Abstract
The paper outlines the linguistic and semiotic aspects of a specialty text – a knitting pattern. In today’s busy world, nobody wants to read long and complicated texts if it can be easier illustrated by a photograph or a charted image that uses a set of specific symbols with their own, non-arbitrary meanings to make a text reader’s time usage more effective but also clear. Aspects of signs, semiotics, and language games are also explored in alignment with knitting charts as the main reference, as a knitting chart symbol is a concrete referent in its context. Finally, the translation of knitting charts is described, including the importance of a chart key and what transformations of text have occurred in the translation of knitting charts from English into Latvian. Charted knitting patterns could become a that could be easily transferred between different languages and cultures, helping people share their skills and heritage. Knitting and linguistics and translation studies is a new area of research that could bring many new insights about crafting and specialized language use.
Highlights
Everyone knows the old saying that a picture is worth a thousand words
This paper aims at showing the complexity of symbol usage in knitting patterns and their linguistic aspects depending on previous knowledge of the text receiver and specialized background, as well as various aspects of chart translation as this problem has not yet been looked at in linguistics nor translation studies in any language pair
Can charted patterns be universals for any language? Symbols could be the solution for transmitting knitting traditions of different cultures globally as only very little text is needed to accompany the knitting chart
Summary
Everyone knows the old saying that a picture is worth a thousand words. Nobody wants to read long and complicated texts in today's busy world if it can be easier illustrated by a photograph or a graph. Any designer or author of a knitting pattern is allowed to create their own symbols, especially if they use unusual stitch combinations that might not be known previously or obscure In this rule bound universe we have already determined two rules that need to be observed for successful comprehension of the chart: 1) An overall perusal of the chart 2) Reading of the chart key. The entire pattern might have a large number of stitches that can reach several hundred, but the repeat represents, say, 20 stitches, so the knitter knows already that the symbols used in the chart apply to the entire work not just the 20 This way, a large efficiency is possible, as a complex pattern can be shown on one page, whereas if it were written, it would take up dozens of pages as for a chart, there is no need to explain it stitch by stitch. Unlimited semiosis goes back to the previously mentioned repeat – the meanings constantly return to the knitter, it is a never-ending circle
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