Cross Stitch Conversion: How to Turn Embroidery Patterns into Knit or Crochet

Cross stitch patterns are essentially pixel grids, and knit and crochet stitches are essentially pixels. You can convert almost any cross stitch chart directly into colorwork by treating each stitch symbol as one knit or crochet stitch. The main catch is stitch gauge: knit and crochet stitches are not square, so your finished piece will look different from the original unless you account for that.

Why does my converted pattern look stretched or squished?

Your stitch gauge is not 1:1 in height and width, and cross stitch assumes it is. A cross stitch grid is perfectly square, meaning each X occupies the same amount of horizontal and vertical space. Knit stitches are typically wider than they are tall, and crochet stitches vary by type.

For example, a common stockinette gauge runs around 5 stitches and 7 rows per inch, which gives you a stitch aspect ratio of roughly 5:7, or about 0.71. That means if you knit a 50-stitch-wide, 50-row-tall chart directly, your finished fabric will be noticeably shorter than it is wide. The Craft Yarn Council's standard gauge tables show how much this varies across yarn weights.

To correct for this, you have two options:

1. Compress the chart horizontally. Remove roughly every 3rd or 4th column from the original cross stitch chart so the remaining stitches fill a shape that looks proportional in knit fabric. This is tedious but preserves row count.
2. Scale the chart in software first. Open the chart image in something like KG-Chart or StitchFiddle and resize it to match your stitch ratio before you start. Enter your actual gauge swatch numbers, not a guess.

Always swatch and measure before you commit to a full conversion. A 4x4 inch swatch in your actual yarn and needle size will tell you your real stitch-to-row ratio.

Which cross stitch patterns convert best?

Bold, simple designs with large blocks of color convert most cleanly. Fine detail and diagonal lines are the hardest to translate.

Cross stitch handles diagonals easily because the X shape reads as diagonal at a distance. In knitting or crochet, a diagonal is a staircase of single stitches offset by one each row. At fine gauges (fingering, sport) that staircase looks smooth. At bulky gauges it looks chunky and blocky. A pattern with a lot of thin diagonal lines or small text will look blurry or unreadable once converted.

Good candidates:

• Geometric repeats (Fair Isle-style motifs, stripes with simple shapes)
• Bold folk-art florals with petals 3+ stitches wide
• Large animal silhouettes
• Alphabet charts where each letter is at least 7 stitches tall

Poor candidates:

• Photorealistic portraits with shading
• Patterns that rely on fractional (quarter or half) cross stitches
• Text smaller than about 10 rows tall
• Anything with more than 5-6 colors per row if you plan to strand knit it

How do I handle the color symbols?

Map each cross stitch thread color to a yarn color before you start, and keep that key visible while you work. Cross stitch patterns use DMC or Anchor thread numbers, which have no direct yarn equivalent.

The practical approach most colorwork knitters use is to print the chart, then physically tape or staple a small yarn sample next to each symbol in the key. When you are mid-row at 11pm, you do not want to hunt through a list trying to remember which symbol was the dusty blue.

For color matching, DMC publishes a conversion chart that maps thread colors to approximate values, and sites like Yarnsub let you search yarn by color family. Neither is a perfect science. Hold your yarn skeins up to your printed chart in natural light and make a judgment call.

If the original pattern has 12 colors but you want to simplify, look at which colors appear in small quantities and consolidate them. A pattern that uses three slightly different greens for shading can often be reduced to two greens without losing the overall read of the design.

Can I use a cross stitch chart for crochet colorwork?

Yes, and the same stitch-ratio issue applies. Single crochet (sc) worked in the round or in rows is your closest equivalent to stockinette in terms of stitch shape. A typical sc gauge might be around 16 stitches and 20 rows per 4 inches, giving a ratio of about 0.80, which is closer to square than stockinette but still not 1:1.

Tapestry crochet, where you carry unused colors across the row and work over them, is the most common technique for converting cross stitch charts. Craftsy's tapestry crochet overview covers the carry method in detail. The key limitation is that carrying more than 2-3 colors at once gets bulky fast, so simplify your color count before you start.

Double crochet (dc) stitches are taller and create a more rectangular pixel, which distorts chart designs more dramatically. Stick with sc for chart-based colorwork unless you specifically adjust your chart for the dc stitch ratio.

What software actually helps with this?

A few tools do the math for you rather than making you work it out on paper. KG-Chart LE is free and designed specifically for knitting charts, while StitchFiddle handles both knitting and crochet in a browser.

A few tools do the math for you rather than making you work it out on paper. Enter your gauge swatch results and they resize the chart automatically.

• KG-Chart LE - free, designed specifically for knitting charts, lets you import images and adjust for stitch ratio
• StitchFiddle - browser-based, handles both knitting and crochet, free tier is usable
• Stitchboard - converts images to knitting charts with gauge adjustment built in

None of these replace a physical swatch. They get you a better starting chart, but your actual yarn and needles or hook will behave differently than any software prediction. Measure as you go, especially on larger projects where a small distortion compounds over hundreds of rows.

Frequently asked questions

What is cross stitch conversion and why do I need it?

Cross stitch conversion is the process of translating thread colors, fabric counts, or pattern measurements between different brands or systems. You need it when substituting one embroidery thread brand for another, such as DMC to Anchor, or when resizing a pattern for a different fabric count. Without accurate conversion, colors can look noticeably different and stitch counts may not align correctly, affecting your finished piece.

How do I convert DMC floss colors to Anchor or Madeira?

Use a cross stitch conversion chart or digital tool to match DMC floss numbers to their closest Anchor or Madeira equivalents. Because thread color systems are not identical, conversions are approximate rather than exact. Tools like the converter on fibertools.app can quickly generate the nearest match, but always compare physical thread samples when color accuracy is critical to your project.

Can I convert a cross stitch pattern to a different fabric count?

Yes, you can resize a cross stitch pattern by adjusting the fabric count. Dividing the stitch width and height by the new count gives you the finished dimensions in inches. For example, a 100-stitch wide design on 14-count Aida measures about 7 inches, but on 18-count it measures roughly 5.5 inches. The number of stitches stays the same; only the physical size of the finished embroidery changes.

How do I convert cross stitch patterns into knitting or crochet charts?

Cross stitch grid patterns can be adapted into knitting or crochet colorwork charts since both use a similar grid structure. Each cross stitch square becomes one knit stitch or crochet stitch. Keep in mind that knitting and crochet stitches are not perfectly square, so the finished design may appear slightly wider or taller than the original. Adjusting the aspect ratio of the chart beforehand helps compensate for this distortion.

What information do I need before using a cross stitch conversion tool?

Before using a conversion tool, gather your original thread brand and color numbers, your current fabric count, and your target brand or fabric count. Knowing your finished size goal is also helpful. Having this information ready allows the tool to return accurate thread substitutions and recalculated dimensions in one step, saving you time and reducing the chance of purchasing the wrong materials for your project.