Turn a photo into a colorwork knitting chart
Chart your photo using your gauge proportions and check colors per row and long floats. Estimate yarn for each color from the usage you enter. Every feature is free.
Drag your PNG or JPG photo hereChoose a PNG or JPG photo
Matched to your gauge · 2–12 colors · fair isle and intarsia checks · yarn estimate
- Your files are never uploaded Cut lines and files are made right in your browser
- Every feature is free
Three quick steps
Upload a photo
Upload a PNG or JPG photo and enter your gauge and stitch count.
Pick your colors
Choose how many colors, switch them to your yarn, and fix hard spots with the colorwork check.
Download the chart
Get a PDF with the chart and yarn per color, and print it on A4.
Your photo becomes
a colorwork knitting chart
The photo is split into stitch-shaped cells for your gauge and reduced to a few colors, so you see it knitted before you cast on. Stitches are wider than tall, so the cells are too.
- Stitch — one V-shaped knit stitch
- Gauge cell — a chart cell shaped like a stitch, wider than tall
Frequently asked questions
Common questions from knitters charting a photo for the first time.
Why do I need to enter my gauge?
Knit stitches are not square; they are wider than they are tall. At 22 stitches and 30 rows per 4 inches, one stitch is about 4.5 × 3.3 mm. A chart on square graph paper comes out squashed when knitted, so this tool charts on rectangles that match your gauge.
Does it work for crochet as well as knitting?
It is built for stranded and intarsia knitting, but the chart is a grid sized to your gauge, so it also works for crochet that changes color stitch by stitch, such as tapestry crochet. For crochet, enter a gauge measured in the stitch you will use, such as single crochet. The V-shaped stitches in the preview show knit stitches. For C2C graphs or row-by-row written instructions, try the crochet pattern generator.
Should I knit it as fair isle or intarsia?
Small repeating motifs with about two colors per row suit fair isle (stranded colorwork). Large pictures with big areas of color suit intarsia, where each area has its own bobbin. Use the colorwork check to see rows with 3 or more colors, long floats, and how many bobbins a row needs.
Why are long floats a problem?
In stranded colorwork the unused yarn runs across the back. Long strands snag fingers and pucker the fabric, so floats over about 5 stitches (1 inch) are usually caught. Turn on "Show on chart" to see long floats in red.
What does clean up specks do?
Photos have lots of one- or two-stitch color spots that are fiddly to knit. Clean up merges spots of the size you choose into the color they touch most. Start at 1 stitch and adjust while watching the preview.
How is the yarn estimated?
From the stitches, rows and weight of your swatch we work out the weight of one stitch, multiply it by each color's stitch count and add 10%. Enter a skein weight to see how many skeins to buy. Stranded colorwork uses extra for the floats, so buy a little more.
Is my photo uploaded anywhere?
No. Your photo file is never uploaded or stored on a server. Everything from the chart to the PDF is made in your browser. Session recordings we use to improve the site may include a reduced-size copy of what’s on screen (not in Europe); see the privacy policy.