How to Read a Lace Knitting Chart

Once you have a few simple projects under your belt, you might want to try out some more complex lace knitting, and that often means that you will need to — or at least have the option to — read and follow a chart instead of text instructions.

I know knitting charts can seem intimidating, but they’re really just a visual representation of what your knitting should look like when you work it properly.

Yarn overs, for instance, are represented as Os. Decreases a slants that go the direction the actual decrease goes.

When you’re knitting flat, you work a chart from right to left on the right (or front) side of the work, while you work from left to right on the back/wrong side. Because that’s the direction you’re knitting in relation to the front of the work.

Sometimes in projects that are shaped or where the stitch count changes between rows you’ll see a shaded box that means there is no stitch there to work on that row. That’s easy; just ignore it and move on.

Charts often show just one repeat of the pattern along with the edge stitches, so make sure you’re reading it properly and know which part of it you’re supposed to repeat. (If you mess it up, you’ll know pretty quickly because you won’t have room for a full repeat at the end or your pattern just won’t look right.

It’s a great idea to start knitting from charts by using a pattern that has both written and charted instructions. Look at the chart and translate it into written instructions, then compare to the actual instructions. After you’ve done this once or twice you’ll be confident enough to work patterns that only have charts.

If you’re a lace knitter and you have tips for following charts, I’d love to hear them!

Next Pattern:

Blankets are a great blank slate project that you can change up in a million different ways. From color to stitch pattern to size, the possibilities are almost endless.

Jared Flood, the designer behind Brooklyn Tweed, was inspired by a log cabin quilt his mother made in 1995 to re-create that design in knitting, which led to more blankets and ultimate Brooklyn Tweed’s Knit and Crochet Blankets, which includes 25 patterns from an array of designers using different skills and techniques to make cozy, pretty blankets.

The patterns are divided into three aesthetic themes: traditions, minimalism and colorplay. The patterns are rated on a scale of one to five, with one being the easiest, and there aren’t any pieces rated five. Two blankets are rated one, 14 are two, eight are three and one is four.

In addition, three of the 25 patterns are crocheted, but they either use single crochet or granny stitch, so they are pretty easy even if you don’t do a lot of crochet. You can see all the patterns on Ravelry.

Some of my favorites include Rattan by Rastus Hsu, a chunky blanket worked in knits and purls with simple crossing stitches to make a raised woven look; Homewood by Seth Richardson, covers in dramatic, loopy cables; Ainur Berkimbayeva’s Tessellate, one of the beginner projects that doesn’t really look beginner but is totally worked in knit and purl stitches; Warp + Weft by Aist? Butkevi?ien?, which is mostly knits and purls but makes a fun woven look fabric that blew my mind a little bit; and the same designer’s Canyonland, a multicolored blanket with wavy stripes.

The patterns tell you how to resize them for different dimensions and include information on pattern repeats where it is possible to make a totally custom size.

Many different techniques are included here such as cables, lace, shadow knitting, intarsia and other colorwork techniques, as well as modular knitting and lots of sewing pieces together. The patterns are all presented with charts, but there are line by line written instructions available on the Brooklyn Tweed website if you need them.

The book ends with a deep dive into log cabin knitting, telling the story of the quilt Jared’s mom made and how he made it in knitting, as well as the multitude of variations you can make if you want your own log cabin style design.

The back of the book includes a little written information about some of the special techniques needed, but there are no photos.

This is a lovely book full of inspiration for knitting and crochet blankets for any skill level. If you like to make blankets as gifts or aspire to have a handmade blanket in every room of the house, these designs would be a great place to start.

About the book: 192 pages, paperback, 25 patterns. Published 2024 by Abrams Books, suggested retail price $24.99.

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