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I’ve been spending a good bit of time lately working on crochet stitch diagrams and knitting symbol charts. I’m a big fan of both as I’m a visual person- most of the notes I take when making a project are symbol diagrams and charts.
Knitting charts are made to show what a project looks like from the right side. So, a knit symbol typically means to knit on the right side and purl on the wrong side. This is because if you purl on a wrong side row, it produces a knit stitch on the right side of the fabric.
I’ve seen it written that crochet stitch diagrams show what the project looks like from the right side as well. But, that’s not exactly true. Where this goes wrong is with post stitches.
If, on a wrong side row, you work a back post double crochet, when you look at the project from the right side, it will appear to be a front post double crochet. If it is true that crochet stitch diagrams work like knitting charts, the symbol used should be a front post double crochet. But that is not the case. chart will have a back post double crochet symbol for that stitch.
Although a Back Post double crochet looks like a Front Post double crochet when viewed from the other side, the symbol used on a chart is the symbol for the stitch you actually work.
I’m not quite sure why this quirk exists for crochet diagrams. Not only can it cause some confusion, but this means two separate charts are required to show the stitch pattern when worked in the round vs the stitch pattern worked back and forth.
Do you have any questions about crochet diagrams or knit charts? What do you think of these methods of showing pattern stitches.
Not all knitting charts are made to show the RS, actually, because Flying Spaghetti Monster forbid we be 100% consistent. For some reason the convention is to chart garter st-based lace literally, i.e. as you work it, not as it appears from the RS. But only garter-based lace, nothing else. I’m glad you mentioned this about post stitches, because I would have assumed crochet charts were RS-facing just like most knit ones.