How to Make a Colorwork Knitting Chart

1. Open a blank chart and set its size

On the Knitting Chart Maker page, select “Open the chart maker”. If an earlier design opens, save it first. Open “My designs” and choose “New blank design”. This creates a background grid of 40 stitches by 30 rows; it does not require you to draw over the opening example.

For this exercise, open “Size” and set “Stitches” to 8 and “Rows” to 8. Leave both “× repeats” fields at 1. Each cell represents a stitch, including the background cells. The grid describes the front of the fabric; empty-looking background space still has to be knitted.

2. Paint a small diamond

Keep the blank design’s two starting yarns for now: a light background and a red accent. Select the accent in “Your palette”, then choose “Paint”. Row 1 is at the bottom, and stitch column 1 is on the right. Use these positions to draw the diamond, counting columns from the right throughout.

In rows 2 and 7, paint columns 4 and 5. In rows 3 and 6, paint columns 3 and 6. In rows 4 and 5, paint columns 2 and 7. Leave every other cell in the background color, including all of rows 1 and 8.

The result is an outlined diamond inside an 8 × 8 chart: 64 cells, with 12 accent stitches and 52 background stitches. These counts were calculated from the painted positions. If yours differs, inspect the paired rows before adding repeats.

3. Check how the repeat joins

In “Size”, change the “× repeats” field beside “Stitches” to 3 and the one beside “Rows” to 2. Keep the base grid at 8 × 8. The repeated design now covers 24 stitches by 16 rows: 384 stitch positions, containing 72 accent stitches and 312 background stitches.

Look at the yarn preview where neighboring diamonds meet, both across and vertically. The background margin becomes the spacing between motifs. If that spacing feels too wide or narrow, edit the base chart and inspect the repeated result again. The repeats show placement; they do not add a border or garment shaping.

4. Compare the grid with the yarn preview

The painting grid helps you count cells; the yarn preview helps you judge the overall shape and texture. To try other yarns, open “Library” and add them to your palette, then select a yarn and repaint the relevant cells. Use “Rectangle” for a solid block or “Fill area” for a connected area of one color.

For a crisp motif, compare a light yarn with a darker one. Under “View”, set “Colour test” to “Greyscale (contrast)” and check whether the outline remains distinct. Return to “Normal colours” afterward. A pair that looks different in hue can still have similar lightness, making the motif harder to distinguish.

5. Review the knitting checks

Set “Knitting technique” to “Fair Isle (2 colours/row)” for this stranded exercise, and keep “Knit in the round” selected if that is how you will work the sample. Open “Details” to inspect flagged rows and select “Back” to see floats and catch points. Use the displayed checks to decide what needs attention.

“Fix long floats” can suggest accent dots in background cells. Review the suggestion before choosing “Apply”: those dots change the visible design. “Cancel” leaves it unchanged. A checker can identify chart issues, but your sample is where you test the fabric and your handling of the yarns.

6. Save the design and knit a sample

Give the design a useful name, then open “My designs” and choose “Save current design”. Saved designs stay in this browser, and later edits to an opened saved design are saved automatically. Check the save status before closing the page. Use “Share” to copy a link that carries the design to another device.

Return to “Front” before choosing “Download image” to save the face of your design as a PNG. The download menu also offers “Chart table (CSV)” and “Written instructions (TXT)”. These describe the base repeat and note the repeat settings, so keep those notes with your files rather than assuming the exports list every stitch of the expanded design.

Knit a sample containing neighboring repeats in your intended yarns and technique. Compare its outline, spacing and contrast with the plan. If an important detail disappears, redraw that detail and sample again before putting the chart into a larger project.

Before you continue

1. Confirm the base grid’s stitch and row counts.
2. Check every accent cell against the diamond’s paired rows.
3. Inspect the joins between repeats in both directions.
4. Review flagged rows and any proposed design changes.
5. Save the chart with its repeat notes and knit a sample.