How to Read Knitting Pattern - Starting A New Knitting Project

by Jena
(Ephrata, PA)

I have made more scarfs than I can count. I want to work on something else (preferably a duster style coat), but I have no clue on how to read the pattern. Can you give me any tips on how to read a pattern. I'm so lost and the pattern I'm looking at says that it's an easy pattern. I just looks like a another language to me. Please help.

Answer

Hi Jena,
Reading knitting pattern sometimes can be very frustrated for many knitters. Don't worry, you're not alone. I think the abbreviations that make knitter confuse. Once you get acquire to all the knitting abbreviations and terms, you'll do just fine.

1. The most important thing to remember when knitting your garment is to check your gauge. Make a 4x4 swatch to check your yarn gauge. If your gauge is bigger that the given pattern, change to slightly smaller needles. If you gauge is too little, use bigger needles. Check and recheck until you have it right or the closest to the pattern as possible. You'll end up with a good fit garment this way.

2. Garment pattern usually comes in many sizes. You want to focus only on the size you knit and not to get loss in the others.

Here is an example of a tank top pattern I'll use to show you how to read its pattern. The dark letters are my explanation

FINISHED MEASUREMENTS
Bust – 32(34-36-38-40)”.
Length – 18 1/2(18 1/2-19-19 1/2-20)”.
Note: This garment is designed to fit very close to the body. Please take that into consideration when selecting your size.

These are the finished measurements of the tank top. You can see it ranks from size 32 - size 40. In the length section has the number of inches that correspond to the bust size (32 and 181/2, 34 and 18 1/2, 36 and 19, and so forth) I think you've already figured this one out. Now let's move on to the next one.

MATERIALS

BERROCO ECHO (50 grs), 5(5-6-7-8) balls #4528 Dungaree.
Straight knitting needles, size 8 OR SIZE TO