Mosaic Crochet 101: Overlay, Inset, and Mirrored Explained

Mosaic Crochet 101: Overlay, Inset, and Mirrored Explained

If you’ve been looking at my Free Mosaic Pattern Graphs page and wondering, "How on earth do I actually crochet this?" you are in the right place.

Mosaic crochet is fantastic because it creates stunning colorwork that looks complicated, but it’s actually much easier than it looks. The golden rule is simple: You only ever work with one color at a time. No juggling multiple balls of yarn!

However, "Mosaic Crochet" isn't just one technique. There are three main ways to do it, and you need to know which one you are using before you start.

• 1. Overlay Mosaic (The "One-Row" method)
• 2. Inset Mosaic (The "Two-Row" method)
• 3. Mirrored / Anchored Mosaic (The "Reversible" method)

Here is the plain English guide to the differences.

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1. Overlay Mosaic (The "Cut-Your-Yarn" Method)

This is currently the most popular method you’ll see in modern patterns (like those by Rosina Plane or Tinna). It creates very crisp, pixel-perfect images.

How it works:

• One Direction Only: You always work on the Right Side (front) of the fabric. You never turn your work.
• Cut the Cord: Because you don't turn, you have to cut your yarn at the end of every single row. This creates a fringe on both sides.
• The Main Stitch: Most stitches are Single Crochet worked in the Back Loop Only (BLO).
• The Magic Stitch: When the pattern calls for a color drop, you work a Double Crochet into the Front Loop of the stitch two rows below. This covers up the row in between. 

The Result: The front is sharp and clear. The back creates a striped texture with little horizontal ridges.

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2. Inset Mosaic (The "Two-Row" Method)

This is the classic method. If you hate weaving in ends or dealing with fringe, this is the one for you.

How it works:

• Back and Forth: You work two rows in Color A, then switch and work two rows in Color B. You turn your work at the end of every row, just like normal crochet.
• No Cutting: You carry the unused color up the side of your work.
• Chains create gaps: Instead of working into the back loop, you work through both loops. When you need to skip a space for the pattern, you make Chain stitches.
• Filling the Gaps: On the next color change, you work a long stitch into the space created by those chains to "fill in" the pattern.

The Result: The fabric is slightly stretchier and softer than Overlay. The lines aren't quite as sharp, but you have almost no ends to weave in!

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3. Mirrored / Anchored Mosaic (The "Reversible" Method)

This is a variation of the Overlay method. It solves the main complaint people have about Overlay: "The back looks messy."

How it works:

It follows the same rules as Overlay (cutting yarn every row), but with one extra trick.

• In standard Overlay, the "drop down" stitches leave a loose loop behind them on the back of the work.
• In Mirrored Mosaic, you "anchor" your drop stitch by catching that loose loop from the previous row as you work.
• It takes a little longer, but the finish is beautiful.

disclaimer, the above image is ai generated!

The Result: By anchoring the stitches, you remove the ridges on the back. The back looks like a "negative" of the front image (truly reversible).

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Quick Comparison: Which one should I choose?

Feature	Overlay Mosaic	Inset Mosaic	Mirrored (Anchored)
Ends/Tails	Lots! (Fringe on sides)	Very few (Carried up side)	Lots! (Fringe on sides)
Turn Work?	No. Always Right Side.	Yes. Turn every row.	No. Always Right Side.
Main Tech	Back Loop Only + Drops	Chains + Filling gaps	Anchoring the Drops
The Back	Striped with ridges.	Striped and smooth.	Mirrored Image (Negative).

A Note on Reading My Charts

Most of the graphs I post here on Cats Rockin Crochet can technically be used for all three methods, but you have to read them differently!

• If doing Overlay/Mirrored: An 'X' on the chart usually means you do a Drop Down Double Crochet. An empty square is a Back Loop Single Crochet.
• If doing Inset: An empty square usually means you Chain (skip the stitch).

Top Tip: Always check the key on the pattern! If it says "cut yarn at end of row," you are doing Overlay. If it says "turn work," you are doing Inset.

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Recommended Watching

If you want to see these stitches in action, here are the best tutorials for each method:

1. Overlay Mosaic (The "Cut Yarn" Method)

Watch Tinna Thorvaldsdóttir explain the basics of Overlay Mosaic. Notice how she cuts the yarn at the end of every row!

2. Inset Mosaic (The "No-Ends" Method)

Watch Bella Coco demonstrate Inset Mosaic. Pay attention to how she carries the yarn up the side (no cutting!).

3. Mirrored / Anchored Mosaic (The "Reversible" Method)

Watch Ashlee Brotzell show the "Anchored" stitch. This is the secret trick to making the back of your work look neat.

Random Ai Images Relating To The Crafts I Enjoy

 

I generated these images with chat gpt 4o, enjoy.

Hats made on the Brother KH260 Knitting Machine and KR260 Ribber using DK, 8 ply, light worsted yarn. Can do faux rib.

Hats made on the Brother KH260 Knitting Machine and KR260 Ribber using DK, 8 ply, light worsted yarn.

When I first started using my Brother bulky/chunky I experimented with st's and rows needed until I settled on these st's and rows for a great size small/medium hat. 

 

Tension I have on one hat that I made is 19 st's per 4 inches and 25 rows per 4 inches, this tension could differ from yarn to yarn, but I still use the same stitch and row count on them all.

Simply written I did the following.

With main bed and ribber cast on 85 st's for a 1x1 rib according to the manual.
I do not count the cast on row, but the first 3 rows from the instructions of the manual is counted.
With T1 work 20 (includes the first 3 rows in the count of 20) rows 1x1 rib, increase T to T3 on both beds for row 21 (fold hem), decrease T to T1 for next 20 rows.
Total of 41 rows of 1x1 rib.
Move all needles up to main bed, for the folded rib band, hang the st's from the beginning row.
Using T3 knit 54 rows.
Move eon needle onto it's neighbor and work 1 final row.
Leave a long tail, break yarn and gather st's for the crown.
Secure crown and mattress stitch the sides and the folded rib.

 Handy Notes

• eon = ever other needle
• T = tension
  

For a childs hat, pre teen.
same tension as above, 80 st's, 31 rows rib, and 55 rows for top of hat.

For a large hat I add just a couple of st's and 5 more rows.

I have used my sizing with a faux rib of 3x1 and it's just a bit stretchier than using the ribber, below are two identical hats, but one is using the 3x1 faux rib.

When using the punch card, I begin on row 2 of the main body of the hat.

When making cables I use the same sizing.

I always use the seven weights.

I have been and still am experimenting with an inner layer for the hat to hide the Intarsia lengths of yarn.
For that I first experimented with making the inner of the hat first and only using eon for the length of 55 rows, which mirrored the front, BUT it turned out too long as eon is very stretchy, so next time I do that I will only do 45 rows and see how that goes.

UPDATE!

Here I am showing you a picture of the lining of the inside of the hat which is 45 rows in total and it fits like a glove with my pattern from this post.

Inside Of Hat

Outside Of Hat

Inside Of Hat

 

Outside Of Hat

I also tried to knit on the main bed to the row count of the height of the punch card pattern, transfer the needles down to the ribber, attach the ribber comb, knit the 1x1 rib for 41 rows, then up to the main bed and use the punch card to the end of the patterning rows (matching the inside of the hat), then hung the hem and knitted to the 55 rows of the hat. Kind of like this ear flap hat below but without the ear flaps and adding the rib.

 

I'm trying to use short yarn changing punch cards where I don't have all of this bother, but if I like something enough, I'll go back to those extremes.

In the picture above, it shows the division for a fully fashioned decrease top of the hat which can be done with the sizing I have given, I divided the 55 rows and st count by 4, so it's all done in quarters. I ended up with 58 rows in total, but that was fine.

In the facebook group Machine Knitting Beginners and Returners Circle  Jason Lightoller made a video of how to do this type of decreases for the top of a hat, I was so glad when he made that video as it simplified the whole process, so thank you once again Jason.

 

Well I won't bore you anymore, but check out the tab on my blog to see punch cards you can punch the link is here.