Crochet Charts Demystified

---

Crochet charts tend to be a divisive instruction element—people either love them or despise them. If you’re not a fan of crochet charts but you’re interested in learning more about them, this article is for you.

Several of the projects in the fall 2021 issue of Interweave Crochet include charts, and for good reason. You’ve heard the saying “A picture is worth a thousand words.” Well, the same goes for crochet charts. A single chart can replace a copious number of words describing a complex stitch pattern. While some people may find it easier to follow instructions word for word, others prefer charts because charts provide visual clues that words alone cannot.

Compare the granny square above with its corresponding motif, below. Crochet charts can help you visualize a pattern as well as show you where to place each stitch.

For example, when you look at the chart for the granny square motif in the Resplendent Afghan and compare it to a finished square, you’ll notice they’re very similar. Before you even pick up your hook, you have a pretty good idea what your stitches should look like. Crochet charts also show you exactly where to place each stitch in relation to the stitches below. That can be ambiguous in written instructions.

Designers and publications use charts to show lace motifs, cables, and more. To help you get more comfort-able with chart reading, we’re going to break down the chart for the Morass Shawl, step by step.

Reading Crochet Charts in Rows

The Morass Shawl is worked flat, meaning you’ll work each row from side to side (either right to left or left to right) before turning the piece horizontally and working back in the other direction.

The first thing you should look for on a chart is the title; the title is particularly important if the pattern includes multiple charts. Make sure you’re working from the correct one and for the correct size. (That often comes into play when you’re working on garments.)  The pattern will tell you which chart to work from.

Reduced Charts

You may see the word “reduced” in the title of your chart or diagram. Reduced stitch charts or diagrams are curated selections of stitches and stitch groups used to help you understand how different components of the project connect. A pattern stitch chart or diagram (Main patt, Cable patt, etc.), on the other hand, shows the pattern repeat. These are typically highlighted in yellow, with beginning, end, and sometimes neighboring stitches.

After you’ve located the correct chart, it’s a good idea to read over the stitch key first. Each symbol in the chart appears in the key. Sometimes a symbol represents a single stitch, such as a single crochet. Sometimes the symbol represents a special stitch, such as a cluster or bobble. If you’re not sure how to work the special stitches, read through the stitch guide or glossary provided in the written pattern.

Crochet Chart Symbols

Although there is no standard set of symbols used in crochet charts, the symbols usually follow some logic. For example, the relatively flat chain stitch is often represented with a flat oval. A single crochet is often represented with an “ X,” a cross, or a plus sign. Subsequent stitches look like a “T” with cross beams added each time you extend the stitch. Increases show two or more stitches worked into the same stitch or space. Decreases show the base of multiple stitches or spaces, but just a single top.

Once you’ve reviewed the stitches that you’ll use for the chart, it’s time to look at the chart itself. Among the first things you’ll notice are the colors. Most charts show the stitches in alternating rows of black and blue. These colors are important. In a chart for projects worked in rows, black and blue indicate right-side rows and wrong-side rows, respectively. Near the beginning of each row, you’ll also see a number, indicating the row of the pattern that corresponds with the row of the chart.

Let’s take a closer look at the Reduced shawl diagram chart for the Morass Shawl so you can see how all these elements come together to help you crochet your pattern. We’ve added annotations to the chart to help you understand how each element functions.

You may also see crochet charts with some of the stitches highlighted in yellow.  The highlighting means that these stitches should be repeated. For example, in the Main patt chart for the Verglas Shawl, Rows 1–7 have highlighted stitches. When working Row 1, you’ll start with a beginning chain, work a single crochet into the second chain from the hook, then begin the section highlighted in yellow.

When you get to the end of the highlighted section (a single crochet), go back to the first highlighted V-stitch and repeat this section. You’ll repeat the high-lighted section across the row as indicated in the written pattern, and end the row with the portion not in yellow.

Reading a Chart in Rounds

If your project is worked in the round, like the granny squares in the Resplendent Afghan, you can work from a chart just as easily as if you were working in rows. Reading a chart in the round is mostly the same as reading a chart worked in rows. But, there are a few key differences. The rounds of the chart will still alternate black and blue to indicate the different rounds, but they won’t correspond to right-side rows or wrong-side rows unless specified in the pattern. In fact, patterns worked in rounds often don’t have an obvious right side or wrong side.

The numbers for each round travel up the inside of the chart, usually between the end of one row and the beginning of the next row. Those numbers can sometimes be a little hard to find. Remember: You’re learning a new skill here. It may take time to get comfortable using crochet charts. Try flipping back and forth between the written text and the chart. It can help you to familiarize yourself with the symbols and understand what the chart is telling you to do. With a little practice, you’ll master chart reading.

Keep reading for more info on crochet charts!