How to make a knitting chart from a photo
- Knit a gauge swatch in your yarn and stitch, and count stitches and rows over 10 cm (4 inches).
- Enter the gauge and the width of the chart in stitches.
- Choose a photo and the number of colours. Fewer colours make intarsia and stranded knitting much easier.
- Check the knitted preview, then download the PDF chart and colour key.
Why the chart cells aren’t square
Most knitting is wider per stitch than it is tall per row. If you knit a square-celled chart, a circle comes out as a flat oval. This tool sizes each chart cell from your gauge, so what you see on the chart is what you get in the knitting.
| Yarn weight (typical gauge per 10 cm) | Stitch width | Row height | 60 stitches is about |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fingering, 28 st × 36 rows | 3.6 mm | 2.8 mm | 21 cm |
| DK, 22 st × 30 rows | 4.5 mm | 3.3 mm | 27 cm |
| Worsted, 18 st × 24 rows | 5.6 mm | 4.2 mm | 33 cm |
| Chunky, 14 st × 19 rows | 7.1 mm | 5.3 mm | 43 cm |
These gauges are typical for stocking stitch; your own swatch is always more accurate.
Reading the chart
- Each cell is one stitch; the letter tells you the colour (see the key).
- Flat knitting: start at the bottom-right corner. Right-side rows are read right to left, wrong-side rows left to right.
- In the round: every round is read right to left.
- Bold lines mark every 10 stitches and rows, counted from the bottom-right, and row numbers run up the right edge.
Intarsia or stranded colourwork?
For big areas of colour (a pet portrait, a logo), use intarsia with a separate bobbin for each area and twist the yarns at every colour change. For small repeating patterns, stranded (Fair Isle) colourwork carries both colours across the back, which works best with no more than two colours per row and floats shorter than about 5 stitches.
Frequently asked questions
Why does my gauge matter?
A knit stitch is wider than it is tall: at 22 stitches and 30 rows per 10 cm, each stitch is 4.5 mm wide but only 3.3 mm tall. A chart with square cells would come out squashed when knitted. This tool uses your gauge, so the picture keeps its shape.
How do I read the chart?
For flat knitting, start at the bottom-right. Read right-side rows from right to left and wrong-side rows from left to right. Rows are numbered on the right edge from the bottom, stitches along the top from the right.
Intarsia or stranded (Fair Isle)?
Large blocks of colour suit intarsia (a separate bobbin for each area). Stranded colourwork works best with only two colours per row and short runs, so pick few colours and a simple image.
How many stitches wide should it be?
Width in stitches ÷ your stitches per 10 cm × 10 = width in cm. A 60-stitch chart at 22 stitches per 10 cm is about 27 cm wide: right for a cushion front or the front of a jumper.
Is my photo uploaded?
No. Everything runs in your browser.
Last updated 2026-10-19.