How to Work from Charts

First off: You do not have to read this chapter. We will go through exactly how to work from charts in the videos in this class, and you can literally start with Chapter 1. Knit and Purl and learn everything you need.

However, I would be remiss if I did not sum up for you the logic, rules, and basics of chart-reading that we cover in the videos, so I do that here for you below.

Chart Basics

On a knitting chart, the pattern is laid out for you visually in a grid. Each square in the grid represents one stitch in your knitting.

Knitting Symbols

You will see symbols in the different squares. The symbols tell you what sort of stitch to make — a purl stitch, a knit stitch, a yarnover, a knit 2 together… anything.

The symbols are designed to look as much as possible like the stitches they represent. For example, the symbol for “purl” is a — or a •, which look like the horizontal “purl bump.” The knit stitch is often represented by a |, showing the vertical nature of the knit stitch, and a yarnover is represented by an o, showing the lacy hole that results.

Every symbol that’s used in a chart will defined in a key near the chart. Most stitches have standard symbols, so once you memorize them you can refer to the chart while you knit without having to look at the key.

Even so, there’s no law that says designers have to use the symbols that you’re used to, so, with any new pattern, check the key before you start knitting just to get familiar with what’s there.

Chart Layout and Markings

A knitting chart has as many squares across its width as there are stitches in the project, and each square is labeled along the bottom with a number. You’ll notice that the numbers start on the right – that’s because when you knit you work from right to left and as a basic rule you also read a chart from right to left. The right-most numbered square on the bottom represents the first stitch.

The numbers along the bottom will tell you how many stitches to cast on. However, the cast-on row isn’t represented in the chart. The bottom row of the chart represents the first row of knitting.

There will also be numbers along the right-hand edge of the chart, starting from the bottom.

These represent the rows of knitting (or purling, or whatever) on your chart.

Next to the first few row numbers you may notice some familiar abbreviations, namely “RS” (right side) and “WS” (wrong side).

These serve the same purpose that they do in written patterns, that is, to tell you which rows are right-side rows and which are wrong-side rows.

Always Check to See if Wrong-Side Rows Are Shown on the Chart

When reading a chart, first check whether the wrong-side rows are shown at all.

Since it is so common in patterns to simply work even on the wrong side, the designer may choose to leave off the wrong-side rows altogether. This makes the chart less cluttered and therefore easier to read.

The way to know if wrong-side rows are shown or not is to look at the numbers along the right-hand side of the chart. If they go “1 (RS), 3, 5, 7,” etc., you’ll know that only the right-side rows are being shown in the chart. If that is the case, the designer will always include a note saying what to do on the wrong-side rows (for example, “WS rows: work even,” or “purl every wrong-side row.”)

When wrong-side rows are shown on a chart, things get a little more complicated. You will read the wrong-side rows from left to right, and refer carefully to the key to know what stitches to do on the wrong side. We’ll go into depth practicing both kinds of charts so you get comfortable with either kind.

Written Directions Are Your Backup

In case you’re worried that you just won’t get the hang of reading charts, almost all charted patterns include written directions as well. These are good to refer to anytime you aren’t sure what the chart is trying to tell you. You can just find the row in question in the written pattern and say, “Oh, I’m supposed to knit 4, purl 12, knit 8, then do a k2tog. I see that now.”

Keeping Track of Where You Are

You will need a way to easily see where you are as you are working along in your chart, and there are tons of different ways to do it. A lot of people use a pencil to cross off each row of the chart as they finish it.

Some people use a magnetic holder and move a magnet up each row as they knit. Some place a sticky note on the chart and move it as they go.

My favorite way, which I recommend to you, is to use a highlighter to mark off each row as you finish it. You will always be able to see where you are and at the same time see through the highlighter to what you already did.

There are no magnets that might get bumped, no sticky notes that could (and do) fall off, and no pencil marks covering the symbols. In addition, you can always go over the rows with another color highlighter if you do the project again or if the pattern tells you to repeat certain rows of the chart.

I keep a highlighter in my knitting bag as part of my regular gear so that I can always work on a charted pattern.

Apps for Keeping Track

To keep track of your place in a digital chart, we recommend knitCompanion.

In the video below, creator Sally Holt demonstrates the features of knitCompanion on a KnitFreedom pattern that is part of this class.

You don’t have to watch the video now, but as you work through this class, if you have a need to mark your charts digitally, we suggest you try the app and watch the video.

To load the PDF of charts for this class into knitCompanion, open this class on your mobile device. Open the PDF and right-click to open it in knitCompanion.

To learn more about how creator Sally Holt invented knitCompanion and why, read our blog post KnitCompanion: A Great App for Following Charts.