Design colorwork and stitch charts on a knitting grid. Paint with your yarn colors, stamp standard stitch symbols, mark pattern repeats, and get correctly numbered rows for flat or in-the-round knitting. Import a picture to start a motif, then download a printable PNG or PDF with a key.
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Colors
Stitches
Chart
Import an image
Turn a logo, drawing or photo into a colorwork chart at the current width.
Export
Key
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How to use the Knitting Chart Maker
Set the size: enter the number of stitches and rows and press Resize chart. Choose flat or in the round so the row numbers sit on the correct side.
Pick a yarn color and paint cells with the Paint tool; use Fill for large areas and tick Mirror to draw symmetric motifs. Edit any color and name it (MC, CC1…) with the Edit box.
Stamp stitch symbols: choose a symbol such as purl or yarn over; the Symbol tool adds it on top of the cell's color. Erase returns a cell to plain knit in the main color.
Mark the repeat: select Repeat box and drag across the stitches and rows that repeat. A red outline appears on the chart and in the key.
Export: download a PNG or PDF with the title, row numbers and key, or save the chart file to keep editing later. To start from a picture, choose an image, the number of colors and press Convert image to chart.
Knitting chart symbols used in this tool
Symbols differ slightly between designers, so every chart you export includes a key. These follow common conventions in English-language patterns.
Symbol
Stitch
On a right-side row
On a wrong-side row (flat)
Empty square
Knit
Knit
Purl
• Dot
Purl
Purl
Knit
○ Circle
Yarn over
Wrap yarn over the needle (adds a stitch, makes an eyelet)
Yarn over
/ Slash
K2tog
Knit 2 together, leans right
Purl 2 together
\ Backslash
SSK
Slip, slip, knit, leans left
SSP
Λ with a line
Centered double decrease
Slip 2 together knitwise, k1, pass the slipped stitches over
Rarely worked on WS
V
Slip
Slip 1 purlwise, yarn on the wrong side
Slip 1 purlwise, yarn on the wrong side
M shape
Make 1
Lift the strand between stitches and knit it through the back
Purl the lifted strand through the back
Twisted loop
K tbl
Knit through the back loop
Purl through the back loop
● Large dot
Bobble
Work a bobble as described in your pattern
—
Gray square
No stitch
Skip the square: the stitch does not exist yet or any more
Skip
Getting the proportions right
A knitted stitch is usually wider than it is tall. The shape of one stitch is width ÷ height = rows per 4 in ÷ stitches per 4 in. At a gauge of 24 stitches and 32 rows per 4 in, each stitch is about 0.167 in wide and 0.125 in tall, so a 24 × 24 square chart knits up about 4 in wide but only 3 in tall. Choose Match my gauge to see the real shape while you design, or use the Knitting Gauge Calculator to work out stitch and row counts from measurements.
Tips for designing colorwork charts
Fit the repeat to your stitch count. The total stitches in the round should divide evenly by the repeat width (for example 96 stitches = 8 repeats of 12).
Watch long floats. In stranded knitting, keep runs of one color to about 5–7 stitches or plan to catch the float behind.
Use bold lines every 5 or 10 stitches to count quickly and spot mistakes.
Center the motif. Use Mirror while drawing so the left and right halves match.
Keep contrast high between background and pattern colors; a photo of the chart in grayscale shows whether the motif will read clearly.
Frequently asked questions
How do I read a knitting chart?
Charts are read from the bottom up, starting with row 1. Each square is one stitch. For flat knitting, right-side rows (odd numbers, shown on the right) are read from right to left and wrong-side rows (even numbers, shown on the left) from left to right. In the round, every row is read from right to left because you always face the right side.
Why are stitches numbered from right to left?
Because knitting is worked from the right needle tip, the first stitch of a right-side row is at the right edge of the chart. Numbering columns from the right matches the order you knit them.
What does the red repeat box mean?
It marks the stitches and rows that are repeated across the row or up the piece. For example, a 12-stitch repeat box on a 96-stitch hat means you work the boxed section 8 times around. Write the number of repeats in your pattern instructions.
Why do my charted motifs look squashed when knitted?
Knit stitches are usually wider than they are tall, so a motif drawn on square cells comes out shorter and wider. Choose “Match my gauge” and enter your stitches and rows per 4 in (10 cm); the cells take the same shape as your stitches and the preview shows the real proportions.
Can I turn a photo into a knitting chart?
Yes. Set the chart width in stitches, choose an image and the number of colors, and press Convert image to chart. The picture is cropped to the chart's proportions and each cell takes the nearest of the reduced colors. Simple, high-contrast images with few colors work best; then tidy up the edges by hand.
How many colors can I use in Fair Isle knitting?
Traditional stranded colorwork uses only two colors per row, a background and a pattern color, even when the whole design has many colors. When you design, check each row and keep long runs of one color short (around 5–7 stitches) or plan to catch the floats.
Is my chart saved?
The chart autosaves in your browser's local storage, so it is still there when you come back on the same device. Use Save chart file to keep a copy you can open later or on another device. Nothing is uploaded.
Are all the tools on FreeToolCabin tested for quality and accuracy?
Yes! Every tool on our site undergoes automated Q/A testing in real browser environments to ensure high precision, correct output, and zero errors. If you happen to spot a bug or have a suggestion, please contact us at [email protected] and our team will review it right away.