How to Read a Cross-Stitch Pattern
Symbols, colour keys, grid lines and centre marks: everything printed on a chart and what it means.
The grid
A chart is a grid. Each square on the chart is one square of Aida. A square with a symbol gets one full cross-stitch in that symbol's colour. An empty square is left unstitched.
Heavier lines mark every 10th row and column so you can count in tens. On the charts here, lines at every 5 are slightly heavier too.
The key
The key, also called the legend, lists every symbol with its colour name, a floss number and often the number of stitches. Colour charts fill the squares as well, but always go by the symbol. Similar shades can look the same on screen.
Centre marks
Small arrows or triangles on the top and left edges point to the centre column and centre row. Where they meet is the centre of the design. Starting there keeps the design centred on the fabric.
Other marks you will meet
- A bold line running along or across squares is backstitch, worked after the crosses.
- A small symbol in one corner of a square is a quarter or three-quarter stitch.
- A dot on a grid intersection is usually a French knot.
- A diagonal line filling one square can mean a half stitch. The key will say.
Finding your place
Grid coordinates work like a map: count columns across from the left, rows down from the top. To stitch, work in blocks of one colour, counting from stitches already made, not from the edge of the fabric. Mark finished squares on a printed copy with a highlighter.