When I tackled my first charted knitting project (Trellis) last summer, I had to rip out the first part at least four times before I figured out what was going on. I looked online for help on how to use these diagrams, and was frustrated to find a lot of little bits of information about knitting charts, but nothing really explaining how the charts work, and why they work that way.
Of course I figured it out, and now I love charts with a deep passion. I would rather knit from a chart than written directions any day. But I want to help others avoid my early mistakes, and so I am going to condense what I have learned about knitting charts. This will be split into four lessons:
Knitting Charts 101
- Why charts exist
- How charts help your knitting
- How to knit from a basic color chart
Knitting Charts 102
- Symbols on charts
- Charts worked in the round vs charts worked flat
- Repeats within a chart
Knitting Charts 201
- Cables on a chart
- Lace charts
- “No Stitch”
Knitting Charts 202
- Full patterns expressed as charts
- Translating written directions into chart form
