A knitting pattern is a set of written instructions on how to construct items using knitting.
Contents
Forms
There are two basic forms of knitting patterns:
Some patterns include the entire instructions in both forms, as some knitters prefer one or the other.
Some patterns mix the forms to take advantage of the best of each. For example, a pattern's start and end may be described in text and a repeated design as a chart.
Each knitting pattern typically provides its own abbreviations and symbol keys or refers to a standard. There is no single authoritative source for knitting symbology and Knitting abbreviations, so multiple standards exist.
Both forms use the convention of sequential row numbers; a row counter is often used to keep track of progress through the pattern.
Text patterns
Text pattern details can vary from a general description to detailed stitch-by-stitch instruction. Knitting abbreviations are used for brevity.
Text patterns typically provide sequential instructions to be followed and may also include helpful advice.
Chart patterns
Chart patterns use a matrix of blocks filled with letters and symbols to describe the knitted stitches, typically with one stitch per block.
Chart patterns provide visual feedback on the relative position of stitches. They may be color-coded for multi-color knitting.
List of typical chart symbols
Sources:
Cables can be denoted by diagonal lines across multiple blocks to indicate number of stitches and direction of cable.
Other symbols unique to a particular pattern may be used.