How to make a crochet pattern from a photo
- Pick the crochet style. In the studio, set Crochet style to Graph for a single crochet graph (a graphgan, tapestry or intarsia crochet piece) or to C2C for a corner-to-corner blanket made of tiles.
- Upload a photo. Drop it on Start with your image (PNG, JPG or WebP, up to 20 MB). The conversion runs in your browser; the photo is not sent anywhere.
- Set the width and the number of colors. Pattern width is the number of stitches (or tiles) across, from 20 to 300. Maximum colors goes from 2 to 48. Each color is another yarn to buy and another change in the row, so start low and raise it only if the preview needs it.
- Enter your gauge. For Graph, fill in Stitches in 4 in (10 cm) and Rows in 4 in (10 cm). For C2C, fill in Tiles in 4 in (10 cm). The chart and the photo conversion both use these numbers, so the finished piece has the same proportions as the photo.
- Choose how you will work it. For Graph, set Working to Flat (turn each row) or Right side only (use this for work in the round too). For C2C, set the Start corner to bottom right or bottom left.
- Clean up. Clean up stray stitches removes single squares that no neighbor shares. Simplify palette merges colors down to a lower count. Fix eyes, lettering and outlines with the pencil.
- Name your yarns. Colors are labelled A, B, C and so on. Rename each one to the yarn you will use and change its swatch to match.
- Download. The PDF has the chart with row numbers (in color with symbols, or symbols only for black-and-white printing), a color key with counts and the written rows. Written instructions (.txt) gives you the rows alone, which is easier to read on a phone.
The photo tips for cross stitch apply here too: crop tight, use a sharp, evenly lit image, and avoid soft backgrounds. They are on the photo to cross stitch pattern page.
How to read a crochet graph
"A color chart is a grid, with each square representing 1 stitch" (Crochet For Dummies). In a Stitchpaper graph each square is one single crochet. You work from the bottom of the chart to the top (Lion Brand), so row 1 is the bottom row and the chart marks Start at the bottom right.
- Flat (turn each row). A Red Heart blanket pattern says to work the chart "reading RS rows from right to left and WS rows from left to right" (Red Heart pattern PDF). Odd rows are right side rows and their numbers sit on the right edge of the chart. Even rows are wrong side rows and their numbers sit on the left edge.
- Right side only or in the round. Every row is read from right to left, because you never turn. WeCrochet gives the same rule for filet crochet worked in the round (WeCrochet).
The written rows follow the same direction, so you can crochet from them without counting squares. Here is a 6-stitch chart with rows numbered from the bottom, and the rows the studio writes for it when worked flat:
| Row | Chart (left to right as printed) | Written row | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | A | A | B | B | A | A | Row 3 (RS, right to left): 2 A, 2 B, 2 A |
| 2 | A | B | B | B | B | A | Row 2 (WS, left to right): 1 A, 4 B, 1 A |
| 1 | A | A | A | B | B | A | Row 1 (RS, right to left): 1 A, 2 B, 3 A |
Row 1 shows why direction matters: read from the right, it starts with one A, while the printed row starts with three. The written rows assume right-handed working. Interweave notes that left-handed crocheters start the same chart on the left (Interweave), so read each written row in reverse.
The same graph works for a graphgan, for tapestry crochet and for intarsia crochet. The chart only says which color each stitch is; how you carry or change the yarn is up to you.
Why the chart is drawn to your gauge
Single crochet stitches are close to square but not quite. The Red Heart Super Saver ball band gives a crochet gauge of 12 sc and 15 rows to 4 inches (Yarnspirations), so each stitch is 1.25 times as wide as it is tall. That is the studio's default gauge.
If a square photo were charted on a square grid at 60 × 60 and worked at that gauge, the piece would be 20 inches wide and 16 inches tall. The studio adds rows instead: 60 stitches and 75 rows, which works up to 20 × 20 inches. Crochet a swatch with your own yarn and hook, count the stitches and rows in 4 inches, and enter them; the chart follows.
Pixel art to crochet
Pixel art and sprites convert cleanly because they already are grids. Set Pattern width to the image's width in pixels and turn on Keep pixel art crisp so edges are not smoothed. Because the studio adds rows to match your gauge, one pixel becomes exactly one stitch only when the stitches and rows in the gauge fields are the same number. With a 1.25 ratio gauge, the finished piece is then shorter than the sprite looks on screen.
C2C (corner to corner) charts
In C2C each square of the chart is one tile, made of a chain 3 and 3 double crochet. Caron's C2C pattern says it plainly: "Each square of chart represents 1 block" (Caron pattern PDF). Tiles are square: Red Heart's Graphic Tree pattern gives a gauge of 5 blocks to 4 inches (Red Heart pattern PDF), which is the studio's default.
Rows run diagonally. WeCrochet's chart begins in the bottom right corner and says you can start at any corner (WeCrochet); the C2C book by Jess Coppom starts every project in the lower right corner (Interweave). The studio starts at the bottom right and lets you switch to bottom left.
- Direction. With a bottom right start, odd rows read from the bottom edge diagonally up toward the right edge (↗) and even rows read back down (↙). This is how WeCrochet describes its rows 1 to 3. Each written row says up or down, and the PDF chart numbers the diagonal rows where they meet its edges.
- Number of rows. A chart W tiles wide and H tiles tall has W + H − 1 diagonal rows. Caron's 60 × 72 tile blanket has 131 rows and Red Heart's 42 × 51 tile tree has 92, both matching the formula.
- Tiles per row. Row k has min(k, W, H, W + H − k) tiles. Rows grow by one tile (increase) until they reach the shorter side. On a rectangle the count then stays the same for a while (even: one side keeps increasing while the other decreases). Then the rows shrink by one tile (decrease) until one tile is left.
A worked example: a chart 4 tiles wide and 3 tall has 4 + 3 − 1 = 6 rows. Printed top to bottom, the chart is A A B B, then B A B A, then A A B A on the bottom row. With a bottom right start the studio writes:
| Row | Direction | Tiles | Phase | Colors in working order |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ↗ | 1 | start | 1 A |
| 2 | ↙ | 2 | increase | 1 A, 1 B |
| 3 | ↗ | 3 | increase | 1 A, 2 B |
| 4 | ↙ | 3 | even | 1 B, 2 A |
| 5 | ↗ | 2 | decrease | 1 B, 1 A |
| 6 | ↙ | 1 | decrease | 1 A |
The tile counts add up to 1 + 2 + 3 + 3 + 2 + 1 = 12, which is 4 × 3. The color key gives the totals: 7 tiles of A and 5 of B. In the written instructions that row reads "Row 4 ↙ down (3 tiles, even: grows along the bottom edge, shrinks along the top edge): 1 B, 2 A".
Choosing a size
Finished size is stitches divided by your gauge. These figures use the default gauges; enter your own and the studio recalculates.
| Graph width | Finished width at 12 sc = 4 in | Rows for a square design | Stitches in total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 60 stitches | 20 in (51 cm) | 75 | 4,500 |
| 90 stitches | 30 in (76 cm) | 113 | 10,170 |
| 120 stitches | 40 in (102 cm) | 150 | 18,000 |
| 150 stitches | 50 in (127 cm) | 188 | 28,200 |
| C2C width | Finished width at 5 tiles = 4 in | Diagonal rows for a square design | Tiles in total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 30 tiles | 24 in (61 cm) | 59 | 900 |
| 40 tiles | 32 in (81 cm) | 79 | 1,600 |
| 50 tiles | 40 in (102 cm) | 99 | 2,500 |
| 60 tiles | 48 in (122 cm) | 119 | 3,600 |
For the number of colors, convert the same photo at two or three settings and compare the previews. A face needs more colors than a logo; a logo or pixel sprite may need only the colors it was drawn with.
Yarn colors and how much yarn to buy
Colors are labelled A, B, C and so on, with names and swatches you can edit, for example "Red Heart Super Saver Cherry Red". The studio does not match colors to a yarn line, because no yarn company publishes color values for its shades, and a match would be a guess.
The color key counts stitches (or tiles) per color exactly. It does not show yardage by default, because no yarn maker publishes how much yarn one stitch uses. To get an estimate, crochet a swatch with your own yarn and hook, measure the yarn it took, and enter the result in Yarn per 100 stitches. The key then shows yards per color. Mary Maxim describes the same swatch method for whole projects and adds 20% on top (Mary Maxim).
What you get
- A printable PDF: chart pages with row numbers (C2C charts with their diagonal rows numbered at the edges), in color with symbols or symbols only, a color key with stitch or tile counts, and the written rows.
- Written instructions (.txt): every row in working order, for reading on a phone or tablet.
- A chart image (PNG), a color list (CSV) and an editable project file you can open again later.
No watermark, no account, and no premium tier. Start stitching lets you mark finished squares as you go; progress is saved in this browser.
Honest limits. The studio makes single crochet graphs and C2C charts only: no half double or double crochet graph modes, no crochet symbol diagrams, and no shaping for amigurumi or garments. Every square is a full stitch or tile. Charts go up to 300 × 300 squares and 48 colors. Screen colors are approximate, so compare your yarns in daylight. Only convert photos you have the right to use. The method is explained on how it works.
Frequently asked questions
Is the crochet pattern generator free?
Yes. Every chart and every export is free, with no watermark and no account. There is no premium tier.
Is my photo uploaded?
No. The conversion runs inside your browser on your own device. Nothing is sent to Stitchpaper or anyone else.
How do I make a crochet pattern from a picture?
Upload the picture, choose Graph or C2C, set the width and number of colors, enter your gauge, clean up stray stitches and download the PDF. The steps are at the top of this page.
What is a graphgan?
A blanket worked from a color graph, one square per stitch. Yarnspirations spells it "graphghan". Use the Graph style for it; C2C blankets are a different method made of tiles.
What gauge should I use?
Your own. The defaults come from Red Heart Super Saver (12 sc and 15 rows to 4 in) and Red Heart's Graphic Tree C2C pattern (5 blocks to 4 in), but your yarn, hook and tension will differ. Crochet a swatch, measure it and enter the numbers.
Does it use US or UK crochet terms?
US terms. In UK terms, US single crochet is double crochet and US double crochet is treble, so a C2C tile is chain 3 and 3 trebles (Craft Yarn Council). Gauge is called tension in the UK.