PurlbedFrequently asked questions
Short answers about Purlbed and machine-knitting charts. Something missing? Write to support@purlbed.com.
What is Purlbed?
Purlbed is a free web app for machine knitters. You draw a bed chart (which needles knit on the front bed, the back bed or both, row by row) and it works out the needle notation, the row sequence and a printable A4 technical-book page. It also designs 24-stitch punch cards and has 105 technique cards and guides to 7 machine types. It runs in the browser, in English and Chinese.
Who is Purlbed for?
Knitwear and textile students who keep a technical book of swatches, and home machine knitters: people with single-bed punch-card or electronic machines (Brother, Silver Reed), single beds with a ribber, Passap-type double beds and Dubied-style hand flats.
Which knitting machines does it support?
Charts are drawn for a machine type, not a model. There are seven: single bed with punch card (e.g. Brother KH-821, KH-881, Silver Reed SK-280), single bed electronic (e.g. Brother KH-930, KH-965i), single bed without patterning (e.g. Silver Reed LK150), punch-card single bed with ribber, electronic single bed with ribber, double bed with pushers (Passap Duomatic, E6000) and double-bed hand flats (Dubied, Universal, older Stoll).
What is the difference between a bed chart and needle notation?
A bed chart is a grid with one column per needle and one row per row knitted; each cell says which bed knits there (front, back, both for double jersey, or out of work) and marks hold, tuck, slip and transfers. Needle notation draws the needles of both beds step by step, the way a technical book records a structure: changes of bed become transfer arrows and sideways moves become hooked arrows. Purlbed derives the notation from the chart.
Can Purlbed make punch cards for Brother and Silver Reed machines?
Yes, for 24-stitch punch-card machines. Draw the card for Fair Isle, tuck, slip or weaving, preview the repeat across 200 needles, then print a 1:1 punching template (print at 100 % and check the 100 mm bar) or download a Cricut cut file. Repeats should divide 24: 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 12 or 24 stitches.
Does it help with double-bed jacquard and ribber work?
Yes. Bed charts cover both beds, and the technique cards explain double-bed jacquard backings (birdseye, striper, ladder back, solid backing, double face, relief or blister), ribs, transfers and plating, each with a demo chart you can open in the editor.
Can I turn a picture into a knitting chart?
Two ways. The standard chart is a grid at your gauge: colour it in Procreate or on paper (cyan for the front bed, violet for both beds, white for the back bed) and import the picture, and it comes back as an editable bed chart. The beta planner takes a sketch or photo, lets you box its areas, and suggests four ways to knit each one; those options are not yet verified by knitting.
Is Purlbed free?
Drawing bed charts, the needle notation, the previews, the standard chart and the technique cards are free. Purlbed Pro is an optional one-time purchase that unlocks printing and export files: technical-book pages, 1:1 punch-card templates, Cricut files and selection bitmaps. Backups of your swatches are always free.
Does it work on an iPad and offline?
Yes. Open purlbed.com in Safari and choose Share → Add to Home Screen; it then opens full screen, takes Apple Pencil input and works offline after the first visit.
Where are my swatches saved?
Only in your browser, on that device. Nothing is uploaded. Export a JSON backup to move swatches to another device or browser. The optional AI suggestions in the beta planner use your own Anthropic API key, which stays in your browser and is sent only to Anthropic.
Where do the technique cards come from?
They are written in our own words from machine manuals, knitting references and swatching, and say which machine types can knit each technique. Previews are approximate and say so; knit a test swatch before a whole piece.