How To Read a Mosaic Crochet Chart

Mosaic crochet is an amazingly beautiful colourwork technique used to create bold patterns using just two colours! Oftentimes mosaic crochet is read from a chart rather than written instructions and this can be super intimidating at first! I’d love to break it down for you here and show you how to read a mosaic crochet chart!

There are two different types of mosaic crochet, which people often get confused about, but actually you’ll see that you can use pretty much the same chart for both techniques!

I’ll be taking you step by step through how to read a mosaic crochet chart for both inset and overlay mosaic crochet. Just like this one here!

If you’re not sure how to work inset and overlay mosaic crochet, take a look at this mosaic crochet tutorial first.

What is a Mosaic Crochet Chart?

A mosaic crochet chart is a graphic depiction of a mosaic crochet pattern, which is used to create a piece of mosaic crochet. It can be used alongside written instructions, or can completely replace them.

You will often find that a chart gives just one repeat of the pattern, and you will then need to work the chart (or a specified portion of it) over and over across your row to create your project.

A mosaic crochet chart will look like a grid with different coloured squares in it, some with a symbol like an X in it too! Each square represents a stitch and the different colours and symbols tell you what stitch to make.

Do I Need to Read Charts If I Have Written Instructions?

Not necessarily!

However, it can be a lot easier to keep track of where you are in a chart. Some mosaic patterns can involve lots of switching between stitches, which can make it hard to keep your place in a string of text.

Written instructions for mosaic patterns can end up being rather long and unwieldy compared to a simple chart.

What’s the Difference Between Overlay and Inset Mosaic Crochet Charts?

There isn’t a lot of difference to be honest, and once you know what you’re doing, you can actually use an overlay mosaic chart for inset mosaic, and vice versa!

Both are displayed as a grid with different colours and symbols, and it can be hard to tell them apart, except for the following differences:

Overlay Mosaic Crochet Charts

In overlay mosaic crochet, we are working on the front of the project only, always going from right to left (or left to right if you’re left-handed). We re-join our yarn for each new row and fasten off at the end of the row.

Therefore in an overlay mosaic crochet chart, you will see the row numbers on one side only.

You will also see that regardless of the colour of a square in overlay, you’ll be working a single crochet in the back loop if the square has no X in it, and a mosaic double crochet for the squares with an X.

Inset Mosaic Crochet Charts

In inset mosaic crochet, we work two rows per colour, an ‘a’ row and a ‘b’ row. But this is represented in the chart as only one compressed row and you will see the row numbers are on both sides of the chart. On one side they are the ‘a’ rows. On the other side they are the ‘b’ rows. We read ‘a’ rows from right to left and we read ‘b’ rows from left to right (for right-handers).

Another difference is that in inset mosaic crochet, if a square is in the other colour to the one we are working, then we need to make a chain and skip a stitch.

However, I will say that not all crochet designers do their charts in the same way, so just watch out for that!

Let’s go into more detail now on how to read a mosaic crochet chart for each of the different techniques.

Mosaic Crochet Tutorial Supplies

You can use any yarn weight from your stash to try out mosaic crochet, but be sure to choose 2 contrasting colours. The yarn you choose should be fairly smooth, and not too fussy for a good stitch definition. And probably steer clear of fingering weight yarn when learning!

If you’re starting by making a mosaic crochet blanket then be sure to have a read of my suggestions for the best yarn for crochet blankets!

You will also need:

Overlay Mosaic Crochet Chart

Read each row from right to left on the chart. If you are left-handed, you’ll be working from left to right.

The column on the right tells you which colour to use for that row. Row numbers are shown up the side and stitch numbers are given along the bottom.

All stitches are worked as a single crochet in the back loop only, unless a Mosaic double crochet (Mdc) is indicated in the written pattern or the chart.

In the chart a Mdc is referred to as ‘X’.

Let’s Talk Through What this Looks Like in Practice

1. Start your piece by making a row of single crochet using yarn B. You can start with a foundation chain and then single crochet back, or you can use a foundation single crochet. At the end of the row, chain 1 and break your yarn.
2. Do not turn, but join your yarn A at the beginning of the row with a chain 1.
3. Let’s now look at row 10 shown here – we can see that we are using yarn A. The first square has an X in it, so this means we work a mosaic double crochet in the front loop of the stitch 2 rows below.
4. Next there are 3 squares with no X, 2 are in yarn B colour and 1 is in yarn A colour. But this does not matter!! For this technique, if there is no X in the square, we just work a single crochet in the back loop of the stitch, regardless of what colour the square is.
5. We then continue across with another mosaic double crochet in the square with the X, and 3 more single crochets in the back loops.
6. When you reach the end of the row, chain 1 and break your yarn.
7. Continue repeating steps 3 to 6 for the remaining rows of the chart.

Inset Mosaic Crochet Chart

In inset mosaic crochet, the charts show you each pair of rows compressed into one line.

Inset Mosaic Charts show you where to work the single crochet, Mosaic double crochet and chain stitches that you’ll need to create the pattern.

Some important things to know are:

• each row on the chart corresponds to a pair of rows in the same colour.
• start in the bottom right corner and read the chart from the bottom upwards as follows:
• read ‘a’ rows from right to left
• read ‘b’ rows from left to right
• each square on the chart indicates a stitch on the row

Chart Reading

• The first square in a row indicates the starting colour for that row.
• All squares in this colour indicate that you need to work a sc.
• A square that is different to the starting colour indicates a skipped stitch, so you need to work a ch1 and skip the stitch.
• A square with a X symbol indicates a Mdc worked in the skipped stitch of the same colour 3 rows below.
• Once your ‘a’ row is complete, turn your work and work the ‘b’ row following the chart from left to right.
• Each ‘b’ row will have a sc in each sc or Mdc of the previous row and a ch above each ch of the previous row.
• After completing the ‘b’ row, change your colour on the yarn over of the last stitch of the row, making sure you catch your current colour to the back of the work.

Let’s Talk Through What this Looks Like in Practice

1. Using yarn B, start your swatch by making 2 rows of single crochet as a foundation. You can start with a foundation chain and then single crochet back, or you can use a foundation single crochet. At the end of the first row, turn, chain 1 and single crochet back across.
2. Now let’s take a look at the chart. Row 1 is shown in yarn A, so join yarn A and then we will start row 1a.
3. The first 4 stitches are in the same colour as the colour we are working, so these will be single crochet stitches. We then have a yarn B coloured square, which indicates a skipped stitch. So we chain 1 and skip a stitch. We then finish the row with 3 single crochet stitches.
4. At the end of the row turn and continue onto your ‘b’ row. We follow the chart for ‘b’ rows from left to right. So we start with 3 single crochet. Then we chain 1 and skip a stitch, and finish with 4 single crochet.
5. Switch over to your yarn B at the end of the ‘b’ row by pulling through on the last yarn over of the final stitch, and move on to Row 2. Row 2a starts with 2 single crochet. We then have a square in the other colour, so we chain 1 and skip a stitch. Then we have a square in the same colour as we are working, so place a single crochet here. Next we have a square with an X in, which means we do a mosaic double crochet in the stitch 3 rows below. We finish the row with single crochet, chain 1 and skip 1, single crochet.
6. Then we turn and continue for row 2b, which is read left to right as follows: single crochet, chain 1 and skip a stitch, single crochet, mosaic double crochet, single crochet, chain 1 and skip a stitch, 2 single crochets.
7. At the end of row 2b, change to yarn A and continue working in this way back and forth along all of the rows.

Overlay Mosaic Crochet Patterns to Try

• Crochet Christmas stocking pattern – create unique heirloom stockings for everyone.
• Overlay mosaic crochet blanket pattern – the perfect project for yarn stashbusting and mindfulness.

I hope you’ve enjoyed learning how to read a mosaic crochet chart! I’d love to know if you decide to make any of my patterns using these techniques or if you create your own! You can sign up to become a member of HanJan Crochet and I’ll let you know about all the fabulous crochet adventures, offers, lives and more too!

See you there!

Learn Some More Crochet Stitches With Me

If, like me, you’re eager to learn all the crochet stitches and techniques you possibly can then I’d love you to take a look at my crochet stitch tutorials – here are some of my favourites though:

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