Wondering how to put all your Doodle Charts together to create the perfect colorwork project? Combining Doodle Charts is the 2nd step in the Doodle Framework: 4 easy steps to Doodle with yarn:

1: CHOOSE YOUR PATTERN

Cowls, Hats, Socks, & more! Charts work on any Base Doodle pattern!

2: CHOOSE YOUR CHARTS

Pick a theme or grab a few Doodles to mix-and-match!

3: CHOOSE YOUR YARN

Grab a main color and a few accents or create the perfect stash buster!

4: START KNITTING!

Choose your first motif and colors and simply start knitting!

HOW TO CHOOSE & ARRANGE YOUR DOODLE CHARTS

Your unique colorwork design is created by selecting and arranging your favorite Doodle charts. In this way, you can create exactly what you want, whether that’s an integrated landscape scene, a simple motif repeated in varying colors, a cuff detail, traditional colorwork stripes, or any other design you can think of!

Brand new to Doodles and don't know what a "Doodle Chart" is? Think of it like a stitch dictionary - it's a mini colorwork chart that can be used interchangeably with other mini-charts to design your custom project. Instead of a pattern coming with one big chart, Doodles are more of a "choose your own adventure", DIY-style pattern, where YOU decide what comes next in your project!

Follow the steps below to learn how to use Doodle Charts to create your custom project: 

»» Choose your Theme(s)

»» Choose your Charts

»» Arrange your Charts

»» Modify/Design a Chart (optional)

»» Knit!

It's that easy! Do a deep dive into each step below + get find all our free resources and tutorials to help you along the way. 

Choose your Doodle Theme(s)

Each set of Doodle Charts comes as a "theme". This means that every chart within that set will coordinate with the others, but it still gives you the flexibility to mix, match, and swap out individual charts! You can choose one theme, or several, depending on what you want to make. Check out our Doodle Collections to see the full library of options!

Physical Doodle Decks not your thing? Don't worry - you can get every Doodle theme as a downloadable PDF too!

Start simple with our Core Doodle Decks. Our Core Decks are the most beginner-friendly charts with timeless themes of Spring, Summer, Winter, Autumn, and our Basic Doodle. These are nearly all only 2-colors at a time, contain shorter floats, and are easier to memorize and knit. If you're new to Doodles, we definitely recommend starting here!

Our Expansion Doodle Decks are more 'adventurous beginner' to intermediate level, and include more niche thematic charts, such as Cats & Dogs, Travel, or Sports. While they often still include several charts that are 2-colors at a time, they also include more difficult charts that can use 3-colors at a time. Because of the various themes now available, these expansion sets are really fun to mix-and-match with each other to make extremely custom gifts. If you'

If you're looking for more charts to add to a Core Deck, check out some coordinating ideas below:

• For Spring motifs, consider Valentines 2, Garden, or Botanical Doodles
• For Summer motifs, consider Ocean 2, Tropical, or Camping Doodles
• For Fall motifs, consider Monster, Haunted, or Spellbound Doodles 
• For Wintery motifs, consider Holiday 3 or Arctic Doodles

Our Destination Doodle Decks are location-inspired chart sets, such as London or Paris. If you love to travel and want to knit something based on where you've been - these are for you! They also make great souvenirs for your friends or family. We're always adding new cities and locations, so be sure to come back and check for more.

Because all of our Doodle Collections work with each other, the options are literally endless for what you can create!

Do you have a suggestion for a new theme? Let us know in our Doodle Suggestion Box!

Choose your Chart(s)

Once you have your Doodle theme (or themes) it's time to decide which charts to use! 

BEGINNER Copy the Sample (mostly)

If you're just starting out, it may feel intimidating to choose all the charts for your whole project at once. And that's okay - you can always copy the sample! Check out which charts we decided to use in the sample and pull those ones together on the table in front of you. (For an even simpler option, grab a Full Doodle Pattern that includes the fully assembled Sample Chart). 

Ready for mini-modifications? Maybe you choose to use the same charts, but in a different order. Or use the same order, but swap a one of the charts out for something else in the same theme (ex. subbing out the Octopus for a Crab).

Making one small decision at a time can help you gain the confidence to get more creative with your next project!

INTERMEDIATE Design your Own

If you're ready to design your own - that's awesome! There are lots of things to consider when choosing your charts, because you want to know both the overall idea of what you are designing AND the pieces you need to make that design into reality.

If you want to create a landscape, such as an ocean floor with sea animals, you may look for Seaweed or Coral for the floor, Waves for the top of the ocean, and various sea creatures such as Octopus, Clam, Crab, Lobster, or even Shark to add some animals swimming in the middle. Generally: look for plants, animals, and land formations that match your theme.

Want to be scientifically accurate? I was recently designing a whale chart and wondered if it should be a blue whale or a sperm whale. The theme was Deep Ocean, so I looked up which whale could diver deeper into the sea - and it was the sperm whale!

If you want to tell a story, such as your history with your partner, you may look for charts based on the location you live or were married, animal motifs that match your specific pets like your Dog or Cat, and items related to your hobbies or activities you do together, such as a camping tent or a Stand Mixer for baking. Generally: look for pets, locations, hobbies, or activities that match your theme.

There are lots of ways to choose your charts, but the best way is to just start looking around for what inspires you! If you're not sure what your big idea is yet, check out the Base Doodle Coloring Pages to try out some of your ideas on paper!

ADVANCED Create a Doodle Mashup

Doodle Mash up? Yes please! We love to see creative uses of more than one theme, so don't be afraid to pick charts from multiple themes and work them all into a single design. 

Here are some fun ideas for Doodle Mashups:

• Pair Halloween & Christmas on a reversible cowl so you can wear it all season!
  
• Mix charts from Haunted, Tropical, and Dog (Trust me, this makes Scooby Doo)! 
• Try to knit every Bird chart into one project (there are more than you'd think!)

Because you can choose to use as many or as few charts as you like, the options are endless for what you can create. Once you generally know which charts you'd like to use, your next step is to arrange them into your Doodle Master Chart!

Arrange your Doodle Charts

Your personal Doodle Chart is created by combining micro charts together in different arrangements. All of the colorwork charts work together within the Doodle Framework, so you can get really creative with how to use them!

Once your have your Doodle Charts, stack them vertically, working bottom to top. 

Once they're stacked, the individual charts can now be read as one complete chart from which to work your project.

How you choose to arrange your charts can be just as creative as which charts you choose to use, and it can dramatically change the aesthetic of the design.

Here are some examples of how you can stack your Doodle Charts:

• Create a Scene: Use thematic charts to create a scene, such as an ocean or mountain landscape
• Simplify: Repeat the same single chart, either in monochrome or changing color with each repeat
• Create Stripes: Alternate dark and light in the MC and/or CC in consecutive charts for visual balance
• Offset: Shift charts horizontally to change up the alignment or offset from previous charts
• Mirror: Mirror a chart layout for a balanced aesthetic of each half of a pattern shape
• Add Negative Space: Leave extra space between charts or rows to work in plain stockinette

Methods for Arranging your Charts

There are several ways that you can organize or assemble your Doodle Charts to get ready to knit, and which one you choose is only a matter of personal preference.

Need help determining your Chart Height? Check out Calculating your Row Gauge & Chart Height for tips on planning the correct number of rounds.

OPTION 1 Print and cut out the charts (or use a Doodle Deck)

One of the easiest ways to design your chart is to just make it on the table in front of you! When the charts are available as individual pieces, it's easy to grab a few and try them out and see what works for your design. Once you're done, you can either take a photo, stack your chosen charts together in your project bag (works great for Doodle Cards), or go on to Option 2 to create a "Master Doodle Chart".

Want to try using Doodle Cards? Check out our full Doodle Deck collection to find your favorite themes!

OPTION 2 Use the Blank Doodle Master Chart to create your personal assembled design

The Master Doodle Chart is formatted for the Doodle Standard 24-stitch repeat and can be used for as many rounds as necessary to achieve your desired chart height. This method works great with the print and cut step above, because once you have your design laid out, you can simply tape it to the Blank Master Chart!

Alternatively, you can also use the Blank Master Doodle Chart with some colorful markers, and re-draw your selected Doodle Charts. This might be helpful if you want the chance to choose colors that correspond to your palette (there's even a palette key to fill in). So if you're concerned about seeing exactly which stitch is which color (rather than using black and white charts) this can be a really useful tool!

Ready to design your own Doodle Chart? Check out How to use the Blank Doodle Master Chart for a FREE guide and downloadable PDF!

OPTION 3 Use a digital tool to create your personal Doodle Chart

If you're more tech savvy, you can play with your charts in a digital app, such as Knitting Chart app, Knit Companion, or Stitch Fiddle. These apps can create blank grids that align to the Doodle Standard 24-stitch chart and you can re-draw your selected Doodle Charts in the right colors digitally. This is especially helpful because then you can export the image or view it on your phone for knitting on the go!

OPTION 4 Random Draw!

I do have some knitters that prefer to dive into the unknown - they simply put all their charts into a bowl and draw randomly to see which one they knit next!

While that may be a little too adventurous for some makers, what I love about Doodles is that you can choose the option that works best for you!

Modify a Chart (optional)

While we have over a thousand Doodle Charts to choose from, we also encourage makers to adapt charts to suit their needs. Here are some reasons (and ways) that you might consider adapting a chart.

• Add or remove CC stitches to simplify or change an existing motif
• Work half charts for easier size adjustments for smaller circumferences
• Change a 3-color chart to 2-colors to adjust the level of difficulty
  
• Combine multiple charts in one row for a creative flair

Design a Chart (optional)

If you still can't find the exact right chart you need in our library, and modifying an existing chart still isn't enough - why not try a little DIY (Design-It-Yourself) ?!

We have FREE DIY Blank Mini Charts available for download! These charts all work with the Doodle Standard 24-stitch chart repeat, and come formatted in various heights to help you create exactly what you need. Hint: Shorter-height charts tend to work best for border or filler charts, while taller charts are great for featured or focal motifs.

Here are my top tips for designing your own chart:

• Start/end with a full main color (blank) round for breathing room
• Consider float length between stitches to minimize snags
• Center your motifs on your repeat for a balanced aesthetic
• Determine number of colors per round for level of difficulty
• Check your horizontal repeat to ensure it lines up when knit

Ready to learn how to design your own? Check out Designing your Own Mini Doodle Charts for a free guide and downloadable PDF!

Find inspiration in nature, your favorite animals or holiday, or even let your kids pick the motif to design into your project! Personally, I love to ask my kiddo for motif ideas and then translate those sketches into my charts. 

KNIT!

Congratulations! You have now designed your very own Doodle project! All that's left is to cast-on and get knitting!

And remember, there's nothing wrong with a little trial and error, so don't be afraid to frog and re-start if the project isn't turning out the way you envisioned. Experimentation is part of the fun :)

 

Happy Doodling!

 

Blog written by Jamie Lomax