chrisknits
Chart Smarts
posted Saturday, 24 February 2007
Having spent my previous lives doing cross-stitch, needlepoint and canvas work (not always the same as needlepoint), I am very into charts. It was natural to proceed to charts in knitting. It's really all the same. But there are some differences, so I will try to break it down.
What is a chart? It is a grid representation of the stitch pattern across rows of knitting. It really is that simplistic. The way you "read" a chart depends on the method of knitting. If you are knitting in the round, you always start at the right side and read to the left. If you are knitting flat you will read the odd rows from right to left, and the even rows from left to right* One instance where this might not be the case is when the wrong side rows are purled sts. This is sometimes the case in lace knitting where the wrong side rows are not even shown. Since they are just purl stitches with possibly some garter stitches at each edge, there isn't much reason to use space to denote this. But no matter whether the piece is Aran, Fair Isle, Nordic, or Lace, charts are still basically the same.
OK, so we know how to read the charts, but how do we "read" the charts. The path of reading isn't the only thing to working with a chart, there's a very important key to charts.....the Key. The Key is key (sorry for that horrible pun) to your understanding the chart. One square may be 1 stitch, but what stitch should it be? Refer to the key for the information about how to work each st in the row. The stitches are represented by different symbols, and in most cases the symbols are the same from culture to culture. An O means a yarn over, a dash(-) means a purl stitch. A lower case L(l) is a knit stitch, or the lack of a symbol can mean a knit stitch**. The differences usually come into play with the more complex stitch patterns such as decreases, increases, slip stitches, etc. So just watch your key, track along the row in the right direction and you can knit from a chart. Now, the catch is, the chart is only going to show you the stitch pattern as it is viewed from the RIGHT SIDE of the knitting. The key for the symbol (l) will read: k on the right side, purl on the wrong side. The symbol (-) will have the following instruction: p on the right side, knit on the wrong side. So watch that chart as you are knitting flat!
Can it really be that simple? Yes it can, but there are things to keep in mind. Knowing how to read a chart can also involve knowing how to read your knitting. Once you learn to "read" your knitting, you can see when things go off track. An example would be: Say I am knitting a stitch pattern that reads ll--ll--ll--ll--ll. That's *k2,p2* ending with k2, over 18 sts. I am knitting the piece flat, so the reverse side(WS) will read *p2,k2, ending with p2. When looking at the chart the 2nd row, read from left to right, will look no different than the 1st row. But if I knit it *k2, p2* ending with k2, I will be knitting a very non-rib pattern. I must remember that the reverse side is a different interpretation of the symbol. So, I can see that when I turn to the wrong side, to return across the row, I need to be knitting a purl on top of the purls and a knit on top of the knits. In knowing that I am making 2x2 ribbing, I can watch the progression of the knitting to be sure I am getting 2x2 ribbing. Something to keep in mind, if I am told in words to knit 2x2 ribbing over 4 rows, what more understanding does that provide, in contrast to a chart that shows 4 rows of l's and -'s across the row? In looking at the symbols I can see it's 2x2 ribbing, and it's repeated over 4 rows. Clear as mud.
OK, this myth that it's just easier to read the pattern word for word and knit it from that. I don't buy that. Consider a pattern that has 24 sts in a Fair Isle design. Written out the pattern reads: K 4 sts in MC, 4 sts in A, 3 sts in MC, 2 sts in A, 3 sts in MC, 4 sts in A, 4 sts in MC. The chart represents the pattern in the following sybmols ****CCCC***CC***CCCC****. I am merrily knitting along, and set the knitting down for a moment, while I was on the 2nd st of MC in the 3 sts MC pattern. What is easier, reading through the word pattern where I have to glance between the string of words and my knitting? Or the very obvious pattern right there on the chart. If I look at my knitting, it LOOKS like the chart. My knitting doesn't LOOK like the words of a pattern. So in looking at the chart I can see what comes after the 2nd MC color of the 3 MC sts and easily determine if I am on the 2nd group of 3 MCs or the 1st.
OK, the nay-sayers will say: But I can't keep track of my place on a chart, I never know where I am. In Fair Isle knitting I say bull! Just look at the colors and you can see where you are. Aran knitting? OK, little bit more intense scrutiny, but not at all hard. We know that most Aran knitting has no cable turn on the WS, so look to see if you just knit a WS or RS. That helps to determine if it's an odd or even row next. Then look at the position of the sts. I always count how many cables have been turned, that gives me an idea. Other times you can look at the type of cables being knit. They all have their own row repeats, so try to determine the row from one of those cables. But the best thing to do, is use a sticky note or highlighter tape to mark the rows as you are knitting. I use a highlighter tape ABOVE the row I am knitting. Then when I am done with that row, I move it up a row. It trains my eye to look at the row defined by the tape and shows me what the rows below should look like. If I see that I think I should be knitting a knit over a knit, I am on track. If I think I should be knitting a knit over a knit, and it's actually a purl, I am off track. If I am knitting this from a line of words, how can I double check myself? If I get lost, I have to read through each line to find the appropriate row.
Think I am being brash in my "thumbing of the nose" at written instructions? Maybe. I just hate to see people limit what they will knit because it's not written word for word, line by line, step by step. Or fearing what they really CAN understand, it just takes making the effort. Don't fear it, just break it down and look at each square as if it were an individual stitch. Psst-that's what it IS! Just don't look at the whole chart or row as if you have to make sense of it. You don't read the whole line of a pattern at once. Track along the chart row the same way, one square at a time.
Now there is more to chart reading, like the times in lace when you have a grid that has shaded or blacked out squares. These represent the lack of a stitch, usually because of a decrease when knitting top down, or an increase that hasn't been made yet, as in bottom up. And there are times when chart reading is tricking, as in shaping of Fair Isle/Nordic style sweaters. And how about when doing Aran sweaters and all you have are individual charts that all have different repeats? Those are the times I make my own charts, as with Celtic Dreams. But the single most important thing that helps me navigate the charts, and my knitting, is recognizing the patterns, repeats and stitches used. My brain is very good at storing and utilizing pattern repeats and being able to build on the previous rows of knit fabric. I can see where cables are going, I can see the progression of color patterns, and where they are going next. For some reason this all makes sense to me.
In closing I would suggest you think of those times as a child when you were building with blocks, doodling on paper, or some other play activity. Did you create patterns with those blocks? Did you repeat a pattern or was it all random? For me, it's always been pattern repeats. Whether in color or shapes, I was always doing repeats. I still do. I am so into symetry and pattern. So maybe it's that left brain, right brain thing. Or maybe not. The next time you are looking at nature, architecture, or abstract items, determine what you see. Do you see the patterns or repeats inherent in those items? Or do you see the shape as a whole? I see them in patterns that make up the whole. I isolate repeats and symetry. I must just be wired that way.
*Unless otherwise specified by the pattern. Some patterns have you start with the 1st row as a wrong side row.
** In Cross-Stitch the absence of a symbol or color means no stitch, the fabric is left uncovered. In knitting it means a knit st, you cannot have a blank area in knitted fabric.
Today has been running errands and raining, actually thunderstorming now. No knitting has been done, nothing more than clean up in the kitchen and blogging. Now I am going to snuggle up with a book and a blankie and rest a spell. And then tonight it's chicken and dumplings! One of the family's favorites! Hubster is trying to recover from a migraine, whether from lack of dinner before drinking and poker last night, or other sources. He says it's getting better, but I am sorry he has to struggle through these episodes.
Blessings: Friends. The girls had friends over to go out for pizza and one stayed overnight. It's also so much fun to see how your kids play. When my friend came to get her youngin' she named me a good Mom. The reason was my willingness to let the kids build tents all over my living room. Is that such an unpracticed event nowadays? I thought all kids built tents with furniture, blankets and such. How horrible to think that the living rooms of America aren't being provided for such a fun activity. Come on Moms, let em build!
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