191

Pattern Charts

TcmutcJ patiem

Pattern charts have the great advantage that you can easily imagine what a pattern will look like.

Wrirten instructions for

individual stitches arc oltcn compiicatcd and morę diffieuli to undćrscand bccause ofthe long text. Here is sonie information about the width and the length of a pattern, then abour how to read a pattern chart.

Pattern Width

The width of the pattern rcpc.it t> given under each pattern chan. for the tcxtured pattern tdiown, it is 10 stitches. These 10 stitches arc eon-standy repcatcd. The Inst stitch of the pattern is only worked at the end ol the piece ro complete the pattern. Ib calculatc the nuniber of stitches needed, the number of stitches must bc dieisible by 10 + 1 stitch - 2 $elvedgc stitches for cxamplc, 43 stitches.

On sonie pat tenis, ści erał stitches ure shown on both sides of the pat-tem repeat to complete the pattern. In this case, you start with the lirst stitches of the chart after the sol-vcdgc stitch. then rcpc.it the pattern repeat as indicated. Ar the end, work the last stitches on the chart and the $clvedgc* stitch.

Pattern Length

Many charts show only the mws on the rlght side ofthe work. I hat is pracrically always the case if rhe stitches arc simply purted in the row> on the wrong side of the work. Or u

L' usually also the case if all the stitches are worked as they lic- i.e.. the purl stitches arc purlcJ, the knit stitches are knit.

This can be clcarly seen using the cx ample of a simple tcxntred patiem. Chart 1 shows the pattern ln the rows on the right side of the work; the row numbers are given only on the right side ol the chart. Chart 2, on the other hand, is morę conlusmg, although it shows rhe same pattern. Herc the rows on the riyht and wrony side of the work are shown the wuy they are worked; the numbers for the rows on rhe riglit side of the work are on the right. the number for the rows on the wrony side ot the work are on the leli.

Chart 1 shows another possibie way of represetuing the stitches.

Here rhe stitches arc shown in the rows on the right and wrony side of rhe work rhe way they appear on rhe right side. The chart cxplanatkm would then have to say: Opcn box = knit stitch on right side of work. purl stitch on wrony siJe of work. Box with liorirontal linę * purl stitch on riyht side of work. knit stitch on wrony side of work.

Reading a Pattern Chart

On all panem charts, the rows on rhe riyht side of rhe work read from riyht to leli. the rows on the wrony side ofthe work from łeft to right, always in the knitting Jircction. The selvedge stitches are not shown, unlcss otlierwtse indicated.

Hor a tcxtured partem, the text for the first 3 rows would read:

Row 1: selv st. ⁸ k2. p7. kl. “ kl,

5clv St.

Row 2 and all subsequent rows on \VS: work the st as they lie. (Or:

Row 2: selv st. pl. ⁸ pl, k7. p2. rep from *, selv st.)

Row 3: selv st. " k3, p5. k2. rep from *, kl, sclv st.

Chart 1:

Only the rows on the right side of the work are shown.

Chart 2:

The same pattern with the rows on the right and wrong side shown as they are worked.

Chart 3:

The stitches on the right and wrong sides are shown us they appear on the right side of the work.

The patiem repeats betwccii the asterisk*. This means in the first row. for cxamp!c. that after the first 3 stitches, you altcmately p? and k3 (the last stitch bcforc the asterisk and the first 2 stitches after the asterisk).

Reading patrenis in words nuyhr scem casier to sonie knitters than reading pattern charts. Bur the complicatcd length ofthe tcxt

190