How to Make a Pattern from an Image or Picture

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[edit] Introduction

An existing image can be a great starting place for a new pattern. It's not difficult to create a pattern from an image it just takes a little time.

Adobe Photoshop can be used to covert an image or picture to a knitting pattern.

Convert the image to RGB.
- Select from the top menu: Image->Mode->RGB Color
Duplicate the original image layer.
- It's a good idea to keep an original version of the image in case you need to go back to the beginning.
- Turn off the original image by selecting the eye next to it in the layer window.
From the top menu select Filter ->Pixelate->Mosaic
- Choose what cell size you want. This is a judgment call. Play with the cell size seeing how much detail you loose with each one. I chose 4 for my image, because it the pattern has the crispest edges on multiples of 4. However, if I chose 8 too much detail was lost.

Simplify the colors into something that can be knitted easily using a combination of the two techniques below.

Before	After

Paint Bucket technique
- This technique works best for large areas of a single color
- Use the Eyedropper tool to select the color you want an area to be.
- Use the rectangular marquee tool to select the area you want to paint a single color.
- Then use the paint bucket tool to convert the area to the color you selected with the eyedropper tool.
  - Tip: Make sure you have snap to edges turned on. It makes this much easier.
Pencil Technique
- This technique works better for smaller areas.
- Use the Eyedropper tool to select the color you want an area to be.
- Select the pencil tool
- Set to a pixel size of 4 and color in the areas manually.
  - The pixel size you choose should correspond to the cell size you choose when you pixelated the image.
- Set the pixel size to 1 to clean up any stray pixels.

Add a grid to show where each of the stitches will be.

Note:The size of the grid should correspond to the cell size you used when you pixelated the image.

Create a canvas that is 4x4 pixels.
- From the file menu select New and add the following settings.
  - Width: 4 pixels
  - Height: 4 pixels
  - Background: Transparent
Select black or another contrasting color as your foreground color.
Select the pencil tool and set the pixel size to 1.
Go around the outside edge and paint the left and top edges with a 1 pixel wide black border.

Go back to you original image.
Select Layer->New Fill Layer->Pattern
- Choose a name for the new layer
- Opacity:100%
- Color: none
- Click OK
Select the pattern you just created from the drop down menu on the left.
- Leave the other settings as is.
- Click OK

Your pattern now has a grid. It’s on a separate layer, so you can turn it on and off if you need to.