How to Read Knitting Patterns

In the photo on the left, the name of the pattern is given with the yarn weight expressed in the photo.

Knitted measurements are given to show how large the piece will be. Always measure yourself or the person you are knitting for to ensure your project will fit.

Materials are given to show how many grams of yarn are required and which needles are required to obtain the correct gauge. You don’t have to use the yarn featured in a pattern; some yarns are incredibly expensive, and some may be unavailable to you. In this example, DiVe/LBUSA Fiamma yarn is no longer available for sale. Ice Yarns Classic Wool Bulky can be used as a substitute since the gauge is the same at 12 stitches per row on a 4×4″ (10x10cm) swatch.

The gauge is the swatch of fabric you have to knit to ensure the measurements are correct. Everyone knits at different tensions, so you may have to go up or down a needle size for an accurate gauge.

Seriously, read the pattern! Many knitters (me included) are intimidated by a pattern before they even read it! OR, the pattern is so beautiful that we go out and purchase the expensive luxury yarn required to make it, only to find out later that the pattern is just too advanced at this point in time. I was guilty of all of this when I first started out. Patterns are going to feel like a different language, but when you read the pattern slowly, the terms begin to come together and eventually make sense.

Back in 2009, I once bought what I needed to make these incredible lace stockings… only to realize I had no idea what I was doing.

To make things even more confusing, half of the pattern wasn’t even in the magazine. I had to print the rest online, which consisted of two very complex lace charts.

The moral of the story is, read the pattern. If you don’t understand it the first time, read it ten more times. If you are unsure of a term, a quick internet search will present you with an explanation and perhaps even a video.

I found that reading the pattern multiple times truly helps to unravel some of the more confusing parts of a pattern.

Now, to be honest, I hate this part of the pattern reading process. It can be very time consuming and it stinks to have to constantly read and knit sometimes multiple sample swatches before we can start our project. I mean…,we’ve got our gorgeous yarn, and our gorgeous pattern, so now all that’s left to do is knit it up! Right?

Unfortunately, no. It is vital to READ THE PATTERN and make sure the measurements in the gauge are correct and that we are knitting the correct size. My knit garments didn’t start fitting right until I started checking my gauges.

In our sample gauge, the instructions say that 12 stitches on a needle with 16 rows of knitting will equal 4″/10cm. So, you would actually knit a square (swatch) using the recommended yarn and needles, then place a ruler from edge to edge to measure the length and width of the swatch.

St st (stockinette stitch) is always used to knit the sample swatch for the gauge. Without the correct gauge, your project will not be the correct size.

Adjust your needle size until the correct tension is achieved. This means, if your swatch is larger than the required size, switch to needles the next size down. If your swatch is smaller than the required size, switch to the needles the next size up.

Patterns will typically be broken down into segments or parts. For most patterns (unless they are simple hats and scarves), bold or capital lettering is used to identify the segment being worked on in the pattern. Segments include pieces such as the front, back, sleeves, collar, pockets, toe, foot, gusset, or leg. There are more pieces depending on what you are knitting.

In our sample pattern on the left, the highlighted headings show the sections to be worked on.

Everything is meant to be knitted in order, so if you are knitting those fancy lace stockings, after thoroughly reading the knitting measurements, materials, and gauge, you will begin with the TOE, and not the FOOT or the GUSSET.

As an added bonus, a Stitch Glossary may be available on your pattern to help you identify less known abbreviations.

Some patterns, especially patterns with lace or a lot of cables, come with charts.

Patterns will indicate which chart you should begin with first.

In this sample for a knit jacket, you can see the final measurements for the piece as well as the charts needed to complete the cable pattern.

Charts will have a stitch key to tell you whether to knit, purl, etcetera. Each box on the chart indicates a separate stitch. The rows begin at the bottom where it says number “1.”

4-st RC means 4 stitch Right Cross, which is a cable, a well known textured pattern that results in a rope-like pattern.

4-st LC means 4 stitch Left Cross, which is the same as a 4-st RC, except the stitch crosses over on the left hand side.