How do you read a Japanese knitting chart?

The Japanese charts work just like English-language charts, because it's how knitting works — you start at the lower right corner with the first stitch, building stitches from right to left, then (if working flat) you read the next row from left to right and invert the stitches (a knit on the right side is a purl on ...

How do you read Japanese knitting patterns?

In Japanese patterns, the stitch pattern is written in parenthesis within each section of the drawing. For the bottom hem, we have (2目ゴム) which means a 2 x 2 rib. The length of each section is notated on the side of the drawing, and this pattern has length listed both in centimeters and rows.

How do you read a knitting chart symbol?

Charts for flat knitting are read in the same direction you would knit your work: starting from the bottom and reading from Right to Left (←) on RS rows (usually the odd-numbered rows) and from Left to Right (→) on WS rows (usually the even-numbered rows).

What is different about Japanese knitting?

Unlike the western use of written instructions, the Japanese use symbols and graphs for all of their knitting and crochet patterns. This means that their patterns can be read universally with no language barriers.

Do people knit in Japan?

Although it would be absurd to suggest that knitting in Japan forms as deep a part of our historical culture as it does in Europe and the Middle East, knitting has been around there a bit longer than you might think.

HOW TO READ JAPANESE KNITTING PATTERNS - A non Japanese speaker’s guide

How do you read a bracket and parentheses in knitting?

The number immediately following the brackets tells you how many times to do the step. For instance, [YO, K2tog] 6 times means you will YO, then knit 2 sts together, then do that again 5 more times, for a total of 6 YOs and 6 K2togs. Parentheses are sometimes used in the same way.

What does a double asterisk mean in knitting patterns?

Step 1 - knit the next two stitches. Step 2 - purl the next two stitches. The asterisks indicate that these two steps need to be repeated to the end of the row.

What is Japanese crochet?

Amigurumi (Japanese: 編みぐるみ, lit. "crocheted or knitted stuffed toy") is the Japanese art of knitting or crocheting small, stuffed yarn creatures. The word is a compound of the Japanese words 編み ami, meaning "crocheted or knitted", and 包み kurumi, literally "wrapping", as in 縫い包み nuigurumi "(sewn) stuffed doll".

How do I convert knitting patterns?

To do this, multiply the inches (or cm) of the garment by the number of your gauge stitches, then divide by 4 inches (or 10 cm). The result will be the number of stitches that you need to cast on to begin knitting your modified pattern. This will be the number of rows that you need to work in your modified pattern.

What is an intarsia pattern?

Intarsia is a knitting technique used to create patterns with multiple colours. As with the woodworking technique of the same name, fields of different colours and materials appear to be inlaid in one another, fit together like a jigsaw puzzle.

What is an intarsia knitting pattern?

Intarsia knitting is a knitting technique that allows to knit actual pictures or abstract designs. The key is that multiple colors are used in each row and the colors are never stranded across the back of the work, as they are in Fair Isle knitting (or stranded knitting).

How do you read a lace chart?

First, unlike text, you read a lace chart in the direction you knit. That is, right to left, bottom to top (see red arrows above). The stitches and rows should be numbered in this direction to guide you.

What does STS mean in knitting?

Stocking stitch (stst): knitting abbreviations.