Creating your first design

This guide shows you how to create and save your first design.

You can use the studio without an account. However, you must have an account with a verified email address to save your design.

For the best experience, we recommend a laptop or desktop computer running the Chrome browser. Other modern browsers generally work, but desktop Chrome supports all the features. Mobile devices can currently view rendered swatches, but not edit.

The studio

Open the studio at colorwork.studio/swatch. The studio opens with a sample design and two random yarn colors.

The studio, with the side panel (1), the preview and its Preview tab (2), and the chart and its Chart tab (3) outlined
The studio.
  1. The side panel on the left contains the design settings. It has four sections: Design, Grid, Gauge, and Yarns.
  2. The Preview area at the top shows the chart as a knitted swatch. This preview updates automatically when you make changes. Its Preview tab holds the viewing tools.
  3. The Chart at the bottom is the grid of stitches that you edit. Its Chart tab holds the editing tools.

Setting up your design

The Design section for a new design, with the Name field, the Visibility dropdown, and the New and Open buttons
  1. Type a name in the Name field. You can change this name later.
  2. Choose a Visibility option: Public, Private, or Unlisted. On the Free tier, all designs are Public.
  3. Write a description in the Description field. This step is optional, and you can change the description later.
  4. The system does not save your work automatically. You must click the Save button.

Setting the chart size and gauge

Chart size

The Grid section sets the size of the chart. It also sets how many times the preview repeats:

The Grid section with the stitches, rows, and repeats fields and the Knit direction dropdown
  1. The Stitches and Rows fields set the width and height of the chart.
  2. The Repeats fields set how many times the preview repeats in the horizontal and vertical directions.

You can insert new stitches and rows into the middle of your chart. To learn how, read about the selection tools.

Gauge

The Gauge section uses the number of stitches and rows per 4 inches (10 centimeters). The default gauge is 20 stitches and 20 rows.

The Gauge section with the stitches and rows fields
  1. Type your custom gauge (for example, 28 stitches and 32 rows). The preview will change the shape of each stitch to match your gauge.

Adding yarns

The Yarn section links alphanumeric symbols (for example, the number "1") to specific yarn colors (for example, "Shetland Spindrift Coral").

The Yarns section with two yarns in numbered slots
  1. Click the Add a yarn icon. The Yarn library window will open.
  2. Search for a yarn or use the filters. Click a yarn to add it to your design.

To change a yarn, click the Edit yarn icon next to it. If you use the Free tier, your design can include a maximum of 5 yarns.

Painting stitches

In the Chart tab, select the Paint mode icon.

  1. Select a yarn color from the dropdown menu. Alternatively, press the keyboard symbol that matches the yarn (for example, the "1" key).
  2. Click a single stitch to paint it. Click and drag your mouse to paint a line of multiple stitches.

To paint a rectangle, select the Fill mode icon. Then, click and drag your mouse across the chart.

To remove stitches, select the Eraser icon. You can also press the Backspace key on your keyboard. An erased stitch appears as an empty gap in the preview.

To reverse an action, click the Undo icon (or press Ctrl+Z on Windows, and Cmd+Z on Mac). To repeat an action, click the Redo icon (or press Ctrl+Shift+Z on Windows, and Cmd+Shift+Z on Mac).

The Chart tab.

Watching the preview

The Preview area displays your chart rendered using your selected yarn colors.

The Preview tab.

Saving

The Design section with unsaved changes, with the Save icon (1) outlined
  1. Click the Save icon in the Design section. You can also press Ctrl+S on your keyboard for Windows, and Cmd+S for Mac.

Note: Colorwork Studio does not save your progress automatically. You must click the Save button to save your work.

If you are using the Free tier, all of your designs are Public. Make sure you own the copyrights to any designs you save publicly.

If you are a Designer, consider creating Unlisted designs. Knitters who buy your patterns will be able to choose their own colors and knit from your charts. For more info, see Premium features.