How to use the knitting and crochet row counter
- Tap the plus button each time you finish a row or round. Tap minus to undo one.
- On a computer, press Space or the Up arrow to add a row and the Down arrow to take one off.
- If your pattern repeats, enter the rows in one repeat. The counter shows which row of the repeat comes next.
- Enter a target, such as the rows for one sleeve or a whole blanket, to see a progress bar.
- Tap New for another project. Each project keeps its own numbers.
Why count rows
Patterns often say to work a number of rows, or to repeat a set of rows until the piece reaches a length. Losing count is easy when you put the work down, and it shows: a sleeve two rows longer than the other, or a cable crossed in the wrong place.
Counting also helps when you make two of something. If the first sleeve took 86 rows, the second should too, and a saved count is easier to trust than a ruler. For blankets, a target count tells you how far along you are without measuring a large piece on the floor.
Counting rounds in circular work
Work in the round counts the same way. For a hat crown or an amigurumi piece, tap once at the end of each round. A stitch marker in the first stitch of the round shows you where that end is, which matters in continuous rounds where there is no join to look for.
If a pattern repeats a group of rounds, such as two plain rounds and one increase round, set the repeat to 3. The display then tells you when the increase round comes up, and the target can be the total rounds the pattern lists.
How the repeat counter works
The counter keeps one number, the rows you have finished. Everything else comes from it. The row you are working is one more. Its place in the repeat is the remainder after dividing by the repeat length, counted from 1. The repeat number is how many whole repeats are done, plus one.
- Working row = rows done + 1
- Row of repeat = ((working row − 1) mod repeat length) + 1
- Repeat number = whole repeats done + 1
- Progress = rows done ÷ target rows
Example: an 8-row repeat
Here is how the display reads at a few points in a project with an 8-row repeat. After 8 rows, the next row starts repeat 2 from row 1.
| Rows done | Working row | Row of repeat | Repeat number |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 1 | 1 of 8 | 1 |
| 1 | 2 | 2 of 8 | 1 |
| 7 | 8 | 8 of 8 | 1 |
| 8 | 9 | 1 of 8 | 2 |
| 9 | 10 | 2 of 8 | 2 |
| 15 | 16 | 8 of 8 | 2 |
| 16 | 17 | 1 of 8 | 3 |
| 34 | 35 | 3 of 8 | 5 |
Does your repeat fit the target?
Before you start, it helps to know whether the pattern repeat ends cleanly at the length you want. This table uses the counter's own repeat math for a 120-row target.
| Repeat length | Full repeats | Rows left over |
|---|---|---|
| 4 rows | 30 | 0 |
| 6 rows | 20 | 0 |
| 8 rows | 15 | 0 |
| 10 rows | 12 | 0 |
| 12 rows | 10 | 0 |
| 16 rows | 7 | 8 |
A 16-row repeat leaves 8 rows over, so the piece would stop in the middle of a repeat. You can set the target to 112 or 128 instead, so the last row of the piece is the last row of a repeat.
What counts as a row
Before you start tapping, decide what you will count, because knitting sources disagree. Lion Brand says the stitches on your needle count as a row. Modern Daily Knitting says to count only the fabric below the needle. Both agree that the cast-on does not count as a row. In crochet, the foundation chain is not counted as a row either.
This counter fits the Modern Daily Knitting way: the big number is rows finished, and you tap once a row is complete. If you ever need to check the count against the fabric, our guide on how to count rows in knitting and crochet shows how to read the stitches. Nimble Needles suggests a stitch marker every 10 or 20 rows on long pieces, which makes that check quicker.
What this online row counter does and does not do
Row counters range from simple tally pages to paid apps. This one is free and needs no account. It counts rows, tracks a repeat of any length up to 999 rows, shows progress toward a target and keeps up to 12 projects. It does not count stitches within a row, and it does not sync between devices, because the counts stay in your browser.
Tips for tracking repeats and decreases
- Hang a stitch marker on the first row of each repeat. If the counter and the fabric ever disagree, you can count markers to check.
- For shaping such as "decrease every 6th row 8 times", set the repeat to 6 and the target to 48. Decrease whenever the display says row 6 of the repeat.
- Keep a separate project for each piece of a garment, such as Front, Back and Sleeve 1, so the counts never mix.
- Tap as soon as the last stitch of the row is done, before you turn. Tapping after turning is easy to forget.
- Write the row number in pencil on the pattern when you stop for the day. It is a backup if you clear your browser.
