.
Work rows of color, the design reaches a point that the opposite color will be “brought down” to create the vertical line. Where the vertical line is to be worked, the color below is worked as chain spaces skipping the stitches below.
Brown yarn shows chain spaces where the cream yarn is going to be worked to create vertical lines.
Now work the opposite color. Creating the vertical line is simply working a double crochet in the skipped stitches 3 rows below, in front of the chains.
The vertical cream lines, are worked as double crochet stitches in the stitches 3 rows below, with the chains of the brown color pushed to the back (wrong side) of the fabric. Notice the chains are in the back of the stitches.
There is a “wrong side” and “right side” of the fabric.
Sides of the fabric are easily distinguished as the patterns for Inset Mosaic have longer lines, due to the 2 rows of the same color.
Right side of fabric for Inset Mosaic CrochetWrong Side of Inset Mosaic Fabric
Overlay Mosaic Crochet is 1 of 3 mosaic crochet methods that are color work methods that create stunning geometric designs.
The Overlay Mosaic Method has some ready to see benefits, but is also has some draw backs especially compared to Inset Mosaic and Mosaic Magic.
Pros
To begin with it uses simple stitches, the entire base of the fabric is created with single crochet worked into the back loop. It creates bands of colors. Working double crochet loops 2 rows below in the unused front loop of the fabric. As a result this causes the color of the double crochet stitch to cover the color the row below. This ensures that the color work looks more difficult to work than it actually is.
Overlay Mosaic Crochet- work single crochet stitches in the back loop.Overlay Mosaic Crochet, works a double crochet 2 rows below to create the dynamic color work.
Cons
However, this fabric is only worked on the right side, so you never turn. In addition, it is worked with only 1 row of color at a time. The result is a fabric that needs to be joined and fastened off for every row.
The easiest way to deal with the loose ends is to have fringe. Leaving the tails long of both the joining and fastening off. More modern methods have utilized this method in the round, so that the right side is always facing, and the color is carried at the join.
5 Rows of Overlay Mosaic Crochet- note that each row is joined and fastened off, and the fabric is never turned.Working Row 6 of Overlay Mosaic Crochet
Mosaic crochet historically makes a cycle of popularity. This overlay method classically known for such patterns as Apache Tears and Navajo Indian Blanket.
I have stumbled across a Continuous Overlay Mosaic Crochet Method, put together by Susan Lowman. It is brilliant for creating this fabric in a flat method with far fewer ends to weave in. Make sure sand check out her video here. I like to use Overlay Mosaic for hats and fingerless gloves. I find this approach to be very straight forward and easy to follow. Creating some fun highlights for colors.
