| Two kinds of charts, detailed and simplified | | |
| Describing detailed and simplified knitting charts. | ||
There are two kinds of knitting charts in Japan. One is the charts which describe every stitches with each boxes. We call it detailed chart. The other one is the charts which represent only outline of the fabric. We call it simplified chart.
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| Detailed Chart | Simplified Chart |
Detailed charts are the basic charts. Simplified charts are derived from detailed charts. So we describe detailed charts first.
On detailed charts, every stitches are represented as several boxes. One box correspond to one stitch. One stitch means a loop on the needle. The picture below shows a stocking stitch fabric and a stitch.
Strictly speaking, graphical stitch symbols must be placed in boxes(they represent the stitch types). However, filling up all boxes with symbols may results in confused charts. To avoid this, the most frequent appearing symbol is omitted as a general thing.
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| Detailed Chart | Detailed Chart(Symbols omitted) |
Where the symbol is omitted, usually it is shown near the chart. If the omitted symbol was not described in the instruction, it would means 'knit stitch' ... or a corrigendum.
If the stitch not standardized by JIS like 'bobble stitch' must be placed, the corresponding box is marked or painted and the instruction is presented out of the chart.
Example of a representation of bobble stitch
If a chart represent a whole fabric , its bottom row means the casting-on row. Depending on the way of the casting-on method, two or more rows are occupied as the casting-on rows.This means the total row number of the fabric include the casting-on rows. The above chart has eight rows: one for the casting-on row and seven for the knitting & purling rows.
After every stitches are worked, you have to cast off to remove the needle from the fabric. However, this casting-off row is not represented on the chart. In other words, casting-off row is exclude the total row number. The chart blow shows the casting-off row which is usually clipped.
Because of this omission, you can't tell from only the chart which method is required: the casting-off or keeping the stitches on the needle.
You have to read the text instruction to distinguish it.
A character 
means casting-off and a 
indicates remain stitches on a holder.
The text instruction will present the method of casting-off too.
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