Knitting ChartKnitting Chart Letters
Type a name or word and get its knitting chart: small letters are 3 stitches wide (M, N and W a little wider) and 5 rows tall, large letters 5 wide and 7 tall, with 1 stitch between letters. Download the chart as a PDF or PNG, or open it in the chart maker to change colors and add motifs.
The full alphabet: A to Z and 0 to 9
Every letter, digit and punctuation mark the generator knows, in both sizes. The charts below are drawn from the same font data the tool uses, so what you see is what the generator will knit.
Download the alphabet PDFSmall letters (3 × 5)
Large letters (5 × 7)
Each square is one stitch, row 1 is at the bottom and stitch 1 is on the right. The blank rows at the top and bottom and the outer columns are the default 2-stitch margin. In the PDF, every chart also has row-by-row written instructions.
How to make a knitting chart with letters
Type the name or word
Enter up to 4 lines and 40 characters. Lowercase is changed to uppercase automatically, and the heart button adds ♥ at the cursor.
Choose a letter size and spacing
Small letters are 3 × 5 stitches and large letters 5 × 7. Letter spacing starts at 1 stitch, and 1×, 2× or 3× makes every letter stitch bigger without changing the gaps.
Fit it to your stitch count
Choose “Fixed stitch count” and enter the number of stitches in a hat or blanket row, such as 96. The letters are centered; if the text is wider than that number, the chart grows instead of cutting letters off.
Download or keep editing
Download a PDF with the chart and row-by-row instructions, save a PNG, or open the chart in the chart maker to tidy a stitch or add a motif.
How many stitches does a word take?
For one word, the formula is the letter widths added up + (letters − 1) × letter spacing + 2 × margin. Most small letters are 3 stitches wide, so a word of n letters takes about n × 3 + (n − 1) × 1 + 2 × 2 stitches; in the large font, n × 5 + (n − 1) × 1 + 2 × 2. For two or more words, add 3 stitches for each space in the small font and 4 in the large.
The table shows the chart width and height for four examples, at the default gauge of 22 stitches and 30 rows per 10 cm (4 in). The cm and inch sizes are the finished knitting, not the paper size.
| Word | Size | Stitches | Rows | Width × height |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EMMA | Small | 23 | 9 | 10.5 × 3.0 cm (4.1 × 1.2 in) |
| EMMA | Large | 27 | 11 | 12.3 × 3.7 cm (4.8 × 1.4 in) |
| EMMA | Large 2× | 47 | 18 | 21.4 × 6.0 cm (8.4 × 2.4 in) |
| NOAH | Small | 20 | 9 | 9.1 × 3.0 cm (3.6 × 1.2 in) |
| NOAH | Large | 27 | 11 | 12.3 × 3.7 cm (4.8 × 1.4 in) |
| NOAH | Large 2× | 47 | 18 | 21.4 × 6.0 cm (8.4 × 2.4 in) |
| LOVE | Small | 19 | 9 | 8.6 × 3.0 cm (3.4 × 1.2 in) |
| LOVE | Large | 27 | 11 | 12.3 × 3.7 cm (4.8 × 1.4 in) |
| LOVE | Large 2× | 47 | 18 | 21.4 × 6.0 cm (8.4 × 2.4 in) |
| MERRY CHRISTMAS | Small | 65 | 9 | 29.5 × 3.0 cm (11.6 × 1.2 in) |
| MERRY CHRISTMAS | Large | 90 | 11 | 40.9 × 3.7 cm (16.1 × 1.4 in) |
| MERRY CHRISTMAS | Large 2× | 160 | 18 | 72.7 × 6.0 cm (28.6 × 2.4 in) |
A 96-stitch hat leaves 92 stitches between the default 2-stitch margins: that fits 23 small letters or 15 large letters with 1 stitch between them. MERRY CHRISTMAS is 65 stitches in the small font and 90 in the large, so it fits a 96-stitch hat at 1×; at 2× it takes 160 stitches and needs a wider piece.
Stranded, intarsia or duplicate stitch?
All three techniques use the same chart. Which one you choose depends on how many colors are in a row, whether you are knitting flat or in the round, and how large the letters are. For ready-made two-color motifs, see the free Fair Isle charts.
| Technique | Best for | How it is worked | Floats or bobbins | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stranded (Fair Isle) | Best for: Small words in the round: hat bands, cuffs, yokes and mittens. | How it is worked: Carry both colors across the back and knit each stitch in the color shown. Every round is read from right to left. | Floats or bobbins: Longest single-color run inside a small letter is 3 stitches; in a large letter it is 3. Catch floats longer than 5 stitches, or about 2.5 cm (1 in). | Watch out for: The gaps between letters add up: at 2×, EMMA already has a longest float of 10 stitches. In the round, one word leaves the rest of the round as a single float: EMMA in large letters on a 96-stitch hat has a 74-stitch float, so repeat the word around, catch the float every few stitches or use duplicate stitch. |
| Intarsia | Best for: Large letters worked flat: blanket panels, sweater fronts and stockings. | How it is worked: Work each color section with its own bobbin, crossing the old and new yarn at every change. One color section gets one bobbin. | Floats or bobbins: A row through EMMA in the large font has up to 19 color sections, so up to 19 bobbins (small font: 17). | Watch out for: In the round, intarsia is worked back and forth on the circular needle; for a short word, stranded knitting or duplicate stitch is simpler. |
| Duplicate stitch | Best for: A few letters, or a name added after the piece is finished. | How it is worked: Knit the background first, then use a blunt needle to follow the chart over the knit V shapes. The chart is a map of where each stitch goes. | Floats or bobbins: No floats and no bobbins; every letter is added with the needle. | Watch out for: Duplicate stitch adds thickness. Keep the sewing tension even so the name does not pull the fabric. |
Intarsia in the round is possible but fiddly: after a round, each bobbin waits at the left edge of its color section, so you turn and work the next round back on the wrong side, closing the gap at the turn with a yarn over or a wrap. For one word on a hat, stranded knitting or duplicate stitch after the knitting is done is usually less work.
For picture motifs knitted the same way, the free intarsia charts count the bobbins and yarn ends of each chart for you.
Reading a letter chart flat, in the round and top-down
A chart shows the right side of the knitting, so the letters look the way they will look when the piece is worn. The charts on this page are drawn with row 1 at the bottom and stitch 1 on the right, the way knitters count.
- Flat: right-side rows are read from right to left and wrong-side rows from left to right. The PDF’s row-by-row instructions already reverse the wrong-side rows and turn knit stitches into purl stitches.
- In the round: every round is a right-side round, so read each one from right to left. The letters stay upright and the round joins at the same place on every row.
- From the top down: a Christmas stocking knitted from the cuff down, or a sweater from the neck down, needs the chart rotated. Tick Upside down (for top-down knitting) in the tool; otherwise the letters are upside down when the piece is worn.
At the default gauge one stitch is about 4.5 mm wide and 3.3 mm tall, so a letter drawn on square paper knits up shorter and wider than it looks. The preview and the PDF draw each stitch at your gauge; to sketch by hand at the same proportions, print knitting graph paper.
For repeats, stitch symbols and more colorwork examples, see the full guide to how to read a knitting chart.
What this generator can’t do
- Lowercase letters. The fonts are uppercase only; lowercase text is converted automatically.
- Script or handwriting fonts. There are only two pixel fonts, 3 × 5 and 5 × 7, with no curves or thick-and-thin strokes.
- Curved or circular lettering. Every line is horizontal. To bend a name around a hem, draw it by hand or use a design program.
- Multicolor letters or extra motifs. Each chart has one letter color. For several colors, a border or a picture, open the result in the chart maker and keep drawing there.
- More than 4 lines or 40 characters. Longer text is cut at the limit, and unsupported characters are shown in the tool and skipped.
To turn a photo or drawing into a chart instead, use the photo to knitting chart converter.
Questions about knitting chart letters
How do you knit letters into knitting?
Knit them as colorwork: each square of the chart is one stitch in the color shown, worked in stranded knitting, intarsia or duplicate stitch. Work from the bottom of the chart up, and use the PDF’s row-by-row instructions if you do not want to count squares.
How many stitches should be between letters?
One stitch by default, which is enough for the small font. Use 2 or 3 for large letters or fluffy yarn, so the shapes stay separate.
What size letters should I use on a hat?
It depends on the stitch count, not the letter height. A 96-stitch hat fits 15 large letters or 23 small letters at the default spacing; for a short word, the large font reads better from a distance.
Can you do intarsia in the round?
Yes, but it is worked back and forth. After each round the bobbins wait at the left edge of their color sections, so you turn and work the next round on the wrong side, closing the gap at the turn with a yarn over or a wrap. For a short word, stranded knitting or duplicate stitch afterwards is simpler.
How do you read an intarsia pattern?
Read the chart from the bottom up as a color map: on right-side rows start at the right, on wrong-side rows start at the left, and give each color section its own bobbin. The letters are drawn as they look from the right side.
How do you change colors in intarsia without holes?
At every color change, bring the new yarn up from under the old one, cross the two yarns, and give the old yarn a little slack. That twist closes the gap that would otherwise become a hole; keep the tension loose enough that the fabric does not pucker.
How do I knit a name on a blanket?
Knit the blanket first and add the name in duplicate stitch, or knit it in intarsia while the panel is flat. For a large name, use the 5 × 7 font and set the chart width to the panel’s stitch count so the letters sit centered.
Can I use these letter charts in patterns I sell?
Yes. These letter charts are free to use in your own knitting and in patterns you sell, with no credit or payment needed.