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Knit a Cowl Using Simple Mosaic Designs

November 27, 2023 by Sarah White

Mosaic knitting is such a fun and easy technique and a great way to do repeating graphic colorwork designs in two colors. It makes projects look more complicated than they are, and it’s really fun and pretty fast to knit this way, since you’re slipping stitches to make the pattern.

The Edda Cowl from Mieka John is a great way to get a lot of mosaic colorwork practice if you’ve never tried it before. It’s worked in sport weight yarn with two mosaic sections separated by garter ridges. Another garter ridge at the end gives you a place to join the cowl into a loop.

You have the option of knitting the pattern flat or in the round as a tube. If you knit it as a tube, you have to purl every other round because the mosaic pattern is worked in garter stitch. If you knit it flat you need to sew the side seam along the length of the cowl to turn it into a tube. In both instances you need to graft in garter stitch to attach the short ends to each other. You’ll also need to work a provisional cast on.

The pattern includes two sizes, for kids and adults. If you want to use a heavier weight yarn on the project you could try making the child’s size with DK or worsted weight yarn so it doesn’t end up so much wider than was intended. Mosaic patterns are usually pretty easy to alter if you want to make it a custom width or length, too.

The pattern is available on Ravelry.

Looking for more fun mosaic knitting patterns? I have a roundup of mosaic knitting projects you can try. It includes socks, a sweater, blanket, bag and more. And speaking of mosaic knit blankets I can’t resist sharing the Mosaic Diamonds Blanket pattern again because it’s such a beauty!

[Photo: Mieka John]

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Have you read?

My Great Fabric Flea Market Experiment – Should You Sell Your Fabric Stash?

You know that moment when you open your fabric cupboard and it groans at you? Yeah. That was me last month. After years of cheerful hoarding (“Ooh, this linen will be perfect for… something!”), I’d reached critical mass. My stash had officially become a fire hazard and my husband said no more fabric. 

So I did something radical: I loaded up my car with unloved fabric and took it to the local flea market. No fancy booth, no display—just me, my boot (trunk for my US friends), and a handwritten sign that said “FABRIC – MAKE ME AN OFFER.”

What followed was equal parts hilarious, heartwarming, and mildly chaotic.

The Good, The Bad & The “Wait, What?” Moments

The Bargain Hunters

Within minutes, a woman in a neon pink sunhat descended on my car like a fabric-hungry hawk.

Her: “Is this silk?” (Holding up very obviously cheap polyester)
Me: “Uh… no?”
Her: “I’ll give you 50p.”
Me: “Sold.”

Turns out she makes carnival costumes and needed “anything shiny.” Godspeed, glitter queen.

The Emotional Connection

One lady nearly teared up over a scrap of 90s Laura Ashley floral.

Her: “My mum made my wedding dress from this exact print!”
Me: “Take it. It’s yours.”
Her: “But I don’t even sew!”
Me: “Then frame it and yell at it occasionally like it’s your mother-in-law.”

She left cackling. Mission accomplished.

The Unexpected Haggler

A very serious 8-year-old approached with a £1 coin and the negotiating skills of a Wall Street broker.

Him: “I need fabric for my guinea pig’s birthday party.”
Me: “That’s… specific.”
Him: “He likes blue.”

Obviously I gave him ALL my blue scraps plus a ribbon for the guest of honor. Best sale of the day.

The Surprising Joy of Letting Go

Here’s what shocked me: I didn’t miss a single piece. Not the “I might use this” chiffon. Not the “too nice to cut” Japanese cotton. Watching people light up as they found their perfect project fabric? That was the real dopamine hit.

  • The quilting club ladies who squabbled over my batiks like seagulls over chips
  • The art student thrilled to find cheap muslin for her sculpture project
  • The retired tailor who tutted at my folding skills but bought 5m of wool “for teaching the grandkids”

Every piece went to someone who’d actually use it—no more guilt-tripping me from the depths of my stash cupboard.

 

What I Learned (So You Can Do It Too)

  1. Price Everything at “Please Just Take It” Levels
    • My pricing strategy: “Would I rather have £3 or closet space?”
  2. Embrace the Chaos
    • Let people rummage. Half the fun was watching two strangers bond over the same floral cotton.
  3. Bring Backup
    • Shoutout to my friend who brought a flask of tea and periodically hissed “That’s vintage, charge more!” like my fabric pimp.
  4. Take Pictures
    • For every sad “I never used this” moment, I got three “look how happy this makes someone” moments. Worth it.

The Aftermath

My car is lighter. My sewing room breathes easier. And somewhere out there, a guinea pig is living his best blue-fabric-life.

Will I stop buying fabric altogether? Don’t be ridiculous. But now I ask: “Will I love this enough to keep it forever, or is this a future flea market treasure for someone else?”

Your Turn:

  • Could you sell your stash, or does the thought make you hyperventilate?
  • What’s the weirdest fabric purchase you’ve ever made? (I once bought 10m of glow-in-the-dark satin. Why? No one knows.)
  • Should I make this a yearly tradition?

Spill your stash confessions below – and if you’re local, watch out for my boot sale sequel: “Notions I Bought For Hypothetical Projects” coming this autumn…

(P.S. For those asking – yes, the guinea pig’s party was a success. He wore the ribbon as a cape.)

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