How to Read Knitting Charts: The Complete Visual Guide

You've learned to knit from written instructions and you're doing great — but then you find a gorgeous pattern that's only available as a chart. A grid full of mysterious symbols staring back at you. Reading knitting charts feels like learning to read all over again, but here's the thing: charts are actually easier than written instructions once you understand the system. A chart shows you a visual map of what your knitting will look like, which means you can see mistakes coming before you make them. Let me break it down for you.

What Is a Knitting Chart?

A knitting chart is a grid where each square represents one stitch. Each square contains a symbol (or is left blank) that tells you what to do with that stitch. The grid is laid out so that it visually represents the right side of your knitting — what the finished fabric will look like. Where written instructions tell you what to do row by row, a chart shows you the fabric you're creating.

Think of it like sheet music: it looks intimidating if you've never read it, but each symbol means one specific thing, and once you know the key, the whole thing opens up.

How to Read a Knitting Chart: The Basics

Here's the fundamental rule that trips up most beginners:

Right-side rows are read from right to left. This is the opposite of how you read English text. You start at the right edge of the chart and work your way left, because that's the direction you knit across the row.

Wrong-side rows are read from left to right. When you turn your work and knit back, you're moving in the opposite direction, so you read the chart in the opposite direction too.

Rows are numbered on the side where they start. If a row number is on the right edge, that row starts at the right and is read right to left (a right-side row). If the number is on the left edge, it starts at the left and is read left to right (a wrong-side row).

The bottom row is row 1. Charts are read from bottom to top, because that's the direction your knitting grows. The first row you knit is at the bottom of the chart, and the last row is at the top.

Understanding Chart Symbols

Every chart comes with a legend or key that tells you what each symbol means. While symbols can vary between designers, there are some widely used conventions:

Always, always check the specific chart's key. Some designers use different symbol systems, and assuming a symbol means what you think it means is a fast track to a project that doesn't match the photo.

Reading Different Types of Charts

Flat Knitting Charts

When you're knitting flat (back and forth on straight or circular needles), every other row is a wrong-side row. The chart will show all rows, alternating between right-side (read right to left) and wrong-side (read left to right). Row 1 is at the bottom, read right to left. Row 2 is the next row up, read left to right. And so on.

Some flat-knitting charts only show right-side rows and tell you to "purl all wrong-side rows" or "work wrong-side rows as they appear." This means on wrong-side rows, you knit the stitches that look like knits and purl the stitches that look like purls when you look at them from the right side.

Circular Knitting Charts

When knitting in the round, every round is a right-side round — you never turn your work. This means every round on the chart is read from right to left. Charts for circular knitting usually number every row on the right side. Much simpler to read, since the direction never changes.

Repeats

Most charts include a repeat section — a boxed or bracketed area that you repeat across the row. The chart will say something like "work section between red lines 6 times" or show arrows marking the repeat boundaries. Here's how to handle them:

• Work any stitches before the repeat section once
• Then work the repeat section the specified number of times
• Then work any stitches after the repeat section once
• Each time you repeat the section, you're working the same sequence of symbols

Repeats are what make charts so efficient — instead of writing "k2, yo, ssk, k3" six times in a row, the chart shows it once in a box and tells you to do it six times.

Practical Tips for Following Charts

Use Stitch Markers

Place a stitch marker between each repeat section on your needles. If you make a mistake, you'll catch it within one repeat instead of discovering it across the whole row. This one habit will save you more frustration than anything else.

Track Your Row

Use a ruler, sticky note, or magnetic board to mark the row you're currently working. Place the marker above the active row so you can see the rows below (what you've already knit) for reference. Many knitting apps have built-in row highlighters that work beautifully.

Count Your Stitches

At the end of each row, count your stitches and compare to what the chart says you should have. If the count is off, the problem is in the row you just knit — much easier to fix than discovering it three rows later.

Learn to "Read" Your Knitting

As you gain experience, you'll start recognizing what different stitches look like in your fabric. A yarn over creates a visible hole. A decrease creates a visible lean. When you can look at your knitting and see what you did, you can compare it to the chart and spot mistakes without ripping back.

Photograph the Chart

Take a photo of the chart on your phone so you always have it with you. If you're working from a library book or a borrowed pattern, this also means you don't need to carry the book around.

Common Chart Reading Mistakes

• Reading all rows left to right. This is the number one mistake. Remember: right-side rows go right to left, wrong-side rows go left to right (unless you're knitting in the round, in which case it's always right to left).
• Ignoring the "no stitch" squares. Some charts include grey or crossed-out squares labeled "no stitch." These are placeholders to keep the grid aligned — just skip them and move to the next real symbol.
• Not checking the legend. Every designer uses slightly different symbols. Don't assume you know what a symbol means just because it looked different in another pattern.
• Losing track of repeats. Use stitch markers. Seriously. It takes ten seconds to place them and saves you from losing track in the middle of a 200-stitch row.
• Starting at the top of the chart. Read from bottom to top. Row 1 is always at the bottom.

Charts vs. Written Instructions — Which Is Better?

Neither is inherently better — they're just different ways of communicating the same information. Here's when each shines:

Charts are better for:

• Lace and cable patterns (you can see the design)
• Colourwork (each square can represent a colour)
• Patterns with repeats (visually obvious on a chart)
• Catching mistakes before you make them (the chart shows what the fabric should look like)

Written instructions are better for:

• Beginners who are still learning abbreviations
• Simple patterns with minimal repeats
• Knitters who are visually impaired or find grids difficult
• Quick reference (sometimes it's faster to read "k2, p2" than decode symbols)

Most experienced knitters use both — charts for complex patterns and written instructions for straightforward ones.

Your Chart-Reading Journey Starts Now

Pick a simple charted pattern — maybe a basic lace scarf or a colourwork hat — and give it a try with this guide open next to you. The first chart you read will feel slow. The second will feel easier. By the third, you'll be reading charts without even thinking about it. And once you can read charts, you'll have access to thousands of patterns that aren't available in written form — including some of the most beautiful designs in the knitting world.

Have questions about reading a specific chart? Drop them in the comments or send us a message — we're here to help.