Your personal Doodle pattern is created by combining micro charts together in different arrangements. All of the colorwork charts within the Doodles Series are the same stitch repeat, so they all work together, whether in my Doodle Book, the Doodle Decks, or in my Doodle Pattern Series - so you can get creative with how to use them!

But did you know that some Doodle Charts can be broken down into an even more micro-sized 12 stitch repeat - perfect for smaller items like socks and mittens! 

Want to understand how rounding your stitch count will affect your project? Scroll to the bottom for information especially helpful if you're working with Base Doodle pattern modifications (i.e. adjusting your stitch count).

Working with Full Charts

The standard stitch count for Doodle Charts is 24 stitches. Many of the charts utilize this full width of stitches, and cannot be "cut" down into smaller stitch increments. This works well for "hero" motifs, mirrored motifs, or other more ornate designs.

Here are some examples of Doodle Charts with 24-stitch Repeats:

But some of the charts have shorter repeats! How do those work?

 

Using 'Half' Charts

Several of the Doodle Base Patterns call for working “half” charts, or repeats of just 12 stitches, rather than 24 stitches. This is typically used to allow more flexible sizing, especially for smaller circumference pattern shapes, such as socks or mittens. Adding 12 stitches between sizes means more customizable size options for you!

While not every chart can be cleanly cut in half, there are plenty of options that allow for shorter repeats.

An easy way to tell is to look for charts where the design is the same within stitches 1-12 and within 13-24. In other words, it looks like two of the exact same design within that chart.

Here are some examples of Doodle Charts with 12-stitch Repeats:

Working with even smaller repeats

Some Doodle Charts, especially those found in the Basic Doodle Patterns, can be cut down to even fewer stitches for their minimum repeat. 

Here are some examples of Doodle Charts with 4-stitch Repeats:

Here are some examples of Doodle Charts with 6-stitch Repeats:

Rounding to the nearest multiple of 24 or 12

Adjusting your cast on and worried about how rounding your stitch count will affect your project? The following information is especially helpful if you're working with Base Doodle pattern modifications! Here is a formula to use to work backwards (to get a dimension in inches when you already know the stitch count).

[number of stitches] ÷ [sts per inch] = DIMENSION IN INCHES

For example, if I had wanted my cowl to be 21 inches around, at 6 stitches per inch:

[21 inches] x [6 sts per inch] = 126 sts

But if I also want to use only full, 24-st Doodle Charts, I might round that to 120 sts. So then, to see how close 120 sts will get me to my desired dimension of 21 inches:

[120 sts] ÷ [6 sts per inch] = 20 inches

Maybe that's close enough for me, maybe it isn't. But now you have all the tools you need to play around with your numbers until you have exactly the project you want.

Want more modifications? Check out our complete library of Base Doodle Modifications for Infinity Cowl, Standard Cowl, Socks, and Hats!

Regardless of the minimum stitch count on the card, the base structure of the Doodle Patterns remains the same, based on the famous 24 stitch repeat. 

But we made it even easier! All Doodle Decks cards come with the minimum stich count printed right on the card AND that same minimum repeat is outlined in a bold box. This enables makers to quickly and easily understand what they are working with and how they can modify!

Hopefully this has helped you understand how to make decisions about which charts to use when working patterns with alternative stitch counts!

 

Happy Doodling!

 

Blog written by Jamie Lomax.