Cross Stitch Chart Guides

Symbols, keys, color counts, confetti, page overlap and Pattern Keeper: how to read a chart and how to tell a good one.

A cross stitch chart is a grid where each square is one stitch and each symbol is one thread color. That's simple to state, but real charts add keys, page overlaps, backstitch lines, fractional stitches and sometimes dozens of near-identical colors. These guides explain how to read all of it, how to keep your place on a large chart, what confetti stitches are and why photo patterns have so many, and how to judge whether a chart is well made before you commit months to it. They also cover digital charts and apps like Pattern Keeper. To practise reading a chart, pick one from the free cross stitch pattern library.