Charts; Birds of a Feather?

I have long disputed (and tried to ignore) the need for "Knitter's Graph Paper' vs. the regular kind used for Needlework and other academic graphy things. For the most part, images can be duplicated with normal, square graph paper, and the elongated stitches of knitted colour work aren't too upsetting ("They're slimming," I'd tell myself).

But I have found the conversion's limit. I had thought that if the gauge was small enough, such weird angles and slopes wouldn't be so troublesome and the image wouldn't look like a pixelated Luigi when I was hoping to settle for a pixelated Mario. At the 9st/1" to follow that's obviously bunk.
I've worked this in Assisi Embroidery; stitching only the background.These little birds are from Bibliothèque DMC Point de Croix Nouveaux Dessins, Ire Série c.1905(made available by http://www.antiquepatternlibrary.com/) and when they are cross stitched they are pert, pleasantly squat, and Escher-y.

Knit, they have goiters.
My Mushroom sweater however, is working out. So my new rule shall be Geometric yes, Pictorial no.

EDIT: Go grab some free knitter's graph paper here.