First a few simple guidelines:

1. On knitting charts, right side rows are worked by reading the chart from right to left, which mimics the direction (right handed) knitters knit.

2. Most charts are marked with row #'s. It's common to place the row # where the row will start. The first row of our sample chart is a right side row, so the #1 is placed on the right hand edge of the chart. This helps you to remember that you are reading from right to left.

3. Wrong side rows are worked the opposite direct. They are worked from left to right. This can be harder to visualize. The row # is placed on the left to help you remember. Follow the key carefully and you shouldn't have any problem.

4. To understand the chart symbols, you need to reference the key, which explains each symbol.

I recommend casting on 24 sts and working the sample chart. It's so much easier to learn this by doing. Don't try to understand the whole thing before you start - jump right in and go one step at a time:

The first 4 rows of our sample chart are all blank boxes. On the key you will see that a blank box means knit on the RS and purl on WS. So, the first 4 rows are all in st st. The work begins on Row 5: The first 6 sts on the chart are blank = you knit them. The next box has the > symbol. The key tells us this means k2tog - do it. The next symbol is for a yarn over. Carefully reference all of the symbols across the row. Some symbols take more than one square. It's important to read the key carefully, different designers and different companies use varying symbols.

When you've completed row 1, turn your work over and begin working the reading one symbol at a time from left to right. You'll see that a blank box means purl on the WS, and as is often case, you purl the entire row.

I hope this gets you started on the road to being a chart lover. When you've master this we can go on to a chart with more symbols on WS rows and/or charts where the stitch count varies from row to row. We'll do that another day. Meanwhile, this knowledge should take you pretty far.

click here for Full Hibito instructions.

-Norah