Knitting ChartPhoto to Knitting Chart
Turn a photo, drawing or logo into a colorwork knitting chart. Set the width in stitches and your gauge, choose how many colors to knit with, and match them to your yarn. Everything happens on your device — your photo is never uploaded.
How to turn a picture into a knitting chart
Choose a clear picture
Simple shapes and strong contrast work best: a pet portrait with a plain background, a logo, a cartoon, a flower. Crop the photo to the part you want to knit first.
Set the width and your gauge
Enter how many stitches wide the motif should be, or the finished width in inches or centimetres. With your gauge, the converter works out the number of rows so the picture keeps its shape.
Choose the number of colors
Two to six colors are easiest to knit. Leave “Clean up single stray stitches” on to merge lone stitches into their neighbours.
Match your yarn and finish in the editor
Click each color to set it to your yarn. Then open the chart in the chart editor to fix details by hand and download the PDF.
How many stitches should my chart be?
Every stitch is one pixel of your picture, so more stitches show more detail. Multiply the finished width by your gauge: a 20 cm (8 in) wide motif at 22 stitches per 10 cm needs 44 stitches. Faces and lettering usually need at least 40–60 stitches across to be recognisable; simple shapes look good with 20–30.
The number of rows comes from your row gauge. Knit stitches are wider than they are tall (about 22 stitches but 30 rows per 10 cm in DK yarn), so a square picture needs more rows than stitches. That is why the chart preview is drawn with real stitch proportions. To sketch by hand instead, printknitting graph paper sized to your gauge.
Fair Isle, intarsia or duplicate stitch?
For stranded (Fair Isle) knitting, keep to two colors per row where you can and avoid long runs of one color, or catch the floats every 5–7 stitches. Large blocks of color are better in intarsia. Small details can also be added afterwards with duplicate stitch.
Questions about photo knitting charts
How do I turn a picture into a knitting chart?
Choose the photo above, set the width in stitches and your gauge, and pick the number of colors. The converter shrinks the picture to one square per stitch and reduces it to your colors. Download the PDF, or open it in the chart editor to adjust it first.
How many colors should I use?
As few as the picture allows. Two to four colors are easy to knit; up to six still works for stranded colorwork with some planning. More colors give more detail but mean more yarn changes.
Is my photo uploaded to a server?
No. The conversion runs in your browser, on your device. The photo is not sent anywhere, and it is not kept after you close the page.
Why does my chart have more rows than stitches?
Because knit stitches are wider than they are tall. To keep the picture in proportion, the chart needs more rows than stitches. Enter your own row and stitch gauge for an exact result.
Can I edit the chart after converting it?
Yes. Click “Open in chart editor” to change single stitches, recolor, add symbols, mirror it or change its size in the knitting chart maker.
Can I use the chart for crochet or cross stitch?
You can, but set the gauge to match: crochet stitches and cross stitches are close to square, so enter the same number for stitches and rows.