Knit Nurse Pattern Reading Clinic #1: Anatomy of a pattern
Do you struggle to read knitting patterns? Or maybe you're an aspiring designer who needs to learn how to write your own designs up? Either way, understanding what is included in knitting patterns will help you get the results you want for your projects. In this article we’ll be taking a walk through the basic anatomy of a pattern to understand the basic contents.
It's important to remember that a pattern is a map, a set of directions which, if followed accurately will give you the same result the designer got. This may not be the exact journey you wish to make, as you'll want your finished item to suit you not the model. We’ll look at how to adjust a pattern to suit you better in a future blog series, but before we start improvising projects, we need to have a solid foundation for understanding knitting patterns, and how those written pages relate to the resulting knitted item.
A pattern needs to include enough information for knitters to understand and follow the instructions, and reproduce the design. A good pattern also furnishes the knitter with enough detailed information to be able to make their own simple adaptations, such as knit it using a different yarn to the one stated. There are no ‘rules’ that govern exactly what should be included in a pattern, but in general, the higher the quality of the pattern, the more of the following are included.
Name
Although this one seems a bit obvious, a pattern will usually have a name, or at least a leaflet number to identify it. This is useful for pattern searches online, such as on Ravelry, and also helps identify or tag any related KALs (knit-a-longs).
Images & Colour
A clear full photograph of the knitted item is a must to show what the pattern will make. However artily it's presented, the focus of the image should be on the actual knitted project, showing enough of it to give you a clear idea of what it's going to look like. This should highlight any particular design features , embellishments (such as embroidery) or stitch details. It's helpful too if additional close up shots of these may be provided.
If the pattern is for digital publishing (PDF) rather than printed, you might think there's no need to limit images, colour or number of pages. Although some knitters read digital patterns on their tablet etc, many prefer to print off a copy which they can add notes to as they knit, and consideration should be made to how much this will eat up their print cartridges. With this in mind you need to make just as efficient use of page space as if it were going to print, as your knitter will not thank you for a 20 page, photo-filled document, regardless of how beautiful it may look!
The number of photos should be limited, or at least over the instructions section as a consideration to the knitter’s printing costs. It can also be distracting to have too much clutter in the instructions - no one wants to have to wade through a ton of additional text and 'chatter' to get to the instructions for the next row. On a similar note, although it looks lovely and can help signpost re different sizings and sections etc, colour fonts and colour blocks should be used sparingly, and you should consider which colours you use to ensure it will still be readable if printed in black & white.
Introduction and/or pattern notes
It is useful to have an introduction to the pattern to highlight particular features of the project, and perhaps ideas of how the item may be used or worn. This introduction may also include details of construction, how it is knitted (e.g, flat or in the round), although this could be included in a pattern notes section. Pattern notes may include other hints and tips to make things clearer and/or easier for the knitter.
Level of difficulty/skills required
This gives you an idea of how complex the project is in terms of whether it is suitable for beginners, intermediate or experienced knitters. However these ‘categories’ are arbitrary as each knitter’s experience will be unique. What we consider easy or more challenging varies between individuals, so don't take these level difficulty ratings as being cast in stone. Some patterns will provide a list of the techniques used which can be more helpful.
Don’t be put off if there are techniques listed you do not know yet - you can easily ask another knitter to show you, or look these techniques up on YouTube etc.
Your project will then provide an opportunity to develop and practise these new skills.
Sizing and Measurements
Sizing for garments will often be expressed in terms of ‘to fit bust’ sizes. It's important to know that this does not mean it is the actual size of the finished item - all garments will have a certain amount of ease (additional width to enable ease of movement) depending on the type of fit the designer had in mind. Tight fitting garments may actually measure less than the ‘to fit bust’ size. Fit is a personal thing, and most of us tend to have a ‘comfort zone’ as far as this is concerned, so you are better off choosing the size to knit by considering the actual measurements. A good pattern will provide these along with the ‘to fit’ sizes and may be included with a schematic.
Schematic
A schematic is a drawing of what the garments look like in terms of general shape of pieces such as back and sleeves, and also includes additional measurements such as length of sleeve seams, depth of neck etc. This is useful for knitters wishing to make alterations to the design, such as length of sleeve, to better fit them.
Materials list
All the materials should be listed including yarn, tools (needles, stitch markers etc), and any additional notions such as buttons, beads, zips etc.
With regard to yarn used, the type/brand and quantity should be included. A good pattern will include full details of the yarn including weight AND meterage/yardage per ball or skein and how many of these are needed. In addition it's helpful to include details of fibre content and thickness (also called ‘weight’) of the yarn, e.g. 4ply, DK, Chunky etc, to enable the knitter to make a good choice if they want or need to use a different yarn to the one stated.
Tension/gauge
Tension (gauge) is the keystone of knitting designs and is essential for project success. I wrote about this previously in Tension for the Terrified Part 1 and Part 2, so have a read of those if you would like to know more on that subject. In terms of what should be included on a pattern, there should be a clear statement of the tension needed, including an idea of the size of needles used to obtain it.
Abbreviations/glossary
All patterns use abbreviations to keep instructions concise and easy to follow. That being the case, there should be an abbreviations list and/or glossary that explains what all the abbreviations used in the pattern mean. Additional information can be included such as UK/US terms e.g the UK term moss stitch is referred to as seed stitch in the US.
Techniques tutorials and/or links
Some patterns will include illustrated tutorials for specific techniques giving step by step instructions. Increasingly though you may find a link to a video tutorial instead.
Instructions
After all that you finally get to the instructions - hoorah! These should include all elements of the project to be knitted, laid out in sections for each of these. Instructions should be concise and easy to follow, and the layout should be clear, following a logical order so the knitter is led throughout the best order of work for the project.
For example, instructions for knitting a neck band and making up the garment should not appear before the instructions for the back, front, sleeves etc. I’ll be getting to the knitty gritty of specific elements of written instructions, such as how patterns repeats are expressed, in future posts.
Charts and diagrams
Some instructions may have charts instead of or as well as written instructions, particularly with designs using colour work or complex stitch patterns such as lace. Unless its for colour work, it’s a good idea to provide both, which I do with my patterns, so knitters have the choice.
Any charts should be large enough to read clearly, and should always include a key (legend) of what all the various symbols represent. You may want to read another post I've written that covers the basics of how to read knitting charts.
Copyright and Contact details
This identifies who holds the rights to the pattern, which may be a company or individual designer. In addition details of the designer or company’s website address and/or email may be provided so you can get support if you are having difficulty with their pattern, and also to help you find them again if you want to see what other patterns they have to offer.
I hope this helps you understand the basic content and layout of knitting patterns, what the various elements are, and why they are included. It’s always helpful to have a quick read through your pattern before you begin knitting, just to get your bearings at the outset.
I’ll be looking at these elements in more details over the coming weeks - first off we’ll take a look at the different sorts of brackets (parentheses) that are used in knitting patterns, and what these are used for.
In the mean time I’d love to hear what areas you find tricky or difficult to follow in patterns. Is there a particular type or example of an instruction in a pattern that you're struggling with? If so, let me know.