How to count crochet rows (and knitting rows)

So you are a few inches into a scarf, the pattern says to change color after row 30, and you have no idea if you just finished row 26 or row 28. It happens to everyone. Here is how to count rows in crochet on the fabric itself, for the common stitches and for rounds, then the same for knitting rows, and a few ways to keep count so you don't have to do this again next time.

What counts as a row

Three things trip people up before they even start counting:

• The foundation chain is not a row. Row 1 is the first row of stitches you work into the chain.
• The turning chain at the start of a row is part of that row, not a row of its own.
• The row on your hook is not finished yet, so only count it once it is.

It also helps to count in the middle of the fabric rather than along the edge. The edges are where the turning chains sit, and they look different from the stitches, which makes them easy to miscount.

How to count crochet rows

Single crochet

Single crochet is the hardest to count, because the stitches are short and the rows sit close together.

Worked flat, where you turn at the end of every row, the fabric forms ridges that run across it. Each ridge is two rows, one worked from each side. Count the ridges up one column and double the number. If the top row has no partner yet, add one.

Go slowly and point at each ridge with the tip of your hook or a blunt yarn needle as you count. Dark or fuzzy yarn makes this much harder, so count near a window or under a good lamp.

Half double, double and treble crochet

Taller stitches are easier. Every stitch has a post, the upright part, and the posts stack on top of each other, one per row. Pick one column of stitches and count the posts from the bottom to the top. One post is one row.

Double crochet posts are tall and easy to see. Half double crochet posts are shorter, so take your time, but it is the same idea. Treble crochet is the easiest of all.

Rounds

When you crochet in the round, count from the center out.

• Joined rounds, where each round ends with a slip stitch, leave a seam running up the work. Count the rounds along that seam.
• Continuous rounds, the spiral used for most amigurumi, have no seam. Look for the V shapes, the tops of the stitches, and count them in a straight line from the center out. One V is one round.

A stitch marker in the first stitch of every round makes this much easier, and in spiral rounds it is close to essential. I wrote more about it in how to make a magic ring and crochet in the round.

How to count knitting rows

Knitting is a little friendlier, because each stitch is a clear V.

• Stockinette: on the knit side, every column is a stack of Vs. Each V is one row, so count the Vs in one column, starting just above the cast-on edge.
• Purl side: each bump is one row.
• Garter stitch: you will see ridges. Each ridge is two rows, so count the ridges on one side and double it.
• Ribbing: count the Vs in one of the knit columns.

The loops sitting on your needle are the last row you worked, so count them as one more row. Most patterns don't count the cast-on as a row, so check yours if the numbers don't match.

How to keep count so you never recount

Counting the fabric is the fix for when you have already lost count. These stop it from happening:

• Tally marks on the pattern, or a sticky note you move down a printed page after each row. Free, as long as you have a pen.
• A stitch marker every 10 rows. Then you count the markers and only the last few rows by hand.
• A row counter: a clicker, a ring you wear, or an app. I compared them in row counters for crochet and knitting: clicker, ring or app.

Whatever you pick, the habit is the same: count the row the moment you finish it, before you turn.

Frequently asked questions

Do you count the foundation chain as a row in crochet?

No. The foundation chain is the base you work into. Row 1 is the first row of stitches you make into the chain.

Does the turning chain count as a row?

No. The turning chain is the first part of the row it starts. In some patterns it also counts as the first stitch of that row, and the pattern will say so.

How many rows of crochet are in an inch?

It depends on your yarn, your hook and how tightly you crochet. The pattern's gauge tells you how many rows the designer got in 4 inches. Make a small swatch, count its rows, and you will know yours.

Where Rowpin helps

Counting the fabric works, but it is slow, and on dark or fuzzy yarn it is easy to get wrong. Rowpin, the row counter app i built for crochet and knitting on iPhone and iPad, keeps the count as you go.

You open your own pattern, a PDF, a photo, a scan or a web page, and Rowpin finds the numbered rows on it, right on your device, with no AI. As you tap + after each row, the row you are on is highlighted on your pattern. When the pattern gives a stitch total for the row, Rowpin shows it, so you can check your count before you move on. You can also count from the Lock Screen or a Home Screen widget without unlocking your phone.

Rowpin is on the App Store for iPhone and iPad. It needs Rowpin Plus, a subscription with a 7-day free trial.

Rowpin is not in the EU yet. Join the list to hear when it is. There is also a free row counter that works in your browser today.

Thank you for reading. Tschüss 🤓