Do you like mosaic crochet as much as I do? I hope you do because I have something exciting to share with you today. My mosaic adventures started back in 2017 with Nya blanket, and since then I was coming back to this simple yet effective technique. And today I am happy to introduce my new design – a Vilia Sweater. DISCLOSURE: Photography by @ell_photographer_, photo edit by @vitali_frozen Mosaic crochet has become hugely popular over the last few years. And today it has two main directions: overlay and inset. Overlay mosaic projects are worked on the right side only in back loops, and long stitches are added on top of the background. And inset crochet uses chains, so mosaic stitches are kind of incorporated into the background for the feel of one layer. And chains add extra air and lightness to the crochet fabric. The Vilia Sweater pattern is available on Ravelry HERE and Etsy HERE with a 25% off through Monday, May 31st, 2021. The price is discounted already, and no codes are needed. The pattern is written in English with US crochet terms, and it contains row-by-row written instructions, mosaic chart and photo-tutorial. Vilia Sweater uses inset mosaic technique, which I believe works best for the summer garments. Made with fine cotton blend fingering yarn (Scheepjes Whirlette in my case), it is super light and drapey. The sweater is designed to fit with 2-4 in (5-10 cm) of positive ease at the bust and 1 ½ - 2 in (4-5 cm) of positive ease at the upper arm. It has a boxy fit for the body with slim sleeves, however both the body’s and sleeves’ width are easily adjustable, as the sweater is worked seamlessly from top down. First some short rows are worked back and forth to raise the back neck. Then the yoke with mosaic pattern on the front is worked in rounds to the separation point for body and sleeves. The lower body is worked in rounds to the bottom. Sleeves are worked top down to the cuffs. The length of the body and sleeves (designed as ¾ but can be worked as sleeveless) is easily adjustable. The mosaic pattern on front continues growing through the lower body towards back, creating an exclusive shape. And – yay – it is possible to choose from the two options of the mosaic stitch pattern: Diamonds or Zigzags! Or you can combine both if you wish. Vilia Sweater comes in eight sizes: XS (S, M, L, XL, 2X, 3X, 4X) To fit actual bust: 86.4 (91.4, 96.5, 101.6, 106.7, 111.8, 116.8, 123) cm/ 34 (36, 38, 40, 42, 44, 46, 48) in Finished bust: 93 (97, 105, 109, 117, 123, 127, 133) cm/ 36 ½ (38 ¼, 41 ¼, 43, 46, 48 ½, 50, 52 ¼) in. Fine fingering yarn is recommended for this project. I used Scheepjes Whirlette for all my three samples. It is a cotton blend, and it comes in many tasteful colors. To complete the sweater, you will need: Yarn A (sleeveless version): 2 (2, 3, 3, 3, 3, 4, 4) cakes Yarn A (¾ sleeves version): 3 (3, 3, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4) cakes Yarn B (mosaic): 1 (1, 1, 1, 2, 2, 2, 2) cakes Please, note that you might need more yarn depending on your crochet style, or if you choose to make your sweater longer and wider. You can have a look at all Whirlette colors and order yarn in your local Scheepjes shop, or via online retailers: Wool Warehouse* and Black Sheep Wools* (both in UK, international shipping), Caro’s Atelier* (NL and Europe), Taemombo (US and Canada), Yarn Addicted (US). And here I would like to add, that gauge is extremely important for this project. Both for the width and for the height. If your gauge is off, the yoke will not grow proportionally as needed, and the fit will be different. I have made three samples in different color combinations and with different length of the sleeves. This brownish sweater was made with shades 893 Baklava for main color and 881 Yummy for mosaic (Zigzag, ¾ sleeves). Another sample was made with 874 Pomegranate for main color and 889 Sage for mosaic (Diamonds, short sleeves, and I am modelling it with a jean oversized shirt). And the last sample was actually the first I made. It uses Woolly Whirlette in shade 573 Bubble Gum for the main color, and the leftovers from a Whirl in shade 755 Blueberry Bambam (Diamonds, short sleeves). But I don’t recommend choosing big Whirl cakes for this project, as lots of yarn will be left. And here is a gallery of masterpieces finished by our wonderful testers team: Laura Jackson, Lisa Marlow, Esther Schippers, Elizabeth Kalka, Ruth Bracey, Taylor O'Shea, Sandra Veneman and Macarena Marskell. The Vilia Sweater pattern is available on Ravelry HERE and Etsy HERE with a 25% off through Monday, May 31st, 2021. The price is discounted already, and no codes are needed. If you would like to see more of my garment designs, including mosaic, you can find them on Ravelry HERE. Hope you enjoy! Subscribe to a newsletter not to miss a single post. You can also follow me on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram.
