The Plus Side – Overlay Mosaic Afghan Strip – August – Monthly Mosaic Mystery CAL – FREE Chart
August’s Section of the Monthly Mosaic Mystery CAL is finally here!!
This month we have a simple 6-stitch repeat in a nice geometric pattern!
You can read more about the inspiration for the pattern down below, but I want to give a special shout out to April from my Facebook Group for the idea for the name of this pattern.
THE PLUS SIDE!!
You can get the chart for this pattern for free down below. But If you want the complete pattern for the CAL so far, including written instructions, click here to purchase the ebook on Ravelry.
The Monthly Mosaic Mystery CAL
I am so glad you are joining me for the 2022 Monthly Mosaic CAL hosted by me – Erin of Juniper & Oakes! Welcome. (If you have no idea what I am talking about, click here.)
Have you ever crocheted a mosaic pattern?
I had never done one until I designed this Peaks & Pillars afghan strip for the Friends Around the World CAL.
I have since turned that simple afghan strip into a trivet pattern and a pillow pattern.
And then, I used that pattern as the basis of my first strip in my Monthly Mosaic CAL. I made another strip for February – the Hearts Galore Design. Then my 3rd strip for March was Celtic Knots. My 4th design was Mosaic Squares. My 5th design was May Flowers. The 6th was Mosaic Monstera. The 7th was Tybee Waves.
And now today, I am introducing you to August’s section of the MMMCAL called – The Plus Side.
Click HERE for the rest of the CAL
Don’t have time to work this pattern now? Pin it for later.
What is the Monthly Mosaic CAL
To start off with, a CAL is a Crochet ALong. Its when many people crochet the same project together.
This CAL will be a blanket using the overlay mosaic technique.
Every month in 2022, I will be releasing an afghan strip that is abstractly inspired by that month. Each pattern will be released near the end of that month. Typically you will receive a free chart for the pattern with a link to another blog post that walks you through how to read the mosiac chart. Since it has yet to be published, this pattern will include the written instructions as well.
Full Pattern for the CAL
If you prefer to have written instructions for the whole blanket, you can purchase the CAL pattern bundle which will have the charts, written instructions, and cheat sheets for this blanket CAL as they are released (for example, if you are purchasing the bundle in May 2022, there will only be five blanket strips released , so only the charts + written instructions for the Peaks & Pillars, Hearts Galore, and Celtic Knots, Mosaic Squares, and May Flowers patterns will be available, and then the next month you will gain access to that months pattern and so on. If you are purchasing the bundle in December 2022, all of the patterns will be available right away. Makes sense?
My blanket so far:
What do you think of my blanket so far? I am loving it! Thank you so much for joining.
August’s Section:
The Plus Side – Mosaic Afghan Strip for my Monthly Mosaic CAL
I want all the mosaic patterns in my Monthly Mosaic CAL to be an abstract representation of that month somehow.
The Plus Side pattern has 2 areas of significance.
1. This one is for all you who have kids going back to school! Many kids are going back to school now in August. My 1st born started 1st grade this year and LOVES math. These plus signs are a great representation of this time in my life (and his).
2. I am designing a collaborative CAL with some other designers. It will be a Nordic theme, very similar to the Nordic Winter C2C Afghan, but instead of C2C this one will be overlay mosaic crochet. The first section of the CAL will be plus signs like this, because I have noticed a lot of +++ in the traditions Christmas/Nordic/Winter/Ugly Xmas Sweater patterns. I had drafted THIS chart for that blanket, but the repeat will be 50 stitches, not 48, and i just couldn’t make this pattern fit. So I decided to use the Plus Side pattern for the MMMCAL and go back to the drawing board for a pattern that fit the 50-stitch requirement…
Special thanks to April Taylor from my FB Community for the idea for the name of this pattern. if you haven’t joined the J&O Crochet Community Facebook Group, click here. You can share pictures from the CAL, ask questions about crochet, and be inspired!
Let’s get started.
The Yarn
The yarn used for this crochet along is Heartland by Lion Brand Yarn in the coloways Congaree & Great Smoky Mountains.
Thank you to Lion Brand for providing yarn support for this CAL. I truly love this yarn and am so grateful that I was able to get this collaboration with them. If I hadn’t, I probably would have still bought this yarn with my own money. I like how soft the color AND the texture is. I also love how the colors are named after national parks.
Purchase the Yarn HERE
The Hook
I used a size H (5.0 mm hook from Furls Crochet – a beautiful Cream-colored Streamline Swirl. Furls sent me this hook to use for this crochet-along and I absolutely love it! I have spent actual dollars on these hooks, and I will keep on collecting them as well. Let me know if you have any questions about them – I would love to share my experience.
Purchase the hook HERE
Here is my sample. What do you think?
If you work up with pattern, PLEASE post pictures on social media and tag @juniperandoakes and use the hashtags #juniperandoakes #monthlymosaicCAL and #jaomosaic. (You can also post pictures on my Facebook Page, or in the Juniper + Oakes Crochet Community Facebook Group.)
How do I add the new section to the previous one??
This video is from the Hearts Galore pattern, but it still applies to this one.
Skill Level: Intermediate
Materials
Yarn: Worsted (4)
- Color A: appx 150 yards
- Color B: appx 150 yards
- Hook H/8 – 5.0mm
- Scissors
Gauge:
14 stitches x 15 rows = 4” x 4” in square
A swatch of the pattern
Finished Size:
Approximately 48 inches x 4”
(One 48+3 stitch strip is approximately 16” x 6”.)
Stitch Abbreviations (US Terminology)
BLOsc – Back Loop Only Single Crochet
ch – Chain
dc – Double Crochet
FLOdc – Front Loop Only Double Crochet
Fsc – Foundation single crochet
RS – Right Side
sc – Single Crochet
Special Stitches
Overlay Mosaic Technique
If unfamiliar, be sure to watch my YouTube video playlist.
Please SUBSCRIBE to my channel, comment that you joined in from the Monthly Mosaic CAL, and like the video. Thank you so much!
(I’m just realizing that I need to create a tutorial on my blog for this technique. I will get that up & running in August!)
Pattern Notes
- US Terminology
- This is the August section of the Monthly Mosaic Mystery CAL hosted by Juniper & Oakes. You can read more about the CAL by clicking here.
- Ch 1 does not count as a stitch.
- Pattern is worked from right to left on Right Side only. (If you are left handed, feel free to work from left to right according to the chart below).
- Every row is worked in a different color.
- Fasten off at the end of each row.
- Every row begins with a sc through both loops as a “border” stitch.
- Every row ends with a sc through both loops as a “border” stitch.
- SC are worked in BL only of previous row, unless otherwise noted.
- DC are worked in FL only of stitch 2 rows below, skipping the stitch behind unless otherwise noted.
- Pattern begins with 1 border stitch, has a repeat of 6 stitches, 1 stitch to even out the pattern, and 1 border stitch at the end.
- You may choose to repeat the pattern as many times as you wish. Make sure your Foundation Row is made up of any multiple of 6 plus 3 extra stitches.
- For the monthly Mosaic CAL, the Foundation Row is the last row of the Tybee Waves pattern. Simply work Row 1 of this pattern in the BLO of last row made..
- Although the chart included is for a foundation row of 48+3, we will be using a foundation row of 144 + 3 (or 147 stitches).
- For the sake of the Monthly Mosaic CAL, crochet 23 Rows, though you may wish to keep going if you choose.
- This pattern includes a chart and written instructions below. You may want to refer to each. (Chart for 48 + 3 stitches repeat included).
- Please join the Juniper & Oakes Crochet Community FB Group and share pictures and questions that arise.
- There is no video tutorial yet for this pattern.
How do I work the Repeats??
Please SUBSCRIBE to my channel, comment that you joined in from the Monthly Mosaic CAL, and like the video. Thank you so much!
Chart
Remember, you can get the full pattern with a printable chart, written instructions, etc, in Ravelry.
Instructions
Foundation Row: For the CAL, use last row of the Tybee Waves section as your foundation row.
Rows 1-23: Refer to the chart (or click here MMM CAL ebook)
Buy the Ebook HERE
The Fine Print
This pattern and its images are the property of Juniper and Oakes ©2023. The pattern is for your personal use only. Please do not copy/paste, distribute, or alter and claim as your own. You may sell products made by this pattern, but please credit @juniperandoakes and remember to link back to juniperandoakes.com or credit Juniper & Oakes on the craft fair tag.
You may post pictures on social media and tag @juniperandoakes and use the hashtags #juniperandoakes and #jaobookmark. If you make this pattern, please email a picture to [email protected], and I will include it in a gallery on my website. You can also post pictures on my Facebook Page, or in the Juniper + Oakes Crochet Community Facebook Group.
This post may contain affiliate links. View our disclosure policy here.
Let me know if you run into a problem. I respond quickly and will help in any way I can to clarify any confusion or challenging stitches.