Knitting chart maker
Make a colorwork knitting chart from a photo: the grid uses knitted stitch proportions (22 stitches and 30 rows per 10 cm), so the picture is not stretched when knitted. The key gives stitch counts per color and the page shows the finished size.
Updated
or drop or paste an image here. It stays on your device.
Your photo starts at 60 stitches wide (the sample below is 30 × 41); height follows the photo. Up to 150 wide free.
2 to 30 colors free; up to 80 with Pro.
Sample chart: a strawberry, 30 × 41 stitches (5.4 × 5.4 in on stocking stitch at 22 stitches × 30 rows per 10 cm) in 6 DMC colors. Every cell is filled, background included, since colorwork knitting is usually worked edge to edge. Choose a photo to chart your own at 60 stitches wide.
- Grid
- 30 × 41
- Finished size
- 5.4 × 5.4 in (13.6 × 13.7 cm)
- Colors
- 6 DMC
- Stitches
- 1,230
| Symbol | Swatch | DMC | Name | Stitches | Share of yarn |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| X | Ecru | Ecru | 792 | 64.4 % | |
| O | 304 | Red Medium | 230 | 18.7 % | |
| + | 3830 | Terra Cotta | 144 | 11.7 % | |
| # | 937 | Avocado Green Medium | 26 | 2.1 % | |
| @ | 152 | Shell Pink Medium Light | 19 | 1.5 % | |
| % | 700 | Green Bright | 19 | 1.5 % |
Share of yarn is each color's part of all stitches. How much yarn that is depends on your yarn weight and tension: work a 10 × 10 swatch, weigh or measure the yarn it used, and scale by these counts. Thread and bead colors on screen are approximations of the real material.
Free PDF up to 60 × 60 stitches (vector chart with real text symbols, color key and estimates). PNG has no size limit.
Pro, $14 once: PDF at any size with a page map, 31 to 80 colors, symbol-only or color charts, a shopping-list CSV and saved projects.
What this knitting pattern maker makes
Knitted stitches are wider than they are tall, so a chart on square grid paper comes out squashed. This preset uses a stockinette gauge of 22 stitches by 30 rows per 10 cm, and the chart cells keep that ratio so the photo keeps its proportions in the finished fabric.
Use the chart for intarsia, stranded colorwork or duplicate stitch. The DMC numbers in the key describe the colors; match them on your yarn brand card.
The knitting preset
| Grid material | stocking stitch at 22 stitches × 30 rows per 10 cm |
|---|---|
| Size of one stitch | 4.55 mm wide × 3.33 mm tall |
| Stitches per inch | 5.6 across, 7.6 rows |
| Stitches in 10 × 10 cm | 660 |
| Color palette | 489 DMC colors; DMC Mouliné stranded cotton (art. 117) |
| Suggested width | 60 stitches = 27.3 cm (10.7 in) |
| Suggested color limit | 6 colors (free tool: up to 30) |
| Shopping list in the key | stitch count per color (yarn amount depends on your yarn: measure a swatch) |
How big a knitting chart comes out
Finished width = stitches × 4.55 mm; height = rows × 3.33 mm. The table uses the nominal grid (stocking stitch at 22 stitches × 30 rows per 10 cm); real pieces vary slightly with the material, your yarn and your tension.
| Width (stitches) | Width (cm) | Width (in) | Rows for a square motif | Total stitches |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 40 knitted stitches | 18.2 | 7.2 | 55 rows | 2,200 |
| 60 knitted stitches | 27.3 | 10.7 | 82 rows | 4,920 |
| 88 knitted stitches | 40.0 | 15.7 | 120 rows | 10,560 |
| 110 knitted stitches | 50.0 | 19.7 | 150 rows | 16,500 |
Stitches and rows for a square motif
A square motif needs more rows than stitches, because a row is shorter than a stitch is wide. At 22 stitches and 30 rows per 10 cm:
| Motif size | Grid | Stitches to knit |
|---|---|---|
| 10 × 10 cm motif | 22 stitches × 30 rows | 660 |
| 20 × 20 cm motif | 44 stitches × 60 rows | 2,640 |
| 30 × 30 cm motif | 66 stitches × 90 rows | 5,940 |
| 50 × 50 cm motif | 110 stitches × 150 rows | 16,500 |
How to read a knitting chart
Read a flat knitting chart from the bottom right: right-side rows from right to left, wrong-side rows from left to right. Knitting in the round, read every row from right to left.
Each cell is one stitch. Mark the current row with a ruler or highlighter tape, and count stitches in groups of 10 using the grid lines.
Materials for knitting charts
- Yarn in the colors from the key, all of the same weight.
- Needles that give you the gauge you chart for; the preset assumes 22 stitches per 10 cm.
- Bobbins for intarsia, or a yarn guide for stranded knitting.
- Highlighter tape or a magnetic chart holder.
Make a knitting chart from a photo
-
Knit a gauge swatch
Measure stitches and rows per 10 cm in stockinette; the size table assumes 22 × 30.
-
Upload the photo
Choose an image with a clear subject and simple background.
-
Set the width in stitches
Match the stitch count of the panel or sweater front you want the motif on.
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Keep the colors few
Two to six colors is typical for colorwork; each color is another ball or bobbin.
-
Knit from the chart
Follow the rows from the bottom, changing colors at the cell edges and catching long floats.
Tips for knitting charts
- If your gauge differs, the motif changes size, not shape, as long as your stitch-to-row ratio stays near 22:30.
- In stranded knitting, catch floats longer than about 5 stitches so they do not snag.
- Yarn use depends on the yarn and method; knit a small swatch per color, weigh it and scale by the stitch counts in the key.
- Duplicate stitch lets you add small details after knitting; keep them out of the chart to simplify color changes.
DMC color pages
Each page lists the color's hex value and its nearest equivalents in other brands by CIEDE2000.
Common DMC colors
Frequently asked questions
Can I turn a photo into a knitting chart?
Yes. Upload the photo, choose the width in stitches and the number of colors, and the tool makes a chart in knitted stitch proportions with a stitch count per color.
Why do knitting charts use rectangular cells?
A stockinette stitch is wider than it is tall (about 22 stitches but 30 rows per 10 cm), so square cells would stretch the picture vertically once knitted. This chart uses cells with that ratio.
How many colors can a knitting chart have?
Stranded colorwork usually carries two colors per row; intarsia can use more. The tool allows up to 30 colors free, but two to six is typical for a wearable motif.
How big is an 88-stitch knitting chart?
88 stitches at 4.55 mm each come out 40.0 cm (15.7 in) wide. A square design that size has 120 rows, because each row is only 3.33 mm tall and 10,560 stitches.