Inspiration Saturday: Mosaic knitting

In the past month or so I've been straying away from the knit-related inspirations.  I guess it's the influence of having my long runs on Saturdays that has lead me to a couple posts about running, and one sort of about ice cream.  Because nothing refuels you after a few hard miles like ice cream, right?

But this week, there's a technique I want to highlight.  I didn't realize until I was writing this post that it's called mosaic knitting.  I was just calling it 'slipping stitches'.  As Knitty says:

Using a simple slip-stitch technique, you can create bands and borders in pattern, or even a whole sweater, and you won't ever have to carry a second yarn along! ... 

Mosaic knitting simply involves slipping the stitches in a row that should be the "other" color. If you are knitting the dark color, you slip the light; if you are knitting the light color, you slip the dark.

I can slip stitches!  I can also carry two yarns at a time, sort of, but it's scarier.  Slipping stitches seems much safer.  So here are a few slipping patterns I'm digging:

Blue Jean Cowl by RMW Knits

Photo credit: RMW Knits

I have a friend that just finished this cowl, and it looks really cute.

Ballband Dishcloth by Pisgah Yarn & Dyeing Co., Inc.

Photo credit: Me ; )

And hey, I've already done this myself with my dishcloths for the Yarnorama holiday party last year.  The party ended up being postponed, hopefully we'll have it soon so I can show these off.  And I think I want to make a cowl using this pattern as a base, I really like the subway tile effect of it.

INSULATE! Hat by Amy van de Laar

Photo credit: Amy van de Laar

How awesome is this?  You have to love a Dalek knit.  And apparently it uses "a combination of solid-colour rounds with occasional slipped stitches, and stranded-colourwork rounds."  Neat!  I like that it gives you a still-impressive colorwork project, but with a little simplification where possible.

Mosaic Diamonds Dishcloth by Carol Schoenfelder

Photo credit: My mom ; )

Back to dishcloths, this is one from the pair my mom made for the same Yarnorama party swap.  You'll notice that we pooled together our yarns.  She really loved this technique, she kept saying how amazing it would be as a sweater.  And it would be fantastic.

So if you want to explore color in your knitting and maybe after Color Affection you want something other than stripes, you can always try a little slipping.  Unlike in running, in knitting it's a very good thing.

For a different kind of color inspiration (dyeing), head over to Woolen Diversions.