How to re-Write a Knitting Pattern for People Who Can't Read

How to set up a knitting pattern in Excel

for people who cannot read charts or written patterns.

This spreadsheet was created using Microsoft Excel. Other programs may be similar, but different in some respects. Any similarity to a previously published pattern is coincidental.

Set up the spreadsheet with column width at 4.0 to 6.0 and height at 25 – 30 (whatever you are comfortable with.) The size of the cells relates to the amount of information, and font size of the contents of each cell. Cells should be big enough for the least amount of info that can be understood and smallest font you can easily see.

Format the cells as "Text" so Excel doesn't auto correct your entries.

Table 1   A pattern that is not a pattern - only for illustration.

Run the cursor down the rows and right click. 

A menu should come up, with the words “hide and “unhide.”

                      The rows affected will turn green in the row count column, and grey across the sheet.

                                    Note the lifeline after End of row 1

 The “hide” feature allows you to hide some rows so you can place the row you are working on to sit just below the first row – in this case, the number of stitches. You “unhide” the hidden rows when you need to refer back to them, as you would when the pattern says, “repeat row 2.”

 

 Column A shows the number of stitches you have at the beginning of the row and the end of the row, so you can count to check your accuracy. A pattern may have an even, equal number in the right and left sides and an odd number in the middle if the pattern is symmetrical. It may have that an odd number on each side and still be symmetrical. Look for a pattern within the pattern.

Inst - look for instructions on this line. I merge cells above what the instructions refer to, then type the instruction inside the merged cell. I may have to change the font to make it fit.

I put a wide, dark border around my set of 3 parts to each row.

When I complete 20 stitches, (less on a bad day) or a pattern repeat, I place a marker.

I am never counting more than 20 at a time.

Column B shows the rows according to whether they are the right side of a garment, the center, or the left side of a garment. The different background colors of the 3 row indicate that the 3 rows group in the same knitting row.

Each cell indicates what you do.

K, knit; P, purl; O, Yarn over  - in a size 11 pt. or 12 pt. font

and p2tog in size 8 pt. font.

Increased stitches are shaded green, and only those show up as a double wide cell in the case of working 2 stitches together. “Make Ones” and “yarn overs” are shown as one stitch, because you don’t rely on another stitch to make the increase.

Most patterns have a beginning (selvedge) a middle (repeat) and an end (the other selvedge).

I only colored the background of the repeat, with any stitches that lead to or from the repeat written out. In this case I was writing a pattern for a “swatch” beginning with 16-11-16 stitches.

After the first few rows, I sometimes write out the repeats. Your pattern may only need the “selvedge” “repeat” and “selvedge.”

How to “freeze” the top (number of stitches) row: Select “View” in the tool bar and choose your options.

 

The Help feature in Excel provides more information on View, Freezing Panes, and Splitting your screen. I use all these features, and others. The tool bars have many options. It pays to take the time to learn how to use Excel.

The dotted line around my illustration indicates it is only a partial view of  an Excel tool bar.

Getting to work:

            Whenever I see an asterisk (*) in my pattern, I know it means to repeat a section, so I write it out in a part of my spreadsheet that is empty. As I write my pattern in the spreadsheet, I am constantly moving the “Assets” (things I will copy and paste) down the page.

Then I copy and paste it nearby (still not on a row).  I now have two of the repeat. One of them gets a colored background, the other is left plain. This is done so I can copy and paste the repeat as many times as I need – and still be able to see the original repeat sequence. Even the most complex patterns are “repeats” of a given sequence of stitches.

I may do the same with a short repeat placed in brackets “[k1, p1] three times”.

Please send me a comment if you have anything to add. This is in early stages of development so there may be changes later.

Abbreviations:

K         Knit

P          Purl

O         Yarn Over, making an increase

P2tog   Purl 2 stitches together, making a decrease

K2tog  Knit 2 stitches together making a decrease

Mr     Make 1 Right

Ml     Make 1 Left

[xx]   Stitches within a bracket for a short repeat, often within a repeat.

P.S. When knitting, I found that a magnetic board 

with a  magnetic strip works well. 

I also use a small square magnet to limit

what I see to just a few stitches. 

Then after each portion I check my work.

Don’t bother notifying me of mistakes in the content of the cells.

They have been made deliberately to stress this is not a pattern.

Visit me at Elaine (Lainy) Rutledge on Ravelry