Convert Any Image to a
Knitting Chart
Correct stitch ratios for stockinette (1.4:1), garter (1:1), and Fair Isle. Other generators treat stitches as square — we don't.
- 🧣Stockinette is 40% taller than wide — we compensate so circles stay round
- 📊Floyd-Steinberg dithering creates natural heathered/marl effects for Fair Isle
- 🧵Yarn per color: stockinette 3.5cm/stitch, Fair Isle 4.5cm (includes float strands)
- 📐Enter your gauge → see exact finished dimensions before you start knitting
Works for Fair Isle, intarsia, and duplicate stitch
Photo to Knitting Chart
Upload Image
Any photo — geometric designs, pet portraits, landscapes, logos. Clear subjects with distinct colors work best for colorwork.
Set Stitch & Gauge
Stockinette, garter, or Fair Isle. Enter your gauge (stitches per 10cm from a swatch). Dimensions update instantly.
Optimize for Knitting
5-8 colors for Fair Isle (max 2 per row). Heavy confetti to eliminate single-stitch floats. Dithering for heathered effects.
Download Chart
PDF with yarn legend and quantities per color. Grid reads bottom-up with row numbers for tracking progress.
Built for Knitting Colorwork
Not a cross-stitch tool rebranded — genuinely designed for how knitting works.
Stitch Ratio Correction
Stockinette stitches are 40% taller than wide. Use a square-pixel pattern and your image gets horizontally compressed. We adjust the grid height so the finished knitted piece matches the original — tested with DK and worsted weight at standard gauge.
Fair Isle Dithering
Floyd-Steinberg error diffusion creates alternating color patterns that follow the natural 2-color-per-row rhythm of stranded knitting. The result: a beautiful heathered effect, like marl or tweed, that actually makes patterns easier to knit than solid blocks.
Float-Friendly Confetti Filter
In stranded knitting, long floats are a problem but single-stitch color changes are worse — they create tiny loops that catch fingers. Heavy confetti reduction ensures minimum 3-stitch runs of each color, keeping floats manageable and fabric smooth.
Stitch-Type Yarn Calc
Stockinette: 3.5cm/stitch. Fair Isle: 4.5cm (30% more for floats). Garter: 3.8cm. We calculate per color with fragmentation overhead. Fair Isle yarn estimates account for carried strands — something no other free tool does.
Gauge-Based Sizing
Enter your swatch gauge in stitches per 10cm. The dimension display shows exact finished width and height in cm and inches. A 100-stitch chart at 20 st/10cm = 50cm wide. Plan your project size before committing to a chart.
Color Management
120+ yarn colors. Click to swap any color — search by name to match your stash. Color warnings alert when two colors are too similar to distinguish on fabric (CIEDE2000 distance <5). Reduce frustration, reduce wasted yarn.
Fair Isle, Intarsia, and Duplicate Stitch
Fair Isle (stranded colorwork): Carry 2 colors across each row. Traditional limit: 2 colors per row, 5-8 total. ArtPatt's dithering creates patterns that naturally alternate between 2 colors, producing the rhythmic color changes that make Fair Isle efficient. Heavy confetti ensures no single-stitch floats.
Intarsia: Use separate yarn bobbins for each color block. Handles 10-20 colors for large solid areas — portraits, large motifs. Use Medium confetti (intarsia handles color changes better than stranded). ArtPatt's chart works for intarsia as-is: each cell = one stitch, each color = one bobbin.
Duplicate stitch: Embroider on top of finished stockinette using a tapestry needle. Any chart works, unlimited colors. Great for adding small details (eyes, small motifs) after knitting a simpler base. No yarn estimates needed — just buy small amounts of each color.
ArtPatt vs Other Knitting Pattern Generators
StitchFiddle: No stitch ratio compensation, no dithering, limited free tier. KnitPro: Basic image conversion, no confetti filter, no yarn estimates. Knit Foundry ($185): Abandoned, doesn't work on modern OS.
ArtPatt: Free, correct stitch ratios (3 stitch types), Fair Isle dithering, 4-level confetti filter, per-color yarn estimates with float-aware calculation, gauge-based sizing, and 120-color database with one-click swapping.
What Knitters Say
“The stitch ratio correction is worth everything. I made a Fair Isle hat with another tool and the stars came out as tall rectangles. With ArtPatt they're actually star-shaped.”
Anna B.
Fair Isle knitter
“Dithering mode + Fair Isle = magic. The alternating color pattern follows the 2-color-per-row rule naturally. My colorwork looks like professional marl instead of blocky pixel art.”
Kate R.
Colorwork enthusiast
“The yarn estimates account for Fair Isle floats — I actually bought the right amount for once. Usually I'm 2 balls short of the contrast color.”
Julia S.
Sweater knitter
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Correct stitch ratios. Fair Isle dithering. Yarn estimates with float calculation. Free.