Whistling Beagle Knits™
http://whistlingbeagleknits.com
Ravelry id: ccarter756
Reading Lace Charts
Why do we use charts? Because a picture is worth a thousand words. A
chart can convey more information in a smaller space than any other form of knitting instruction.
A chart consists of two parts – the chart itself, and the key. The key is a table which explains each of the
chart symbols. Each chart symbol indicates a different stitch.
Every designer seems to do charts differently, and to use different chart symbols. So, it is important to
look through the pattern or the book you are using for any instructions the designer has given for using
their charts.
Read the chart in the same direction that each row is knit - Many charts are written so that they mimic
the look of the lace fabric from the right side, and it is read in the direction of the knitting. This is a
Figure 1 Reading a chart in the direction of the knitting
common convention in lace charts, used by designers like Margaret Stove or Barbara Walker, and
commonly used in knitting chart software. I call this a WYSIWYG chart (What You See Is What You Get).
©2011 Cynthia Carter and Whistling Beagle Knits™. All rights reserved.
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It also means that each chart row is read in the direction it is knitted. A right side (RS) chart row is read
from right to left, because, as you are looking at the front of your knitting from the right side, you start
knitting at the right end and work towards the left. A wrong side (WS) row on my charts starts at the
left side of the chart, and is read left to right. If you were looking at your knitting from the right side, the
first stitch of a WS row would be at the left edge. You can tell which rows are RS rows on my charts by
looking at the row numbers in the margins. RS rows are numbered on the right; WS rows are numbered
on the left.
So, to read a chart, find the stitch where the chart begins, and read back and forth across it in a snakelike way, just the same way you knit back and forth for a flat piece of knitting.
Take a moment and think. If you wanted to knit this lace pattern in the round, how would you read the
chart? Since circular knitting is worked right to left, you read every row right to left. This is the beauty
of a WYSIWYG chart – you can use it for flat or round knitting without having to have two different
charts.
Reading chart symbols – In a WYSIWYG chart, the symbols used for each stitch will look something like
the finished stitch on the right side of the knitted fabric. For example, this means that a decrease
symbol that leans left on the chart will lean left when you are looking at your knitting from the right
side.
Let’s look at the key for the Rose Fern scarf. Notice that all of the symbols have two different stitches
associated with them. Let’s take the “−“ symbol for an example. The key says that if the symbol is on a
right side row, then you are to purl the stitch. If the symbol occurs on a wrong side row, then you are to
knit the stitch.
Figure 2 Chart key - chart symbols may have different meanings on RS and WS rows
©2011 Cynthia Carter and Whistling Beagle Knits™. All rights reserved.
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That’s pretty confusing, isn’t it? Why have the same symbol mean two different things? Remember
that, as much as possible, the chart should look like the knitted fabric from the right side. If you knit a
stitch on the wrong side of your work, and then turn it over, it looks just the same as though you purled
the same stitch on the front side. So, we use the same symbol for both.
So, on a chart, garter stitch, which is knit on both the RS and the WS, looks like this:
Figure 3 Garter Stitch chart - See the garter ridges?
And stockinette stitch looks like this:
Figure 4 Stockinette stitch chart - Looks as smooth and flat as stockinette stitch
©2011 Cynthia Carter and Whistling Beagle Knits™. All rights reserved.
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Take another look at the Leaf Lace edging chart. Can you see that the left and right sides of the pattern
are in garter stitch, and the center leaf is in stockinette?
Look at the key again. There are two different symbols for many stitches. One symbol is a right side
symbol, and the other is a wrong side symbol. For K2tog, the RS symbol is (/) and the WS symbol is (∙\).
K2tog is a stitch that leans right, and so the symbol for it on the RS of the work is a right-leaning slash.
However, if you k2tog on the wrong side, then turn it over, it will lean left, and look like it was purled
from the right side. So, the symbol for K2tog from the wrong side has a little dot that means purl, and
has a slash that leans left, because that’s what the stitch looks like from the right side of the fabric.
©2011 Cynthia Carter and Whistling Beagle Knits™. All rights reserved.
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Selvage Stitches – are used at the beginning and/or end of a row of knitting to balance the pattern so
that it is centered. Many garments call for the same stitch pattern to be repeated several times across a
row. Where a chart contains a selvage stitch, or stitches, that means that there will be some stitches in
the chart that you knit only once, at the beginning or end of the row. The rest of the stitches in the
chart form the part of the pattern that is repeated, over and over, until the row is complete. Selvage
stitches are usually indicated by a heavy line, or by shading the stitches on the chart. If you were
reading written instructions for a pattern with a selvage stitch, the repeated part would usually be
marked with an asterisk (*). You can have selvage stitches on all rows of a pattern, or just some rows.
Take a look at the Fern chart again. The stitch to the right of the heavy vertical line is a selvage stitch. It
is knit only once, at the beginning of each row. The shaded stitch on row 8 of the pattern is also a
selvage stitch. In this case, the shading means that the centered double decrease will be knit as the last
stitch of every repeat on the row, except the last one. On the last repeat, the pattern instructions tell us
to knit this stitch as an SSK. If you were to see the instructions for row 8 written out, they would look
like this: K2tog, *K3, YO, K1, YO, K3, Sl1-k2tog-psso; rep from * to the last 9 stitches, end K3, YO, K1, YO,
K3, SSK.
No stitch () - On some charts, you will see areas with a symbol marked “no stitch.” In many lace
patterns, the number of stitches in each row will change from row to row. This is particularly true of
lace edgings. The “no stitch” symbol tells the knitter that there are fewer stitches on that row – one
fewer for each “no stitch” symbol. If you encounter a “no stitch” symbol in the middle of a row, just skip
over it and knit the next stitch. “No Stitch” is used in the middle of a pattern row to make sure that the
stitch symbols are lined up with the rows above and below them. Look again at the Rose Leaf Edging
chart, and you will see “no stitch” symbols used at the end and in the middle of some rows.
©2011 Cynthia Carter and Whistling Beagle Knits™. All rights reserved.
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Tips for Using Charts
The key to using charts is to keep track of where you are at all times, both on the chart and in your
knitting. Here are a few tips and tricks to keep you from getting lost:


Be sure you can see your chart and your knitting easily.
o Use a good strong light on your work to be able to read both the chart and your
knitting.
o If necessary, use a photocopier to enlarge the chart so that you can read it easily. Use a
chart stand to keep your chart upright and in place so that you don’t have to strain your
eyes and neck to see it. If you are working from a chart in a book, you may want to copy
it so that your book doesn’t try to snap closed or fall off the stand while you are
working.
Mark your place.
Figure 5 An old music stand, a blank piece of paper and a few magnets mark the row
o
o
Post-it™ notes are great for marking your place on a chart, as you can pull them up and
move them as you finish each row. Place them so that they cover the rows above where
you are currently working. For large charts, use a blank sheet of paper laid just above
the current row to block out the rows you haven’t worked yet. I use an old metal music
stand and magnets to hold a blank piece of paper over my chart to mark the row I am
working on. KnitPicks.com sells a Chart Keeper that works the same way, and has the
advantage of being portable.
A row counter for your knitting helps to quickly figure out where you left off, in case
your chart gets put away before your project is done.
©2011 Cynthia Carter and Whistling Beagle Knits™. All rights reserved.
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o
Stitch markers can be used to mark the beginning of a row, or even the beginning of
each pattern repeat, or on either side of a center stitch. Use whatever helps most with
the project you are knitting.
I hope this quick guide has been of help. Any suggestions or comments to improve it would be
appreciated.
©2011 Cynthia Carter and Whistling Beagle Knits™. All rights reserved.
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