Knit Increase / Decrease Calculator

It means spreading a set number of new stitches at equal intervals across one row or round, so the fabric grows without puckering or flaring. For example, increasing 21 stitches over 140 means placing one increase roughly every 6–7 stitches. This calculator computes the exact spacing for you, including how to alternate between two interval sizes when the math does not divide evenly.

Divide your stitch count by the number of increases: 140 stitches ÷ 21 increases = 6.67. Since you cannot knit a fraction of a stitch, alternate between the two nearest whole numbers: knit 6 then increase, repeated 7 times, and knit 7 then increase, repeated 14 times (7×6 + 14×7 = 140). The calculator above does this largest-remainder distribution automatically and writes out the full row.

Enter your current stitch count and how many stitches you want to add, pick an increase method (M1, kfb, or yarn over), optionally exclude edge stitches, then press Calculate. You get a compact pattern line such as “Row: k2, *k6, M1* × 7, *k7, M1* × 14, k2 — 161 sts” plus a segment-by-segment written list you can follow row by row, with copy and print buttons.

Enter your stitch count and how many stitches to remove, then choose k2tog, ssk, or p2tog. The tool spaces the decreases with the same even-distribution math: for 140 stitches and 21 decreases it alternates *k4, k2tog* and *k5, k2tog* groups, ending with exactly 119 stitches. Turn on “paired/mirrored” for shaping that leans symmetrically (ssk at one end, k2tog at the other).

The math is identical, but there are no edge stitches to work around — a round is one continuous loop. Switch on “in the round” mode and the calculator drops the selvedge handling, labels the output “Round” instead of “Row”, and distributes the increases over the full stitch count.

Same idea: enable “in the round”, enter stitches and decreases, and follow the round instruction. For hats and sleeves worked top-down, use the Shaping schedule tab to plan several decrease rounds — for example from 120 stitches down to 80, decreasing 10 per round every other round.

Edge (selvedge) stitches are the first and last stitch or two of a flat-knitted row; they are often slipped or kept in garter stitch for a clean seam. Increases or decreases worked into them distort the edge. Excluding, say, 2 stitches per side makes the calculator distribute shaping over the middle stitches only and adds “k2 … k2” around the instruction, exactly like the DROPS method.

M1 (make one) lifts the strand between stitches, so it adds a stitch without consuming one — it is nearly invisible in stockinette and the default here. kfb (knit front and back) works into an existing stitch and leaves a small bar; pick it when the pattern calls for it or you want a decorative ridge. Yarn over creates a deliberate eyelet hole, used for lace.

k2tog (knit two together) leans right; ssk (slip, slip, knit) leans left. For a single decrease row the lean barely matters, but for visible shaping — necklines, raglans, sleeve caps — mirror them: ssk at the beginning of the section and k2tog at the end. The “paired” option writes the instruction that way for you.

Roughly your stitch count divided by the number of increases — and when that is not a whole number, alternate the two nearest sizes rather than bunching the leftovers at one end. That alternating rhythm (for example 6, 7, 7 repeating) is the method popularized by DROPS, and it is exactly what this calculator generates.

87 ÷ 10 = 8.7, so alternate: *k8, M1* nine times and *k9, M1* once (9×8 + 1×9 = 87), ending with 97 stitches. Type 87 and 10 into the calculator to get the written row plus a per-segment checklist.

Each k2tog or ssk consumes two stitches to remove one, so every segment must be at least 2 stitches wide. The calculator refuses impossible requests (for example 60 decreases over 100 stitches would need segments of 1.67) and tells you to split the shaping over two rows instead — the Shaping schedule tab plans that for you.

knitgrammer’s calculator handles increases only with a one-line output, and the DROPS tool is a minimal embedded helper on a pattern site. This tool covers increases and decreases in one place, adds edge-stitch exclusion, in-the-round mode, mirrored decrease pairs, multi-row shaping schedules, and full written row-by-row instructions with copy and print — all client-side with no account or page reloads.

Yes. This calculator handles stitch-count math, not gauge: it cannot know how many stitches per inch your yarn and needles produce. Always knit a gauge swatch first, then feed the resulting stitch counts in here for spacing you can trust.

Yes, private: every calculation runs locally in your browser in JavaScript. Nothing you type is sent to any server — there are no accounts, no analytics on your inputs, and the tool works offline once loaded.

No — crochet increases follow different rules (stitch multiples and turning chains rather than evenly spaced single increases). This tool is built for knitting only, flat or in the round.