Join the Free Virtual Crochet-A-Long!

Valley Vista Crochet-A-Long Thursday, July 20, 2023 07:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)

Join Zoom Meeting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88451225875?pwd=YnRvN3hHTFdvQUh...

Meeting ID: 884 5122 5875 Passcode: 151704

After Barbara Walker rocked the knitting world in 1976 with “Mosaic Knitting”, Lily Chin developed and adapted the mosaic technique for crochet. Published in 1999 “Mosaic Magic: Afghans Made Easy”, featured over 30 home décor mosaic crochet patterns. Designers and crocheters continue to evolve the technique. I learned a lot from Tatsiana Kupryianchyk, Tinna Thórudóttir Thorvaldsdóttir and Loops and Love Crochet.

Mosaic crochet is a colorwork technique. It looks hard. The secret is that you only crochet with one color at a time. It’s beginner friendly, too. If you can chain, single crochet, and double crochet, you’ll enjoy making this cowl. The cowl is worked in joined rounds so you’re always working on the front side of the work. There’s no shaping, the stitch count stays the same for the whole project! The cowl is engaging. The colorwork sections require a little focus. Your attention is rewarded with 3 vacation rounds (double crochet in each stitch).

It’s tangy because you’ll expand your crochet skills. The chainless foundation might be new to you, and the results are worth the extra effort. For me, I get a better Round 1 gauge and the top and bottom edges match. The mosaic crochet dips down into the row below and adds surface texture. The post ribbing keeps the Large Size edges flat.

Valley Vista comes in two sizes. If you prefer a turtleneck cowl, the Small fits close to the body and uses 5 mini skeins (or leftovers). The Large is a versatile accessory. Wear it like infinity scarf or looped twice for warmth. The Large uses 2 different full skeins.

When choosing colors, look for high contrast. Tonal and speckles are great together. Small color runs and pops. If the muse of inspiration calls to you, mix and match the pattern components for a one-of-a-kind cowl!

The pattern name is inspired by Valley Vista Boulevard in Los Angeles. The horizontal bands of color remind me of the iconic L.A. sunset with the hazy foreground, valley landscape, mountains, and faraway sky. Vista originally referred to a tree-lined avenue. The stacked mosaic stitches create repeating vertical lines.

PATTERN NOTES

Construction method: This pattern is crochet in the round, seamlessly.

Each round is joined with a slip stitch into the first stitch of the previous round, chain 1 and make the first stitch of the new round in the slip stitch space.

Colors are changed at the joined-round slip stitch. With 2 loops on hook, yo with new color, draw a loop through.

SIZE

Small and Large

FINISHED MEASUREMENTS

Circumference: 23.5 (49) inches/ 60(124.5) cm
Length: 9.5(8) inches/ 24(20) cm

MATERIALS

Small: Yarn
29 Bridges Studio Go To Sock Mini Skeins 75% superwash merino wool, 25% nylon; 92yd/84m per .7oz/20g skein;
(CC1) Curaco; 1 mini skein
(CC2) Cider; 1 mini skein
(CC3) Cali; 1 mini skein
(CC4) Moraine; 1 mini skein
(CC5) Amber; 1 mini skein

Large: Yarn
Sassy Black Yarns Fingering/Sock Weight 70% superwash merino wool, 30% nylon; 437yd/400m per 3.5oz/100g;
(CC1) Hot Like Fire; 1 skein
(CC2) Blueberry Blue; 1 skein

Yarn Characteristics
Both samples use a standard, 4-ply sock yarn in a mix of semi-solid, tonal and speckled yarns. Matching the ply and fiber content are not important for the pattern. Look for contrasting solid, semi-solid and tonal colors. Speckled and short-color run yarns look great, too! Save yarn that pools, multicolor variegated and self-striping yarn for a different project.

Recommended Hook
(always use a hook size that gives you the gauge listed below - every crocheter’s gauge is unique)

• US F #5/3.75mm crochet hook

Notions

• open-ring/removable stitch markers (optional) to count the first round
• yarn needle

GAUGE
18 sts/16 rounds = 4 inches/10 cm in Mosaic Stripe