Glossary
Reading Stitch Charts and Symbols
Charts pack a stitch pattern into a visual grid instead of row-by-row text — genuinely faster to follow once the symbols click, since the chart shape usually mirrors the shape of the finished fabric.
Knitting chart symbols
Knitting charts are read right to left on right-side rows (the row number sits at the right edge) and left to right on wrong-side rows, from the bottom of the chart to the top.
| Symbol | Meaning (on a RS row) |
|---|---|
| Blank square | Knit |
| Dot or dash | Purl |
| O | Yarn over |
| / (forward slash) | Right-leaning decrease (k2tog) |
| \ (backslash) | Left-leaning decrease (ssk) |
| Λ (peak) | Centered double decrease |
| Diagonal lines crossing | Cable cross — the direction of the lines shows which stitches cross in front |
Crochet chart symbols
Crochet charts are read starting from the center for rounds, or bottom-to-top, right-to-left / left-to-right on alternating rows for flat patterns — a small arrow or row number usually marks the starting point.
| Symbol | Stitch |
|---|---|
| Oval or small circle | Chain |
| Dot | Slip stitch |
| + or X | Single crochet |
| T (short, with a small top bar) | Half double crochet |
| T (tall, with one bar across the stem) | Double crochet |
| T (tall, with two bars across the stem) | Treble crochet |
| Symbols fanned from one base point | Stitches worked into the same stitch (shell, V-stitch, cluster) |
Tips
- Chart symbols are drawn to loosely resemble the stitch they represent — taller symbols for taller stitches — which makes unfamiliar charts easier to guess at than unfamiliar abbreviations.
- Every published chart includes a symbol key in the margin; symbol conventions vary slightly between designers and publications, so check the key even if a symbol looks familiar.
- Photocopy or print a chart and check off rows as you complete them — it's easy to lose your place jumping between chart and project.