Even Stitch Increase & Decrease Calculator

How to use the stitch calculator

1. Enter the current and target stitch counts for the entire working span. Both must be whole numbers from 1 to 10,000.
2. Choose knitting or crochet and a flat row or round. The target determines whether this is an increase, decrease or unchanged pass.
3. Choose a method when shaping is needed. Read the original-stitch positions, check the total and copy the complete ordered instructions.

What the calculator provides

• Target-count planning for flat rows and rounds
• M1L, M1R and kfb increases for plain knitting
• Two-together decreases for knitting and single crochet
• Original stitch positions, a diagram for up to 120 stitches, and checked totals

When it helps

• Spread six increases across a 20-stitch knitted row.
• Reduce a 20-stitch row by six with nonoverlapping k2tog pairs.
• Place crochet increases evenly in a plain round.

How placement and stitch consumption work

An M1 makes one new stitch in a gap without consuming an old stitch; kfb consumes one old stitch and produces two. A two-together decrease consumes two old stitches and produces one, so 10 to 4 cannot be done with only two-together decreases in one pass.

For 20 to 26 using kfb, increase original stitches 2, 6, 9, 12, 16 and 19. For 20 to 14 using k2tog, use original pairs 2–3, 5–6, 8–9, 12–13, 15–16 and 18–19. Both results are checked against all 20 original stitches.

The spacing divides available action slots into balanced integer positions. Remainders can make the flat ends differ. Round M1 may use the gap after the final stitch, before the beginning marker; flat M1 only uses interior gaps.

Limits and privacy

Follow your pattern for selvedges, lace, ribbing, repeats and designer-specified shaping. Equal stitch counts do not ensure a suitable fabric shape, and this tool does not plan multiple rows.

Counts and results stay in your browser; ordinary site services may still make requests.