Can it turn a symbol chart into written instructions?
Yes, for rows and rounds, including repeats and the stitch count at the end of each line.
Free to design · first pattern free
BetaA Crochet Symbol Chart Maker With the Written Pattern Built In
Drawing symbol charts by hand or in illustration software takes hours, phone apps are cramped, and you always end up with a chart and no written pattern, or the other way round.
Draw the chart in your browser with standard US symbols, in rows or in real rounds, and the written instructions are generated from it, with each row’s stitch count checked against the one below.
Round charts in the chart maker
Symbol charts come in two kinds: rows, and real rounds where every ring has its own stitch count. This real screenshot shows a flat circle in single crochet, with the written rounds generated beside it and the chart check confirming every count.
Drawing a stitch chart
Rows or rounds
A symbol chart in rows, or in the round with your number of rounds and first-round stitches, or start from a flat circle.
Place symbols and repeats
Chains, slip stitches, sc, hdc, dc, tr, increases, decreases, popcorns, puffs, bobbles and post stitches. Mark repeats with a selection.
Read the instructions
Rows and rounds are written from the chart, like “Rnd 3: (sc, inc) x 6 [18]”, with repeats as “*…*, rep from * to *”.
Why chart and pattern always agree
Most chart tools only draw grids, so doilies, mandalas and amigurumi rounds get squeezed into squares. Here a round chart is drawn as rings, each with its own stitch count, spaced evenly around the circle.
Because the chart knows which stitch sits where, the written pattern comes from it rather than being typed separately, so the two can’t drift apart. The chart check compares each row or round with the one below and tells you when it needs more or fewer stitches, and by how many.
Reading crochet symbols
Symbols look like the stitch: a chain is an oval, a slip stitch a dot, single crochet an X or plus, and taller stitches are posts with a crossbar per yarn-over. Increases fan out from a point; decreases meet at the top.
Rows are read from the side you start, alternating each row (the same as in the chart maker’s colorwork charts); rounds are read counterclockwise from the center for right-handed crocheters. If a round chart ruffles in real life you are adding too many stitches per round; if it cups, too few. More tools are on the crochet tools page.
Who it’s for
- Designers who want to publish both a chart and a written pattern without drawing one and typing the other.
- Crocheters who think in pictures and want the written version to check a tricky round.
- Anyone turning a stitch pattern from a book into something they can adapt: change a round on the chart and the instructions follow.
- Teachers making handouts for a doily or mandala class, where the chart shows the shape and the words say exactly what to do.
Frequently asked questions
Can I chart a doily or mandala?
Yes. Use the in-the-round chart type: each ring is one round, so the chart looks like the finished piece.
Does it check my counts?
Yes. Each row or round is compared with the one below, and mismatches are flagged with how many stitches you are over or short.
Do I need an app?
No. It runs in a web browser on a computer or tablet.
What does a symbol chart pattern cost?
Drawing the chart is free. A free StitchThis account unlocks your first pattern with its written instructions; after that it’s $5.99 each, 5 for $20, or unlimited with Craft Unlimited.
Make your next crochet pattern yours
Design and preview free. Your first basic crochet pattern is free with a StitchThis account; after that it’s $5.99 a pattern, 5 for $20, or Craft Unlimited ($9.99/month or $99.99/year) for unlimited patterns in every craft. Every craft, unleashed.