Whether you’re a professional designer or just starting out, eventually you’ll want to create either a color chart or a chart with symbols for techniques like lace or cables. There are so many resources out there for making these charts. It can be very overwhelming!
Here, we break down a couple of the most popular online knitting chart makers and give you the low-down on their features and cost.
While there are many chart-making mobile apps to choose from, here we’re focusing on online chart makers that you can access from your computer. Every designer has different needs, so there’s no one magic chart maker that works for everyone. Try out a couple of these and see which one you like best.
Knitting chart makers for colorwork
KnitPro 2.0
Cost: Free
How it works: KnitPro takes an image and turns it into a color chart for crochet, knitting or needlepoint. The program generates a PDF chart that you can use. I created the chart pictured above by uploading a photo of a quilt, and the program generated this handy colorwork chart that I could use to knit this same design.
If you decide to use this program, clear images with sharp contrasts are recommended for the best result.
Knitting Chart Maker by TricksyKnitter
Cost: Free
How it works: Knitting Chart Maker allows you to create your own chart, then share it with the knitting community. You can also browse other charts that knitters have made available to the public for free. The tool is super easy to use, and there’s a tutorial video to show you chart making in action.
Check out Knitting Chart Maker here.
Knitting chart makers for color and symbols
Chart Minder
Cost: Free when you sign up for an account
How it works: Chart Minder lets you scan images and photos to create color charts, just like the KnitPro tool listed above.
You can also create charts using symbols. I created the symbol chart pictured above using Chart Minder. Simply place your cursor on the block you want to change (see Row 7, stitch 9 for an example), then choose the stitch symbol from the palette. The chart comes pre-loaded with symbols, so you don’t have to refer to any outside sources to find out which symbol you need to use.
The chart maker is free to use, though you do have to sign up for an account to use it. You also have an option to donate to show your appreciation for creators Abby and Lauren.
Stitch Fiddle
Cost: Free when you sign up for an account
How it works: Stitch Fiddle’s mission is to make designing easier so that designers spend less time on charts and more time knitting. That’s a mission we can all get on board with!
This chart maker has an easy-to-use interface. When you create your chart, you have the option to share it, save it and print it. Like most other color chart makers, you can also upload a photo to create a custom color chart.
Stitch Mastery
Cost: 60 British pounds (approximately $78 U.S.)
How it works: Stitch Mastery is the go-to chart maker for many professional designers and tech editors. However, it’s not free like the rest of the tools we mentioned. If you’re considering designing as a business, though, it might be worth it to invest in this software.
This software includes lots of extras that the free tools don’t, like generating written instructions from a chart. The software also gives a warning if something like a yarn over or a decrease seems to be missing from the chart. In addition, there are plenty of customization opportunities that free software doesn’t provide so that you can consistently brand your charts.
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