Charting issues

[jlvking]

I am trying to create a blanket for my husband for our anniversary. I have a design drawn out and have tried to run it through several different programs but I can't seem to get anything workable. It's a labyrinth but my husband is 6', maybe 6'1", and since I want a useable blanket, I've done a very simple design with nothing but straight lines. I thought that would be a fairly easy thing to chart but I guess I have the ratio off and I can't find anything that will make anything workable. Is there anyone who can help guide me on how to get the ratio right so I can make this surprise? Or point me in the direction of someone who makes charts for people. Depending on the charge I am very willing to pay for it to be charted.  

Thanks!

[Granny Square]

I've only looked at one program for converting a picture to graph http://www.microrevolt.org/knitPro/ .  I suspect the 'never get anything workable' is because if you have 2 colors (say black and white) the output is black, white, and grey where black and white meet.  The solution is to clean up the fuzzy edges, would not be too difficult with MSPaint or similar program.  Your design with 'just' parallel lines would be relatively simple to clean up.

But, for the simplicity of what you are doing, a low tech paper graph might be your best option.  You wouldn't have to 'color in' the squares for the lines, you could just draw lines thru the middle of the graph squares that are meant to be lines.   You've already drawn a design once, just draw it again on graph paper.

Before doing any of that however, the FIRST thing you would have to plan is, how many stitches will the design take up?  How many rows will the blanket be, and how many stitches across, and how will the design fit within the blanket?  You'll have to do a swatch to see if you are getting x stitches per inch, how many stitches you want the design to span across your blanket.  One line probably would be more than 1 row high or 1 stitch wide.  You might have to use tiny graph paper, or tape pages together (low tech, but it's easy and it works).

 

 

 

[jlvking]

I had actually gotten my graph paper out already.  The design is on "graph pixels" right now. :) Thanks.