How to Translate Knitting Patterns to English
You found the perfect Japanese yoke, a French baby cardigan, or a Norwegian colorwork sweater — and now you need it in English. Here are the four ways knitters do it, and when each one is worth your time.
1. Translate it yourself with a glossary
Slow but free. Pick a glossary for your source language (we keep one for every supported language) and work through the pattern row by row. Best for short, written patterns in a language whose alphabet you can read.
2. Google Translate or DeepL
Fast but unreliable. General-purpose translators don't know that jeté means YO, or that maille glissée is a slipped stitch — you'll get word-for-word English that no knitter can actually follow. They also can't read knitting charts or symbols.
3. Hire a translator on Ravelry or Etsy
Accurate but slow and expensive ($30–$80 per pattern, several days turnaround). Worth it for a heirloom project; overkill for the dozen patterns sitting in your queue.
4. Use KnitTranslate
Built specifically for knitting and crochet. Upload the PDF, pick the source language (or auto-detect), and get back an English version with:
- Standard English abbreviations (K, P, YO, K2tog…)
- A custom glossary built from the abbreviations your pattern actually uses
- cm → inches and g → oz conversion
- Sizing tables and stitch counts preserved exactly
Which method should you choose?
- • One short pattern, language you half-read: glossary.
- • Important project, no time pressure, deep pockets: human translator.
- • Anything else: KnitTranslate.
A note on knitting charts
Japanese patterns in particular rely heavily on charts using JIS L 0201 symbols. KnitTranslate recognizes the most common symbols and includes a key in the English version — but for very chart-heavy patterns, keep the original PDF open alongside the translation for visual reference.