Stitch Calculator

Work out how many stitches to cast on or chain, and how many rows to work, for any width and height.

Once you know your gauge, working out how many stitches to cast on is arithmetic. This calculator does that arithmetic, including the repeat adjustment that patterns rarely explain, and shows how many whole pattern repeats fit across the width you want.

At a glance

What you enter: Your stitch gauge, Your row gauge, Width you want, Height you want, Stitches in the pattern repeat, Border stitches outside the repeat, Rows in the pattern repeat
What you get: Cast on this many stitches, Chain this many for crochet, Whole pattern repeats, Rows to work, Actual finished width
Formula shown: Yes, every step, right below your results.
Cost and privacy: Free, no account needed, and nothing you type is stored.

See worked examples ↓ Read the FAQ ↓ Share this calculator ↓

Your stitch gauge st/in

Your row gauge rows/in

Width you want in

Height you want in

Stitches in the pattern repeat st

Use 1 if the stitch has no repeat.

Border stitches outside the repeat st

For example the plus two in "multiple of six plus two".

Rows in the pattern repeat rows

Leave at zero to ignore row repeats.

Reset

Results are estimates for general information only, always verify with a professional or official source before acting on them.

How to use the Stitch Calculator

1 Enter Your stitch gauge (st/in)
2 Enter Your row gauge (rows/in)
3 Enter Width you want (in)
4 Enter Height you want (in)
5 Enter Stitches in the pattern repeat (st), Use 1 if the stitch has no repeat.
6 Enter Border stitches outside the repeat (st), For example the plus two in "multiple of six plus two".
7 Enter Rows in the pattern repeat (rows), Leave at zero to ignore row repeats.
8 Press Calculate. You get Cast on this many stitches, Chain this many for crochet, Whole pattern repeats, Rows to work, Actual finished width, and every intermediate step stays visible under "How is this calculated?"
9 Change one number at a time to see what moves the result, that is usually the most useful thing a calculator can tell you.

Worked examples

Real numbers run through this calculator. Open any example to load it into the form above and change it.

Blanket in a six stitch repeat

4.5 stitches per inch, a 40 inch width, a repeat of six plus two border stitches.

You enter

Your stitch gauge: 4.50 st/in
Your row gauge: 6 rows/in
Width you want: 40 in
Height you want: 50 in
Stitches in the pattern repeat: 6
Border stitches outside the repeat: 2
Rows in the pattern repeat: 0

You get

Cast on this many stitches: 176
Chain this many for crochet: 177
Whole pattern repeats: 29
Rows to work: 300
Actual finished width: 39.11 in

Round down rather than up if you must stay under a yarn limit.

Open this example in the calculator →

Scarf with no repeat

6 stitches per inch, an 8 inch width, a plain stitch.

You enter

Your stitch gauge: 6 st/in
Your row gauge: 8 rows/in
Width you want: 8 in
Height you want: 65 in
Stitches in the pattern repeat: 1
Border stitches outside the repeat: 0
Rows in the pattern repeat: 0

You get

Cast on this many stitches: 48
Chain this many for crochet: 49
Whole pattern repeats: 48
Rows to work: 520
Actual finished width: 8.00 in

Set the repeat to one when the stitch is plain.

Open this example in the calculator →

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Frequently asked questions

How many stitches do I cast on for a 40 inch blanket?

Multiply your stitches per inch by 40, then round to a whole number of pattern repeats plus any border stitches. At 4.5 stitches per inch that is 180 stitches before adjustment. The calculator above does the rounding and shows the width you will actually get.

What does "multiple of six plus two" mean?

The stitch pattern repeats every six stitches, and two extra stitches form a border that sits outside the repeat. You cast on any number that is two more than a multiple of six: 32, 38, 44 and so on. Set the repeat to six and the border to two above.

Does a chain count as a stitch in crochet?

It depends on the pattern and the stitch. Turning chains in taller stitches usually do count, and patterns say so explicitly. When in doubt, follow the pattern rather than a general rule, and count your foundation row carefully because an error there shifts everything above it.

Why is my finished width not exactly what I planned?

Because rounding to a whole repeat moves the width slightly, and because gauge drifts while you work. The calculator shows the actual finished width after rounding, so you can see the difference before you start rather than after you finish.

Terms used here

Short, plain-language definitions of the words this calculator uses.

Gauge The number of stitches and rows a knitter or crocheter produces over a fixed distance, almost always measured over 4 inches or 10 centimetres. Stitch repeat The number of stitches a pattern uses before it starts again.

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