The Joy of Charts

By Kate Blackburn

In the UK we don’t have a big tradition of using charts. Knitting patterns and books usually have directions written out, and chart reading isn’t even mentioned in some “how to knit” books (along with knitting in the round, but that’s another subject!). Even recently, a UK woman’s weekly magazine chose to print an entire lace baby shawl pattern of over three hundred rows line-by-line, rather than print a chart. With no real exposure to using charts, it’s not surprising that many British knitters consider them to be difficult, confusing and to be avoided if possible.

However, with the growth of the online knitting community and patterns from all over the world becoming more accessible, more and more patterns are becoming available but in chart form only. Avoiding charts means that there are some patterns that you can never knit. Of course, it’s perfectly possible to never use a chart for knitting and never feel the need to use one either, but consider whether this may mean that you miss out on knitting your dream pattern.

What I want to get across is that there are so many positive reasons for using a chart. Once you have mastered reading a basic chart, you can open up a whole new range of possibilities and it will make you a more confident knitter.

Advantages of Charts
From a design point of view, I love charts. I just couldn’t design without them, as there is really no better way of trying to work out where a decrease or yarn over will go in a lace shawl pattern. From a knitter’s point of view, also, it’s reassuring to know that there is less likelihood of there being an error in the pattern if it has been developed from charts than if it’s written out in full. I’m not saying it never happens, but it’s less likely.

Learning to knit from a chart is a step towards learning to read your knitting. Because a chart looks like the pattern (more about this below), you can see where each stitch should go in relation to the previous rows. This can be as simple as lining up a column of purl stitches, or checking that the yarn overs are creating a diagonal line.

Reading a Chart
So we go firstly to the basics of a chart. As I mentioned earlier, a chart is a visual representation of a pattern and should look pretty much like the pattern, except that symbols replace stitches. And although mainly used for lace and cable patterns, charts can also be used for any stitch pattern, even simple knit and purl stitches.

Each square of a chart represents one stitch. The numbers up the right-hand side represent the rows.

To read a chart for a simple flat piece of knitting, like a tension square, on the first row work row 1 of the chart from the bottom right hand corner across to the left. On the next row, you work row 2 of the chart back from left to right. Do you see what’s happening? You’re reading the chart the way that you knit, starting at the bottom and knitting across your stitches from right to left. When you work the wrong side of your knitting, you’re working back across these stitches from left to right.

Now, when knitting in the round, you don’t work back across your knitting. So in this instance, you’ll read every row of the chart from right to left because you are always knitting in the same direction.

Sometimes the numbers along the side of the chart go up in twos, rather than charting every row, like this:

This is because only the right-side rows of a pattern have been charted, and this occurs most commonly with lace patterns. The pattern instructions will determine what is to be done with the even-numbered rows. Usually these uncharted rows are just knit or purl across and it’s not necessary to chart them if every row is the same.

Symbols
Now comes the tricky part: the symbols. It seems frustrating that different charts will use different symbols to mean the same stitch, meaning there’s no way to “learn” the symbols. While that’s true, a chart will always have a key explaining what each symbol means, so it won’t remain a complete mystery. And as you get to use more charts, you’ll see that many symbols remain the same. I have never seen “yarn over” written as anything but an “O”, for example.

Very often the text abbreviations differ from pattern to pattern as well. Just remember that as long as you read the key for the chart you are using, any unusual stitch symbols will become clear.

Putting you in your place
If you’re knitting from a book or pattern that you can’t print more copies of, take a photocopy of the chart for your working copy (remember, this is perfectly legal under fair use laws if you own the original). You can scribble on this, lose it, tear it up and stick it back together and the original pattern will remain intact.

Keeping your place on the chart might be as simple as keeping a tally of which row you’re on. Or you can choose to cross out each row as you work it – not a good idea if you have to work the chart more than once, of course!

A ruler can be used to underline the row you’re working on, and stop your eyes from wandering to the wrong row of the chart. Or try magnetic strips or highlighter tape, which stay in place and are less likely to slip around the page.

Try any or all of these methods to find the one that suits you best, and there should be no need for you to get lost when working from a chart.

How a chart can catch you out, aka "no stitch"
Although I am blithely reassuring you that one square = one stitch and forevermore shall be, there occasionally is the strange instruction on a chart “no stitch”. What are you supposed to do with “no stitch”? Knit it? Slip it? Ignore it and hope it goes away?

The purpose of “no stitch” is as a filler. Going back to the chart being a visual representation of your knitting, and therefore looking like your knitting, there are times, mainly in lace knitting, when the number of stitches on a row will differ from the ones before and after. In order to keep the chart looking like the lace pattern, a blank square, usually shaded black, is used to keep the stitches aligned.

As an example, this is a section of the chart for Wild Strawberry from Issue 2:

If you can visualise the pattern (look at the photos to help) you’ll see that this is a drooping leaf lace pattern. The stitch count decreases on the final rows of the pattern repeat, meaning that a “no stitch” black square is used so that you can still see the leaf pattern.

Now look at the same section with the “no stitch” squares removed:

While the chart is still useable, the stitches are all over the place and the leaves are no longer aligned on each row.

So when you come to a “no stitch” square, just ignore it and continue working across the chart.

Putting all this into practice
If you like, you can do some homework: a simple lace motif for you to knit from a chart only; no written instructions are given. I’ve chosen to use a lace stitch pattern because very often lace will present the first occasion when a knitter needs to use a chart. Also, I think knitting lace is a good way of learning to read your knitting and seeing where errors crop up.

Lace Diamond Miniature Washcloth

Materials
Oddment of any yarn in any weight
Needles: size appropriate to yarn

Tension
Not important at all!

Pattern Notes
Chart shows only the right-side rows. All wrong-side rows are worked as follows: k2, p to last 2sts, k2.
All abbreviations are The Inside Loop standard abbreviations, which can be found here.

Directions
Cast on 21sts and work 2 rows garter st, then continue as follows:

Row 1: k to end
Row 2: k2, p to last 2sts, k2

Repeat these two rows once more (4 rows worked). Now commence working from chart as follows: k2, work across row 1 of chart, k2.

Continue as set, working 2 sts at either end of chart in garter st until last row (rs) of chart has been worked. Next row (ws): k2, p to last 2sts, k2.
Work 4 rows st st with garter st edging as before, and then work 2 rows in garter st and cast off. Weave in ends and admire your handiwork!

In conclusion
Without dismissing the problems that some knitters have with chart reading, in the end it is just another skill, like learning to work with two colours or knitting in the round. The best way to get past the fear is to just give it a go!

About the Author
Kate laughs in the face of tricksy charts, but cowers in fear when faced with intarsia. Read more about her knitting foibles on her blog, Confessions of a Graveyard Gypsy.

Contact Kate