Reference / Reference
Reading charts: symbols and stitch diagrams
How to read a crochet symbol chart, using the same CYC-style symbols Frogproof draws.
The symbols
The height family shares one logic: the number of diagonal slashes across the stem equals the number of yarn-overs.
| Symbol | Stitch |
|---|---|
| small open oval | chain |
| small filled dot | slip stitch |
| X | single crochet |
| T (stem with top bar, no slash) | half double crochet |
| T with 1 diagonal slash | double crochet |
| T with 2 diagonal slashes | treble |
| T with 3 diagonal slashes | double treble |
| V (two legs sharing one base) | increase |
| inverted V (two legs joined at the top) | decrease |
| inverted V with a top bar | hdc decrease (see decrease) |
| N X's converging to one base point | an N-sc fan ("3 sc in one stitch") |
| N legs meeting at one apex | a cluster |
| stitch symbol capped with a small arc | popcorn, bobble, or puff |
| trefoil of three tiny ovals on a stitch tip | picot |
Modifier marks
- ∩ arc under the symbol: worked front loop only (FLO).
- ∪ arc under the symbol: worked back loop only (BLO).
- hook curling from the symbol's base: a post stitch; the hook opens left for front post, right for back post. See post stitches and front and back loops.
Reading order
- Worked in the round (spiral): read counter-clockwise from the center out; round 1 sits in the middle around the magic ring.
- Joined rounds: each round starts at the join; look for the turning chain.
- Worked flat (rows): read back and forth, bottom to top; odd rows one direction, even rows the other. See rounds vs rows.
Colors in Frogproof's charts
The app can color a chart three ways: each round its own hue (the default), by stitch type so increases and decreases pop out (the shaping reads at a glance), or monochrome like a traditional printed diagram. Bind lines between each stitch and its base can be toggled on to check the wiring.
See also
- Pattern anatomy for the written-word side
- Glossary