# Easy Colorwork Knitting: Read Charts & Start a Swatch Learn what colorwork knitting means, how to read a colour chart and how gauge changes a motif. A practical starting point with free charts to try. Canonical: https://aestudio.studio/sashiko/colorwork-knitting Publisher: AE STUDIO SPACE Updated: 2026-10-17 [Sashiko](https://aestudio.studio/sashiko) / Learn colourwork 03 / A first colourwork swatch ## Get started with colourwork knitting Colourwork knitting uses more than one yarn colour to make a pattern. Start with a small repeat and two clearly contrasting yarns, then knit a sample before planning a larger piece. [Try a repeat in the chart maker ↗](/sashiko/knitting-chart-maker) STUDY / STEPPED DIAMOND Original two-colour motif In this guide [What is colourwork knitting?](#section-1)[How to read a knitting colour chart](#section-2)[Choose an easy first repeat](#section-3)[Make a swatch before a garment](#section-4)[Why does my motif look stretched?](#section-5)[Colourwork, Fair Isle and sashiko](#section-6) 01 ## What is colourwork knitting? Colourwork (also spelled colorwork) is a broad name for knitting with multiple colours. Stripes change colours between rows; stranded knitting carries unused yarn across the back; intarsia uses separate yarn supplies for blocks of colour. A colour chart describes the visible motif, so you still need to choose a suitable knitting technique. 02 ## How to read a knitting colour chart Each square represents a stitch and each horizontal line represents a row or round. Begin at the bottom of the chart. For stockinette in the round, read every round from right to left. For flat stockinette, read right-side rows from right to left and wrong-side rows from left to right. Always follow the particular pattern’s directions and key. 03 ## Choose an easy first repeat Pick two colours with clear light–dark contrast and a repeat you can count easily. Try Seed check on a small sample. Stranded work leaves floats behind the fabric; spread the stitches naturally on the needle as you carry yarn so the floats do not pull the fabric tight. Long gaps between colour changes need particular attention. 04 ## Make a swatch before a garment Use the yarn, needles and knitting method planned for the finished piece. Knit a sample large enough to measure away from its edges, wash and dry it as you will the garment, then measure stitches and rows. A digital preview cannot predict your tension, drape or shrinkage. 05 ## Why does my motif look stretched? Knit stitches are often wider than they are tall. If your measured gauge is 22 stitches and 30 rows per 10 cm, a 12-stitch by 12-row motif is about 5.5 cm wide and 4 cm tall. Square graph paper is useful for editing, but it does not represent the finished proportions. 06 ## Colourwork, Fair Isle and sashiko Fair Isle is a particular knitting tradition within the wider world of stranded colourwork. These original practice motifs are not presented as traditional Fair Isle designs. Sashiko is a running-stitch practice worked through cloth; its needle routes are different from a knitting colour chart. The app provides separate workspaces for these different crafts. A few useful answers Is colourwork knitting suitable for beginners? A small two-colour swatch is a manageable next exercise once you can knit and purl comfortably. Practise the chosen colourwork technique and tension before starting a garment. Is a colourwork chart a complete knitting pattern? Usually not. A motif chart shows colour placement. A garment also needs sizing, gauge, shaping, materials and construction instructions. Our free charts are practice motifs. ## Choose a chart to practise with [Try the chart maker →](/sashiko/knitting-chart-maker) [View chart ↗](/sashiko/colorwork-patterns/seed-check) 4 × 4 / 2 colours First swatch ## [Seed check](/sashiko/colorwork-patterns/seed-check) Small contrasting seeds with quiet space between them. A gentle first repeat. [View chart ↗](/sashiko/colorwork-patterns/stepped-diamond) 6 × 6 / 2 colours Next step ## [Stepped diamond](/sashiko/colorwork-patterns/stepped-diamond) A small diamond that grows and contracts across six rows. Try it as a border. [View chart ↗](/sashiko/colorwork-patterns/little-peaks) 6 × 6 / 2 colours Explore repeats ## [Little peaks](/sashiko/colorwork-patterns/little-peaks) An asymmetric mountain line. Repeat it across a band or turn the colours around. [01Chart maker↗](/sashiko/knitting-chart-maker)[02Free charts↗](/sashiko/colorwork-patterns)[03Learn colourwork↗](/sashiko/colorwork-knitting)[04Yarn & colour↗](/sashiko/colorwork-yarn)