Checkerboard knitting chart

About this design

A checkerboard is the perfect first stranded pattern: three stitches of Y44 Forest, three of Y02 Cream, repeated for three rows, then swapped. The floats are never longer than three stitches, so nothing needs catching, and you can see immediately if a check is the wrong size. The chart shows four rows of checks; knit as many as you like for a band, or keep going for an all-over pattern.

Knitting the chart

The motif repeats every 6 stitches, and the chart shows 8 repeats across 48 stitches. Every patterned row uses two colours. The longest float is 3 stitches. Change which colour you hold as dominant only between bands, never in the middle, so the checks stay even.

Sizing and uses

At 20 stitches and 28 rows per 10 cm, the 48-stitch chart is 24 cm wide and the 12 rows are about 4.3 cm tall. Any stitch count that is a multiple of 6 works, such as 84 or 96 for a hat, or 54 for a mitten cuff.

Colour plan

Forest does the most work, 50% of the 576 stitches, followed by Cream at 50%. Every colour is used at least 288 times, so there are no tiny one-off details to hunt for. Every square of the grid is filled.

Working notes

The longest float is 3 stitches, so no float needs catching. Every row uses at most two colours, so it can all be worked as stranded colourwork.