Knitting ChartKnitting Chart Maker
Design colorwork and stitch charts right here in your browser, for free. Draw stitch by stitch, see your chart in true stitch proportions, and download a PDF with a color key and written row-by-row instructions — no sign-up, no watermark.
New to knitting charts? Learn how to read a knitting chart and knit from it row by row.
How to make a knitting chart
Set the size and your gauge
Enter how many stitches and rows you need, then your gauge (stitches and rows per 10 cm or 4 in). The chart shows the finished size and draws each stitch in its real shape.
Pick yarn colors and draw
Choose a color and draw stitch by stitch, or use Fill for larger areas. Change any color to match your yarn; every stitch in that color updates at once.
Add stitch symbols
For textures and lace, switch to symbols: purl, yarn over, k2tog, ssk, slip and twisted stitches. Colors and symbols can be combined in one chart.
Download and knit
Download a PDF with the chart, a color and symbol key and row-by-row instructions, or a PNG image. Large charts are split over several pages so every square stays readable.
Everything is free
All the tools you need to chart a design, without an account and without limits on how many charts you make.
True stitch shape
A knit stitch is wider than it is tall, so motifs drawn on square grid paper come out squashed. Turn on “True stitch shape” to see your design as it will look knitted.
PDF with a color key
Row numbers on the correct side, thick lines every 10 stitches, a key of every color and symbol, and your written instructions. No watermark.
Written instructions
Turn the chart into text like “Row 3 (RS): k4 A, k2 B, k4 A”. Wrong-side rows are read in the right direction and symbols become their WS stitch (purl for knit, p2tog for k2tog).
Photo to chart
Turn a photo or drawing into a colorwork chart with as many colors as you like, then pick the colors that match your yarn.
Mirror, rotate, resize
Mirror a motif to make it symmetric, rotate it, or add rows and stitches. Row 1 and stitch 1 stay in the bottom-right corner, where knitters expect them.
Private by design
Charts are saved in your own browser and photos are processed on your device. Nothing is uploaded. Save a file to move a chart to another device.
How to read a knitting chart
Each square is one stitch and each row of squares is one row of knitting. Charts are read from the bottom up, starting with row 1 in the bottom-right corner.
- Knitting flat: read right-side (odd) rows from right to left and wrong-side (even) rows from left to right. On wrong-side rows you work the opposite stitch: an empty square means knit on the right side and purl on the wrong side.
- Knitting in the round: every round is a right-side round, so read every row from right to left.
- Thick lines every 10 stitches and rows make it easy to count and to keep your place.
- Colors: each color has a letter (A, B, C…). A is the main color — the one used most.
This chart maker numbers the rows on the side where you start them — right-side rows on the right, wrong-side rows on the left — and the written instructions follow the same rules.
What each symbol means is explained in knitting chart symbols.
For worked examples of repeats, increases, decreases and colorwork, see the full guide to how to read a knitting chart.
Want a colorwork motif to start from? Open one of the free Fair Isle charts in the editor and change its colors.
For a winter project, the free Christmas knitting charts include reindeer, trees, snowflakes, holly and stockings to open in the editor.
For a picture knitted flat, such as a cat on a cushion or a rainbow on a baby blanket, the free intarsia charts work out how many bobbins each motif needs before you cast on.
For a heart on a hat, a pocket or a sweater front, the free heart knitting charts come in sizes from tiny to large, with the finished size of each.
For winter hats, mittens and yokes, the free snowflake knitting charts have six-armed snowflakes from tiny to large and two borders worked in the round.
For the eight-pointed star of Selbu mittens, the free Norwegian knitting charts add Selbu stars and repeats for lice, borders and trees.
Looking for something cute? The free animal knitting charts have a sitting cat, a puppy face, a penguin and more, with the finished size of each at three yarn weights.
For a sweater, a cushion or a bag, the free flower knitting charts have a rose, a tulip, a daisy, a sunflower and more, with the finished size of each at three yarn weights.
For a name, a word or a date, the knitting chart letters generator turns text into a chart with row-by-row instructions.
Why stitch proportions matter
With a typical DK-weight gauge of 22 stitches and 30 rows per 10 cm (4 in), one stitch is about 4.5 mm wide but only 3.3 mm tall. A circle drawn on square graph paper therefore knits up wider than it is tall.
Enter your own gauge and keep “True stitch shape” on while you design: the chart is drawn with the same proportions as your knitting, so what you see is what you will get. Turn it off when you prefer a square grid for counting.
Prefer pencil and paper? Print knitting graph paper with squares sized to your gauge.
Frequently asked questions
How can I create my own knitting chart?
Set the number of stitches and rows, pick your yarn colors and draw the design one square per stitch. Add symbols for purls, yarn overs and decreases if you need texture or lace. When you are done, download the chart as a PDF or PNG and print it or keep it on your phone.
Can I create a knitting chart from a picture?
Yes. Use the photo to knitting chart converter: choose a photo, set the width in stitches and your gauge, choose how many colors to use, and open the result in the chart editor to tidy it up.
Is this knitting chart maker free?
Yes. Drawing, colors, symbols, PDF and PNG downloads and written instructions are all free, with no account and no watermark. An optional one-time purchase, Knitting Chart Pro, adds saving charts to your account, sync across devices and selection tools.
Is there an app to make my own knitting charts?
You do not need to install anything: this chart maker runs in the browser on computers, tablets and phones. On a phone, use the Move tool to scroll the chart and Draw to color stitches.
How do I convert a written knitting pattern to a chart?
Make a chart as wide as the stitch count and as tall as the number of rows. Then go through the pattern row by row from the bottom: for every stitch, fill one square with its color or symbol (an empty square is a knit stitch on the right side). On wrong-side rows, work from left to right and draw the stitch as it looks from the right side.
What is the best software for making knitting charts?
Professional pattern designers often use paid desktop programs. For designing motifs, colorwork and simple lace, a free browser-based chart maker like this one is enough for most knitters, and you can print or share the PDF.
Where are my charts saved?
In your browser on this device, automatically as you draw. Open “My charts” to switch between them. To keep a backup or move a chart to another device, use “Save file” and later “Open file” — or get Knitting Chart Pro, which saves your charts to your account and opens them on all your devices.
Can AI design a knitting pattern?
AI tools can suggest ideas, but they often get stitch counts and shaping wrong. A chart you draw yourself — or convert from a picture and then correct — shows every stitch exactly, so you can check it before you cast on.
Have a picture you want to knit?
Turn a photo, drawing or logo into a colorwork chart in a few seconds.