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The basic idea behind the way that the chart creator works is easy.
Instructions for the rows of the chart are written out in the text box
on the left-hand side of the screen. When you click "Create Chart"
the new chart appears on the bottom of the screen, under the divider.
The image that appears on the page is a JPEG; it is also possible to
download the image in PDF or PostScript format. In this manual I will
first explain the basics of creating charts. Then I go into more
detail about row numbering, offsetting rows from the left-hand side of
the chart, and adding notes and stitch repeats to the chart. In every
section, examples of what to enter into the text box (examples are
given in this font) and the results of the
chart creation will be shown on the right-hand side of the screen.
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Basics |
The chart creator page is set up with a text box on the left, and
a key on the right. The key looks like this:
When you type several names of symbols in a row into the text box, the
chart creator produces their images in the chart. Thus k represents a blank square (a knit stitch)
while p represents a square with a black
dot in it (a purl stitch).
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Example:
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Every line in the text box is a row in the chart. Rows are built up
from the bottom of the chart to the top (the way that you read the
chart). Each row is built from left to right. Thus the line k p k yo p will have
the knit symbol on the left-hand edge, then the purl symbol, then
another knit symbol, then the yarn over symbol, and lastly the purl
symbol. Notice that this is not like standard
knitting instructions, where the instruction "k,p,k,yo,p" would have
hte right-most stitch knitted, then the next one purled, then the next
one knitted, and so on, working your way to the left-hand
side of the knitting.
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Example:
k k k k
p k p k
k p yo k p
k k p p p
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Chart edges are denoted by the thick purples lines on top of the
grid. Thus, in the previous example, even though the bottom part of
the grid contains two extra squares (because of the increases) we can
see that they are not part of the actual chart, as they are outside of
the red lines.
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Notice, also, that the chart has every row numbered. If the chart is
instead supposed to represent only the odd (or only the even) rows of
the knitting the rows should be numbered with only odd (or even)
numbers. On the right-hand side of the screen, above the key, there
is the question "Which rows are represented in the chart?" In order
to have only odd (or even) numbers labelling the rows in the chart,
simply select "odd" (or "even") for the rows represented in the
chart. |
Example:
k k k k
p k p k
k p yo k p
k k p p p
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| with "odd" selected produces |
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Offsets |
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Suppose that a chart has some rows wider than others, like a chart for
a lace edging. The rows do not necessarily have to be lined up on the
left-hand side of the chart. In order to shift a row some number of
squares to the right, put that number in brackets at the beginning of
the row. Thus the line [3] k p k will be placed three
squares to the right of the left-hand edge of the chart.
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[1] k k k k
k yo k k yo k
[1] k2tog k k ssk
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Cables |
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The symbols on the bottom of the key are the symbols for cables. In
the key, all of the cables are 2-over-2 crosses, whether the cables
have some stitches purled (the right-hand pair) or all knitted (the
left-hand pair). In order to make wider cables, simply change the
number in the parentheses; cablef(6) will
produce a 3-over-3 cable, cablepb(2) will
produce a 1-over-1 cable, and so on.
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Example:
k k k k k k
cablef(6)
k k k k k k
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Notes and Stitch
Repeats |
| It is also possible to add notes to the charts. There are two
kinds of notes to add. The first of these is a note added to the top
of the chart, which labels a column in the chart. This is made by
adding a line that contains the word "note", followed by a number in
brackets, a colon, and then the text of the note. Thus for example,
the line note[3]: start here will add the
note "start here" after the third square in the chart.
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Examples:
[1] k k k k
k yo k k yo k
[1] k2tog k k ssk
note[5]: start here
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Another type of note that we can add to the chart is to mark where the
stitch repeat lies. To do this, simply add a line that has a stitch
range inside brackets to the chart information. This will mark the
stitches in the range as having a repeat.
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p p p k cablef(2) p p p
p p p cableb(2) k p p p
[1-8]
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| with "odd" selected produces |
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Errors and Warnings |
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Sometimes there is an error in the chart that you are trying to make.
The simplest kind of error is a misspelled stitch name. For instance,
if, when trying to make a row with three knit stitches you type k kk instead of k k
k, the chart creator will tell you that the stitch kk does not exist. All you need to do to fix
such an error is find the stitch name that you misspelled and fix it.
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| The chart creator also keeps track of how many stitches there
are per row. Thus, for example, the row k k k needs three stitches, but the row
k yo k needs only two.
Sometimes, the stitch counts on the chart will be off, for example
because of a forgotten increase or decrease. The chart creator will
warn you about this, even though it will still give you the chart.
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