I have edited the tutorial and presented it fully on this page.

Knitting from a chart involves more than knowing what the stitches are. It involves understanding how to follow the stitches in their proper sequence in order to achieve the pattern intended.

Let's look at our chart for this lesson and we'll go over it line by line.

First of all, if there is any way you can make the chart bigger, it will help you enormously, for the teeny numbers are very hard to read. At the very least, get out a fine line pen and rewrite the numbers at the bottom and up the side.

OK. We notice there are numbers 1-55 along the bottom from right to left, and then a second line of numbers along the bottom, 67 to 77, and then 57 to 66. (In looking at the number sequence I see there is a mistake that no one caught...there is no 56...hmmm). These numbers are the STITCH NUMBERS. There are numbers 1 to 24 running from bottom to top at the right side of the chart...these are the ROW NUMBERS. You will notice everything starts sequentially from the bottom right corner. That is where we begin our chart reading! The first row of a chart is read from right to left....just as you work across knitting as you begin a new row.

So......first we cast on 76 sts.

NOTE: If you would like to make this square to look as pictured, then you will need to cast on 61 sts,(there is an increase that happens after row 7 to get you to 86 sts, and a decrease that happens before the last 7 rows to get you back down to 61 sts) remembering that this particular afghan square has a border of seed stitch that will eat up the first and last 5 sts (10 sts total) and the first and last 7 rows. Those sts are not counted in the graph. Remember to KEEP THEM IN PATTERN as you come to them, IF you are making this square as directed. For teaching clarity, we will not mention them again 

Let me talk about markers. I love using markers. I love COLLECTING markers. If anyone ever wants to bring me a present from far away, they can bring me an unusual stitch marker <g>. My markers get to have personalities, and they help me remember where I am in my knitting. I put them where it "looks" like a logical break is happening in a pattern, and I note that on the chart. So, I will put in 4 markers, 1 each after the following stitches:
11
21
55

66

Now, we will work across in pattern.
p 1
k sts 2-10 (k 9)
p 1
slip marker

st # 12 says to knit in the back of the loop. OK
p 1
k 2
p 2
k 2
p 1
knit in the back of the loop
slip marker

This part of the chart is tricky because we have some spaces that don't have any symbols in them. The only way I can see to make sense of this is to refer to the key and see if it can help.  If we count the squares, we KNOW there are 34 sts in this next section to my next marker after st #55, and we see clear purl sts marked (there are 16 of them), so I will assume the remaining 18 sts will be consumed by the 6RC pattern. Let's see..there are 6 sts in each pattern, and 3 sets of the pattern and 18 sts left.....yup. So, those blank spaces belong to the 6RC pattern.

I see we repeat a pattern we already did....exactly as we did it before, so st # 12  AND # 57 says to knit in the back of the loop. OK
p 1
k 2
p 2
k 2
p 1
knit in the back of the loop
slip marker

St # 67 is located under st # 1, and so we now repeat THAT section again:
p 1
k sts 2-10 (k 9)
p 1

First Row is DONE!

OK, this lesson is probably the most important for folks who are driven mad by trying to follow charts. We will work a wrong side row: Row 2.

First of all, it really helps to imagine the chart as a piece of knitting that you are looking at from the front side only. Then you need to think about the knit stitch and the purl stitch as being opposites of each other. What you see as a knit stitch on the front, will appear as a purl stitch on the back. If
you can get comfortable with that concept, then everything will fall into place. Secondly, I have not seen many patterns that have the knitter execute anything fancy on a wrong side row. This chart has a few "twisted purls" that you have to remember. I am sure there are complicated charts out there somewhere so STAY AWAKE as you peruse a pattern before you knit it, but mostly the wrong sides are "knit the knit stitches and purl the purl stitches AS THEY APPEAR TO YOU
WHILE KNITTING THEM." This means that by looking at the knitting (NOT THE CHART!!!!)
you decide what a stitch is and then work its own operation on it.

OK...we know, from our first lesson, that we have 76 sts to work across. We realize that at the end of Row 1, we worked that last stitch # 76. So, when we FLIP THE KNITTING OVER to work across the wrong side row, we need to FLIP THE CHART OVER (remember that it is the front of our knitting as it appears to us?), so we can read logically across. Guess what...we can't flip the chart over. This is what causes confusion. We have to read it backwards...from left to right, as we work across.

Here's how our chart reads BACKWARDS:
Work the section of Sts 77-67 first (since it was the last section worked on the previous row) once.
k1
p9
k1

Then work the section of 66-57 next (since it was the next-to-last section worked on the previous row), once.
slip marker
p IN THE BACK 1 (remember that twisted knit???? that was why I put the markers here...to
                                         remind you and me to do something different to this stitch)
k1
p2

k2
p2
k1
p IN THE BACK 1
slip marker

Then work the section of 55-22 next (middle cable section), once.
k4
p6
k4
p6
k4
p6
k4

Then work the section of 21-12 next (we're almost done!), once.
slip marker
p IN THE BACK 1
k1
p2
k2
p2
k1
p IN THE BACK 1
slip marker

k1
p9
k1

Knitters have come up with various ways to help themselves out of this dilemna of strangeness!

1. Take a highlighter and run it through all WRONG SIDE ROWS (which in this case, and in most cases, happen to be even rows). When you get to the highlighted rows, remember that you have to read the chart backwards.

3. Copying the chart and adding all the sections to one LONG chart, so that it is fully chronological over 76 sts, will help enormously...that way you can put your "beginning arrows" up the right side of the chart on the odd rows, and up the left side of the chart on the even rows. You can then tell at a glance where the first st1tch/section starts. Some folks even go so far as to place the NUMBERS of the rows ONLY ON THE SIDE WHERE THAT ROW BEGINS.

4. Use a magnetic board and magnetic line markers to keep track of where you are on the printed chart, and row counters that you place on the needle or clip onto your knitting to keep your place in the work itself.

As you can see.....this is a universal problem, and people have invented all sorts of ways to help.

But, wait....there is a silver lining in all this. How easy it would be if all a knitter had to do was work on the right side of the knitting, and always have the knitting and each row start on the right side of her work!?! Egads....no wrong side rows...no reversed stitch directions. Yes...work your aran sweaters in the round! When you read a chart you are ALWAYS on the front of the chart and ALWAYS on the front of the sweater. All the confusing rules of this lesson disappear, and you only have to remember the last lesson and how to read across the first row of a chart.

Next lesson...we'll work thrugh the whole chart of this pattern to see if any problems lie ahead.

Since my last post, ash sent me a very helpful hint: if you want to have fun with working a full chart backwards while flat knitting, but able to read it the same way as you do for the "right side" rows (from right to left), copy the chart onto a transparency and FLIP IT OVER EVERY OTHER ROW. Brilliant <g>

We are now going to work through the rest of the chart for this lesson. We have completed Row 1, with it's confusing chart progression reading (and licked it!), and we have completed Row 2, which is reading back backwards (or reading the chart as an opposite set of directions from right to left). Row 3 will be a repeat of the progression of reading the stitches as in Row 1, by          following the numbers at the bottom and working from right to left, but with slightly different stitch directions as we come to each pattern section.  We have put some markers in place to help remind us of where we are. This makes  chart following SO MUCH EASIER! I highly recommend using a magnetic board with line markers under the row you need to see to keep your place on the printed chart.  At a glance you can see what row you are working on.

6LC....hmm....we went through the interpretation of those blank spaces around this symbol back in C.H.A.R.T.S. lesson 3, so we see that it means:
6 Stitch Left Cable (over 6 sts). So...
Sl 3 sts to cn(cable needle) and hold to front of work, K3,K3 from cn
k3
p1
slip marker
sts 12-21:
knit in the back of the loop

p3
k2
p3
knit in the back of the loop
slip marker
sts 22-55:
p3
//// means 4 Stitch Right Purl Cross (over 4 sts)...Sl 1 st to cn and hold to back of work, K3, P1
                                                                          from cn
\\\\ means 4 Stitch Left Purl Cross (over 4 sts) = Sl 3 sts to cn and hold to front of work, P1,K3
                                                                          from cn
p2

p2
(over 4 sts)Sl 1 st to cn and hold to back of work, K3, P1 from cn
(over 4 sts)Sl 3 sts to cn and hold to front of work, P1, K3 from cn
p3

slip marker
sts 57-66 (REMEMBER..THERE IS NO #56 BECAUSE OF A TYPO!)
knit in the back of the loop
p3
k2
p3

knit in the back of the loop
slip marker
sts 67-77
p1
(over 6 sts)Sl 3 sts to cn(cable needle) and hold to front of work, K3,K3 from
cn
k3
p1

On to Row 4, which is REALLY easy as you just knit the knits as you see then, and purl the purls as you see them EXCEPT....remember the twisted knits on our chart? They are located right at the markers, so remember to work them as TWISTED PURLS (purl in the back loop).

 sts 77-67: then
sts 66-57: then
sts 55-22: then
sts 21-12: then
sts 11-1

Hieroglyphics.  Joyce, (Circular Knitting list owner), linked that term for me to chart     reading. <g>. (And, then I had to go and figure out how to spell it!)

Boy, is THAT an understatement! I thought this a good place to take stock of what's "out there" in terms of knitting symbolism.  Janet Szabo, (Aran List owner) in her book HANDBOOK OF ARAN SWEATER DESIGN, p 6, does a nice comparative job showing how 3 different sets of stitch "shorthand" directions convey the same knitting stitch pattern. Well, the same is true with chart symbols.  For instance, I will show how the charts listed below can  have different ways to explain how they make similar cable stitch maneuvers.

Before I continue, may I direct your attention to the year long St. Patrick's Day Afghan Project undertaken by the Aran List in 2000. The generous and talented folk who shared their own creative charts have enabled this on-line class to have instant access to examples in order that we may all learn more. I  thank them all, and if any of you are inspired by what you see in their work,

drop them a line and let them know. Remember there are copyrights on each and every web published chart/page, so follow any instructions noted if you print them out to share.  (and thanks to Tracy Szathmar for sharing ALL that web space with the group!)

                 slip next 2 sts to cable needle and hold at the back; knit 1, k2 sts from cable
                 needle Dawn uses a symbol like this:
                   __
                 _/

 Block 4 (by Linnette D. Harter)
                 http://www.msu.edu/user/szathmar/block4.html

                 Linnette uses a block of 6 sts that she easily outline-blocked out on her chart, and
                 includes a description to follow each time you come to that 6-st group:
                 LBT=Little Bow Twist= and the description follows on the page.

                 http://www.msu.edu/user/szathmar/block5.html
                 Jane uses text symbols (in my opinion....the best way for e-mail work) to explain her
                 sts. There are limitations, but they are OH SO EASY to adapt to your own use and
                 your own charting efforts QUICKLY.
                 //// = slip 2 sts to cable needle and hold in back, k2, k2 from cable needle

                 http://www.msu.edu/user/szathmar/block6.html
                 Stephanie has noted her Twist 4 Back Cable "T4B" stitch as follows:

                 over 4 squares (I don't have the block symbol figured out on text):
                 "a solid block of  color" / /  "a solid block of color"
                 this translates (in the key, paraphrased) to: sl 2 cn back, k2, p2 cn.

Block 7 (Robin Myers)

                 Robin's chart is very clear (as is her key) and seems to be full sized (I haven't tried to
                 print it out). Forgive me..I can't make her elegant symbols with text...
                  //  //  more or less means 2x2 cable..right cross OR
                  sl 2 st to cable needle and hold in back of work, k2, k2 from cn

Block 9 (Tracy Strickland)

                 Tracy's chart is a two-tone affair, which makes the knits and purls really easy
                 to see, and her symbols are like Dawn's in Square 1:  so Let's look at her symbol
                   __
                 _/

                 the same as Dawn's (except she has it part shaded on her chart..making the
                 knit/purl nature of the stitch clear) and she calls it something else:
                 C1BP..and her directions: slip 1 st to cn and hold at back; k2, p st from cn

Block 12 (Marsha Kostman)
                 http://www.msu.edu/user/szathmar/block12.html
                 Martha also has a similar symbol to Dawn's and Tracy's
                   __
                 _/
                 and on her chart it means  slip one st to cn and hold in back; k2, then k1 cn, so it's
                 more similar to Dawn's, but still different.

Block 13 (Katherine)
                 http://www.msu.edu/user/szathmar/block13.html
                 I can't wait to work this square (sigh). I'm a sucker for a good snowflake in
                 any form. I LOVE the astrological symbols used for some stitches! These symbols
                 are also very elegant and remind me of Robin's. My text symbols are not
                 adequate, but here goes:
                 over 3 sts
                 -/ /- means 2/1 LPC (2/1 Left Purl Cross): Slip next 2 sts to cable needle and
                 hold at front of work, p1, then k2 from cable needle

Block 14 (Jeanette Heifner)
                 http://www.msu.edu/user/szathmar/block14.html
                 I like the use of RT and LT to denote the twisting of 2 sts as noted in the
                 key. Very easy to remember!
                     ___
                 ___|   means  C4B...sl 2 sts to the back on CN, knit next 2 sts, k2 from CN

That wraps up the overview of chart/symbol differences. You can see that everyone is out to show a SHORTHAND way of noting what to do. You still have to refer back to the chart until you are comfortable with the stitches you are making. My thanks to Valerie who did a TON of chart work for that class, and who helped me out by proofing this lesson (as she proofed most of the squares for the afghan!)

Keep a small crochet hook handy in case you need
it, or at least another double pointed needle.

Knit up to the cable. Look at the sts to be crossed. 
1. Slide your right needle behind or in front of the 
sts being crossed  (if it is a
stitches-headed-into-a-right-cross-cable, for
example, then the right needle goes IN FRONT)
2. Slide the right needle INTO the sts to be
crossed/moved, from right to left, and VERY
CAREFULLY with the knitting held loosely and ALL
knitting held close to the points of both
needles, slide the rest of the cable sts OFF the
left needle.
3. Don't breathe!
4. Carefully spear into the dangling sts with the
left needle point, from left to right, then
transfer the original cable cross sts from the
right needle onto the left needle point, slipping
each as if to purl.
5. Knit (and or purl) across the cable sts on the
left needle as they now present themselves in
their new positions.

I find that 2 over 1 or 1 over 2 sts are the
easiest for me to do this way. 3 over 3 gets
interesting.