Knitting ChartKnitting Chart Symbols
Each symbol on a knitting chart shows one stitch as it looks from the right side of the fabric: an empty square is a knit stitch, a dot is a purl, a circle is a yarn over, and a slanted line is a decrease that leans the same way. Knitting flat, you work the opposite stitch on wrong-side rows, so a dot means knit there.
Common knitting chart symbols
| Symbol | Stitch | Right-side row | Wrong-side row | What it does |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Knit | k | p | Knit on RS, purl on WS. Shown as an empty square. | |
| Purl | p | k | Purl on RS, knit on WS. | |
| Yarn over | yo | yo | Wrap the yarn over the needle to make a new stitch and an eyelet. | |
| Knit 2 together | k2tog | p2tog | Right-leaning decrease: knit 2 together on RS, purl 2 together on WS. | |
| Slip, slip, knit | ssk | ssp | Left-leaning decrease: ssk on RS, ssp on WS. | |
| Slip 1 | sl1 | sl1 | Slip 1 stitch purlwise without working it. | |
| Knit through back loop | k1tbl | p1tbl | Twisted stitch: k1tbl on RS, p1tbl on WS. | |
| No stitch | — | — | Placeholder where a stitch does not exist yet (or any more). Skip it. |
These follow the conventions of the Craft Yarn Council’sstandard knit chart symbols. Designers sometimes draw their own, so the key printed with your pattern always comes first.
Why a symbol means something different on the wrong side
A chart is a picture of the right side of the fabric. When you knit flat, every other row is worked from the back, so to make a stitch look like a knit stitch from the front you have to purl it from the back. That is why the empty square means knit on right-side rows and purl on wrong-side rows, and the dot means the opposite.
Example: row 2 of a flat chart shows, from left to right, two empty squares and then two dots. Row 2 is a wrong-side row, so you read it from left to right and work the opposite stitches: p2, k2. In the round there are no wrong-side rows — every round is read from right to left exactly as drawn.
Charts are read from the bottom up, starting with row 1 in the bottom-right corner. More on that inhow to read a knitting chart.
Other symbols you will meet in patterns
- Make 1 (M1), left or right leaning: An increase worked into the strand between two stitches. Patterns use different symbols for the left- and right-leaning versions, so check the key.
- Knit front and back (kfb): An increase: knit into the front and then the back of the same stitch, turning one stitch into two.
- Double decreases (k3tog, sssk, sk2p, s2kp2): Three stitches become one. The symbol leans the same way as the decrease; a centered double decrease (s2kp2) usually points straight up.
- Bobble: Several stitches worked into one stitch and then decreased back to one, making a raised knot. The symbol and the exact method vary, so the pattern explains them.
- Cables: Drawn across two to six squares with slanted lines. Lines rising to the right are usually a right cross (stitches held at the back), lines rising to the left a left cross (stitches held at the front).
- Bind off and cast on: Their symbols vary more between designers than the others, so read the key printed with the pattern.
Japanese patterns use a different system: there a vertical line is a knit stitch and a horizontal line a purl stitch. If a chart looks unfamiliar, check which convention it follows before you start.
Draw your own chart
The free knitting chart maker has the symbols in the table above: pick one and click the squares, and the PDF you download includes a key and row-by-row written instructions that already swap the stitches on wrong-side rows. To sketch on paper, print knitting graph paper sized to your gauge.
Questions about knitting chart symbols
What do the symbols on a knit chart mean?
Each square is one stitch, and the symbol tells you which stitch to work: empty for knit, a dot for purl, a circle for a yarn over, slanted lines for decreases, and a gray square for “no stitch”. The meaning is given for the right side; on wrong-side rows of flat knitting you work the opposite.
What are the most common knitting abbreviations?
k = knit, p = purl, yo = yarn over, k2tog = knit 2 together, ssk = slip, slip, knit, p2tog = purl 2 together, sl1 = slip 1, tbl = through the back loop, st(s) = stitch(es), RS = right side, WS = wrong side.
How do I read a knitting chart?
Start at the bottom right with row 1. Knitting flat, read right-side rows from right to left and wrong-side rows from left to right, working the opposite stitch on wrong-side rows. In the round, read every round from right to left. See how to read a knitting chart.
Why is a dot a knit stitch on the wrong side?
Because the chart shows the right side of the fabric. A purl bump seen from the front is made by knitting the stitch from the back, so on wrong-side rows the dot means knit.
What does a gray or shaded square mean?
It usually means “no stitch”: that square has no stitch on the needle, often because stitches were decreased or not yet increased. Skip it and go on to the next square.
Is there a printable PDF of knitting chart symbols?
Yes. Download the free symbol key: one page with each symbol, its right-side and wrong-side abbreviation and how to read a chart.