THE PATTERNLARK FIELD GUIDE
A picture, translated into single crochet.
Turn a picture into a flat, back-and-forth single-crochet colourwork chart. One square represents one US single-crochet stitch, not a block of C2C stitches.
1. Begin with a simple image
Clear shapes and a small palette make colour changes easier to follow. Open a JPG, PNG or WebP picture and select “Single-crochet colourwork (US)”. Start small, choose a manageable colour count, and inspect the pattern in Chart view.
2. Measure a gauge swatch
Make a swatch using the yarn, hook and technique intended for the project. Measure stitches and rows over 10 cm and enter both values, including decimals if needed. Do not assume a stitch is square.
For example, a 60-stitch × 72-row chart at 20 stitches and 24 rows per 10 cm is approximately 30 × 30 cm. At 20 stitches and 20 rows per 10 cm, that same chart is about 30 × 36 cm. Tension and colour changes can affect the actual size.
3. Read rows in working order
The chart remains a fixed front view. Row 1 starts at the bottom and is the right side (RS); turn after each row. Choose whether row 1 begins at the right edge (typical right-handed work) or left edge (typical left-handed work). Direction then alternates.
The row guide lists colour runs in the order you work them, rather than always left to right. Use Previous, Next or the row number to move through the chart. Turning chains are not counted as chart stitches.
4. Reduce fiddly colour changes
Merge similar palette colours and repaint isolated squares. Each palette colour has a letter so the chart is readable without relying only on colour. The app supplies the colourwork chart, not instructions for managing floats, bobbins or carried yarn. Choose a suitable technique and test it in your swatch.
5. Save and print
Download a tiled A4 PDF with numbered chart tiles and a colour-count legend. Save an editable .patternlark file to preserve edits, gauge and your current row. Pictures stay in your browser; project files contain chart data, not the original photograph.
Know the limits before you begin
This is not a C2C, mosaic, filet, amigurumi or garment-shaping generator. It does not calculate yarn quantity, match branded yarn colours or write a complete crochet pattern. Digital colours are references: compare physical yarn before committing.