Everything is worked out in your browser and saved on this device for next time.
About the knitting gauge calculator
Gauge (or tension) is how many stitches and rows you knit in 10 cm or 4 inches, with your yarn, your needles and your hands. It is the one number that decides whether a sweater fits — two knitters with the same pattern can end up with very different sizes.
Knit a swatch, count the stitches and rows over 10 cm (or 4 inches), and enter the width and length you want. The calculator tells you how many stitches to cast on and how many rows to knit. It works for crochet too.
How to use it
- Choose Centimetres or Inches
- Count the stitches and rows in 10 cm (4 in) of your swatch
- Type the width and length of the piece
- Read the stitches to cast on and the rows to knit
Typical gauges
Stockinette stitch over 10 cm / 4 in:
| Yarn weight | Needle size | Stitches | Rows |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fingering / sock | 2.25–3.25 mm (US 1–3) | 27–32 | 36–44 |
| Sport | 3.25–3.75 mm (US 3–5) | 23–26 | 30–34 |
| DK | 3.75–4.5 mm (US 5–7) | 21–24 | 28–32 |
| Worsted / aran | 4.5–5.5 mm (US 7–9) | 16–20 | 22–28 |
| Chunky / bulky | 5.5–8 mm (US 9–11) | 12–15 | 16–20 |
| Super bulky | 8 mm and up (US 11+) | 7–11 | 10–14 |
The yarn label gives a suggested gauge — but your own swatch is what counts.
How to measure a swatch
- Knit a square at least 15 cm (6 in) wide, in the stitch pattern you will use.
- Wash and dry it the way you will treat the finished piece — many yarns grow or shrink.
- Lay it flat and count the stitches across 10 cm (4 in) in the middle, away from the edges. Count half stitches too.
- Count the rows over 10 cm (4 in) in the same way.
Example
Your swatch has 20 stitches and 28 rows in 10 cm. You want a scarf 50 cm wide and a panel 60 cm long:
- Stitches: 50 × 20 ÷ 10 = 100 to cast on
- Rows: 60 × 28 ÷ 10 = 168 rows
Frequently asked questions
How many stitches should I cast on?
Multiply the width you want by your stitches per cm (or inch). With 20 stitches per 10 cm, a 50 cm piece needs 100 stitches.
What if my gauge is different from the pattern?
More stitches than the pattern = your knitting is tighter: try bigger needles. Fewer stitches = looser: try smaller needles. Or keep your needles and use this calculator to change the stitch counts.
Why round to an even number?
Many patterns — ribbing (knit 1, purl 1), seed stitch, a centre split — need an even number of stitches. Untick the box if your pattern does not.
Does this work for crochet?
Yes. Count the crochet stitches and rows in your swatch the same way.
Should I measure before or after blocking?
After. Wash and block the swatch the way you will the finished piece, then measure.
Good to know
- 4 inches is 10.16 cm, so a gauge over 4 in and over 10 cm is almost the same
- Your swatch is saved in this browser for your next project
- Nothing you type is sent anywhere
Related tools
- Cm to Inches — sizes in inches
- Inches to cm — sizes in centimetres
- Online Ruler — measure your swatch on screen
- Tally Counter — count rows as you knit
- Printable Graph Paper — chart your own colourwork
