How to read a cross-stitch chart
A cross-stitch chart is a grid where every square is one stitch and every symbol stands for one floss color. Once you know the key and the grid lines, any chart reads the same way. This guide uses the layout of a FlossChart pattern, which you can print or save as a PDF.
- Start with the cover page. The first page shows a small color preview, the chart size in stitches, the finished size on 11, 14, 16 and 18 count Aida, and the floss key.
- Learn the floss key. Each row of the key is one DMC color: its symbol, a color swatch, the DMC number, the color name, how many stitches use it and how many skeins to buy.
- Read one square as one stitch. Every square of the grid is one full cross stitch. The symbol in the square tells you which floss to use. An empty square gets no stitch.
- Count with the bold lines. A bold line runs every 10 stitches, across and down. Count in blocks of 10 instead of single squares, so you lose your place less often.
- Use the numbers on the edge. The numbers along the top and the side give the stitch position (10, 20, 30 and so on), so you can find the same spot on the fabric.
- Move between pages. A big chart is split into pages of up to 50 columns by 65 rows. The header of each page says which columns and rows it shows, for example columns 51 to 100, rows 1 to 65.
Color blocks or black and white symbols
FlossChart prints charts in two styles. "Color blocks + symbols" fills every square with the screen color and draws the symbol on top, in black or white so it stays readable. "Black and white symbols" prints only the symbols on a white grid, which saves ink.
Why the symbols look like letters and signs
Each color gets its own symbol from a fixed set of signs, letters and digits chosen to be easy to tell apart, such as +, X, O, #, = and %. The symbol, not the color, is what you follow: screen and printer colors are only approximations of the real thread.
Check the size before you start
The cover page gives the finished size for 11, 14, 16 and 18 count Aida. A chart 140 stitches wide comes out 10 inches (25,4 cm) wide on 14 count. See the cross-stitch size chart for more sizes, and how many skeins of floss for the thread.
Make a chart to practise on
The quickest way to learn is a small chart from your own photo. FlossChart makes one in your browser, and charts up to 40 x 40 stitches print free.