How to Read a Knitting Pattern — Intermediate Guide
You've moved past knitting scarves and simple hats. Now you're tackling patterns with charts, simultaneous instructions, and phrases like "work as established." These intermediate pattern-reading concepts trip up a lot of knitters — not because the techniques are hard, but because pattern language is compressed and assumes you know the conventions. This guide unpacks the ones that cause the most confusion.
Written Instructions vs Charts — How They Relate
A chart is a visual representation of the same instructions written in words. Every square represents one stitch; every row of squares represents one row (or round) of knitting. Symbols in the squares show which stitch to work. The key (legend) decodes the symbols.
Charts are almost always read from bottom to top, because that's the direction your knitting grows. Right-side rows are read from right to left (because that's how your eyes will track as you knit). Wrong-side rows are read from left to right if working flat — because you've turned your work, and what was on the right is now on the left.
If you're working in the round, every row of the chart is a right-side row, and you always read right to left. This is one reason in-the-round knitting is popular for colourwork and lace — no wrong-side rows to mentally flip.
When a pattern gives both written instructions and a chart, trust the chart if you're confused by the written version — they should be identical, but the chart is harder to mistype.
Bracketed Repeats — What They Mean
When a pattern says [k2, p2] × 5, the brackets contain one complete unit of the stitch pattern, and the × 5 tells you to work that entire unit five times in a row. The result is 20 stitches total: 5 repetitions of 4 stitches each.
Some patterns use asterisks instead of brackets: k2, p2; rep from 4 times more. "4 times more" means you've already worked it once (at the asterisk), so you work it 4 additional times — 5 total. Watch for "4 times more" vs "4 times" — they differ by one repetition.
Nested repeats look like [[k1, p1] × 3, k2] × 4. Work the inner bracket three times, then k2, then repeat that whole thing four times. Work from the inside out.
"At the Same Time" — Working Two Things Simultaneously
"At the same time" is the phrase most likely to cause a mistake in a pattern. It means two separate sets of shaping instructions are happening on the same rows concurrently. A neckline and an armhole being shaped at the same time is the classic example.
When you see "at the same time," stop reading and use two sticky notes or a split tracking system. Write out both sets of shaping instructions separately and check off each decrease row on each track independently. Don't try to hold both in your head — even experienced knitters track this on paper.
A common mistake: reading past "at the same time" and only working one of the two shaping sequences. The pattern may say something like: "Shape armhole by decreasing 1 st each end every RS row 5 times. At the same time, when piece measures 15 inches, begin neckline shaping..." — that "when piece measures" trigger for the neckline is easy to miss.
"Work as Established" — Continue Your Pattern
"Work as established" means continue working whatever stitch pattern you've set up, without any changes. If you've been working a seed stitch border on each side with stockinette in the centre, "work as established" means keep doing that. Don't break the pattern to add something new.
The challenge comes when shaping rows are interleaved with "work as established" instructions — you're decreasing on some rows while maintaining the pattern on others. The key is to work each stitch according to what the stitch pattern calls for at that position, even if you're also working a decrease at the edge of the row.
How to Track Complex Instructions
For patterns with multiple simultaneous elements, use a row-by-row tracking sheet. Write out row 1, row 2, row 3 down the left margin. In each row entry, note what shaping happens (if any) plus any pattern-specific instructions. Check off each row as you complete it.
Sticky notes on the pattern page work for single elements. A small notebook or the Notes app on your phone works for complex garments. The goal is never to rely on memory for which row you're on — always have a physical or digital record.
"Work Even" and "Right Side Facing"
"Work even" means no shaping — no increases, no decreases. Continue in pattern for the specified length or number of rows without changing the stitch count.
"Right side facing" means hold the piece so the public-facing side (the side people will see when worn) is facing you. Before working the next instruction, make sure you're oriented correctly. This matters for instructions like "with RS facing, pick up and knit X stitches along edge" — the direction you pick up stitches differs depending on which way you're holding the work.
The right side is usually the knit side for stockinette, or the side where the cast-on tail is on the right when you've completed row 1. If the pattern doesn't clarify, the first row after the cast-on is usually row 1 (right side) in written instructions.
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