Support

How do I create a pattern?

Click Create in the Studio menu. You can start from a template or start with a blank document. Templates give you a pre-built structure with gauge calculations, sized stitch counts, and generated instructions already in place. A blank document is an empty page you write from scratch.

What templates are available?

Templates are organized by garment type: sweaters, cardigans, scarves, hats, mittens, socks, and shawls. Each template defines the sections of the garment, the construction options within each section, and the math that ties gauge to stitch counts across all sizes. When you pick a template, you enter the document editor with a fully structured pattern ready to customize.

What if I want to write my pattern from scratch?

Choose "start with a blank document" on the create page. You'll enter the document editor with an empty page. You can type, format, insert images, and build stitch charts, but there won't be any gauge calculations or auto-generated instructions. Everything is manual.

Where do I find my patterns?

All Designs in the Studio menu shows every pattern you've created. Click any pattern card to open it in the document editor. You can also search by name from the patterns page.

What is the document editor?

The document editor is where your pattern lives as a written document. It's a paginated editor that handles page breaks and layout so what you see on screen is what you get when you export to PDF. If you started from a template, your pattern arrives with structure, stitch counts, and instructions already in place. From here you add your own content and refine the design.

How do I format text?

Click into any text and type. The toolbar has formatting options: bold, italic, underline, strikethrough, font size, and font family. You can also set paragraph alignment (left, center, right, justify), insert bulleted or numbered lists, and add hyperlinks. Gauge tokens behave differently from regular text. Clicking one opens the gauge sidebar rather than placing a text cursor.

How do I add images?

Click the image icon in the toolbar and select a file. Once inserted, you can drag the image to reposition it, resize it using corner handles, change its alignment (left, center, right), rotate it, or fit it to the page width. Images snap to paragraph boundaries so they won't land in the middle of a line of text.

How do headers and footers work?

Open headers and footers from the File menu. You can set text for the left, center, and right positions of both the header and footer. Use {n} for the current page number and {total} for total pages. These appear on every page of your exported PDF.

Does the document editor autosave?

Yes. The document saves automatically as you work. The save status appears next to the pattern title at the top of the editor.

How do I export my pattern as a PDF?

Open the File menu and choose Export PDF. Your pattern renders with all formatting, page settings, images, stitch charts, and headers and footers preserved exactly as they appear in the editor.

How does gauge work?

If you started from a template, the gauge sidebar on the left side of the document editor lets you set your stitches and rows per 4 inches. Every stitch count in the pattern flows from these two numbers. The measurements behind the calculations are based on Craft Yarn Council sizing standards, which is what professional patterns are built on.

Change your gauge at any point and the whole pattern recalculates. Every section, every size, every token in the document updates immediately. You don't need to find and fix each number manually.

What are gauge tokens?

Gauge tokens are the live values embedded throughout your document wherever a stitch count, row count, or measurement appears. They're visually distinct from regular text so you can spot them at a glance. When you update your gauge in the sidebar, every token in the document recalculates instantly.

What is The Protocol sidebar?

The Protocol is the panel on the right side of the document editor, marked with the /P icon. It shows contextual information about whichever section of the pattern you're working in. Click a section header in your document or select a section from the checklist to open it.

Each section shows three blocks: What and Why explains the construction purpose of that section and how the math works. Your Numbers shows the live calculation breakdown: the inputs, the sizing standards, and the result, all updating as your gauge changes. Designer's Note offers guidance on fit, technique, and common pitfalls specific to the option you selected.

What is the sections checklist?

Below the gauge inputs in the left sidebar, the sections checklist shows every section of your pattern with the option you selected for each. Click any section to scroll to it in the document and open its details in The Protocol sidebar. It's a quick way to navigate a long pattern and review your construction choices at a glance.

Why doesn't my pattern have gauge inputs?

Gauge inputs and The Protocol sidebar only appear on patterns created from a template. Templates define the relationship between gauge and stitch counts, which is what makes live recalculation possible. If you started with a blank document, there are no gauge tokens and no calculation engine. The editor is simply a free-form writing environment.

What is the stitch chart generator?

The stitch chart generator lets you build visual stitch charts: the symbol grids used in professional patterns to represent stitch sequences row by row. Click the Stitch Chart button in the toolbar to insert one. As you draw the chart, Protocol writes the row-by-row text instructions alongside it automatically. You get the visual chart and the written instructions at the same time.

What symbols are available?

The chart editor includes standard knitting symbols: knit, purl, yarn over, k2tog, SSK, M1R, M1L, and more. Click a symbol in the palette, then click or drag across cells to place it. The generated written instructions use standard abbreviations (K, P, YO, K2tog, SSK) and group consecutive identical stitches automatically, so three knit stitches in a row become K3.

What about colorwork charts?

When you create a colorwork chart, the palette switches from stitch symbols to colors. You start with a main color and can add contrast colors as needed. Each color has a color picker so you can set the exact shade. The generated instructions reference each color by name (MC, CC1, CC2, etc.) and group runs of the same color the same way stitch charts group stitches.

What is flat vs. in-the-round?

When you create a chart, you choose whether the piece is knit flat or in the round. This affects how the written instructions are generated. Flat knitting alternates right-side and wrong-side rows, and wrong-side stitches are swapped (knit becomes purl, k2tog becomes p2tog, etc.). In-the-round knitting reads every row from the right side.

Can I edit a chart after inserting it?

Yes. Click a chart in the document to reopen the chart editor. You can resize the grid, change symbols or colors, rename the chart, and toggle between flat and in-the-round. The written instructions regenerate each time you save changes.

What is share-by-link?

Share-by-link lets you send a read-only version of your pattern to anyone without them needing an account. Protocol generates a unique URL that opens a live, formatted view of your pattern, with working gauge inputs if it was built from a template. The viewer can read the pattern, adjust gauge to see recalculated stitch counts, and download it as a PDF. They cannot edit your original.

How do I create a share link?

Click the share button in the top right of the document editor. A unique link is generated immediately. Copy it and send it however you like: email, text, social media. You can revoke the link at any time from the same menu, which disables access instantly.

Can viewers change the gauge?

If the pattern was built from a template, viewers see gauge inputs and can enter their own stitch and row counts. All the stitch counts in the pattern recalculate to match their gauge, and they can download a PDF with their custom numbers. This only works for template-based patterns. Blank document patterns display as-is with no interactive gauge.

What is chart inversion?

On shared patterns with colorwork charts, viewers can invert the chart colors. This is useful for printing on different paper or for reading the chart with reversed contrast.

Can viewers save a shared pattern?

If a viewer is logged in, the shared pattern is automatically saved to their library when they open the link. They can find it later without needing the URL again.

How do I update my profile?

Go to Settings from the account menu. You can update your name and email address. Changing your email requires your current password for security.

How do I change my password?

In Settings, scroll to the Password section. Enter your current password along with your new password and confirmation, then save.

Can I change the appearance?

Yes. In Settings under Appearance, you can switch between Light, Dark, and System mode. System mode automatically follows your device preference.

How do I manage email notifications?

In Settings under Notifications, you can opt in or out of marketing emails. Transactional emails like password resets are always sent regardless of this setting.

I forgot my password. How do I reset it?

Click "Forgot password?" on the login page and enter your email address. You'll receive a link to create a new password.