How to Count Crochet Rows

Start at the right place

Most counting errors happen at the bottom. Sigoni Macaroni and Stitch and Story both say the foundation chain does not count as a row. The first line of stitches you work into the chain is row 1.

If your pattern starts with a foundation row instead of a chain (for example, a foundation single crochet), that first line of stitches is row 1.

The top needs a little care too. The loop on your hook is never a stitch, and it is not a row. If you are partway through a row, count only the rows you have finished.

What one row looks like

Every crochet stitch has a top made of two loops lying side by side, which looks like a sideways V, and a body below it called the post. Crochet Spot describes counting rows by these posts, since the tops of earlier rows are hidden by the stitches worked into them.

Crocheted rows are usually worked back and forth, turning the work at the end of each row. That means the front of the stitches faces you on one row and the back faces you on the next. Sigoni Macaroni points out that the two sides alternate from row to row, and Stitch and Story notes that what looks like one chunky row is often two rows worked in opposite directions. Knowing this stops you counting a pair of rows as one.

Counting double crochet rows

Double crochet is the easiest to count. Each stitch is tall, and you can see gaps between the posts. Count the posts up one column, one post per row.

Sigoni Macaroni and Crochet Spot both suggest counting tall stitches (double and treble crochet) by their posts. Stitch and Story notes that in double crochet the ridges and bumps alternate between rows, which gives you another way to check.

The turning chain at the edge of each row also helps. For double crochet it is usually a chain of 3 that stands in for the first stitch, so each row has one at its edge. Crochet Spot mentions using the bumps left by turning chains along the edge as a guide.

Row Counter: Knit & Crochet

Counts rows and stitches for knitting and crochet projects, with linked counters and per-row notes.

Get it on Google Play

Counting the fabric tells you where you are. A running count means you seldom have to. Row Counter makes the whole screen a +1 button so you can tap at the end of each row without putting the hook down, and a per-row note can pop up when you reach a row where the pattern changes.

Counting single crochet rows

Single crochet is the hardest. The stitches are short and packed together, so the posts are less distinct. Sigoni Macaroni calls it the hardest stitch to count for that reason.

Three ways to do it:

• Count along the side edge. We Are Knitters suggests looking at the side edge of the fabric and counting the stitches from bottom to top.
• Look for the line every two rows. Crochet Spot describes a faint line that appears every two rows. Count the lines and double the number. If there is an extra half-row at the top, add one.
• Count the Vs where you can see them. On the top row and at the edges, the sideways V of each stitch is easier to see than the post.

Count in good light and with the piece flat. A blunt tapestry needle makes a handy pointer.

Counting half double crochet rows

Half double crochet sits between the two. Sigoni Macaroni notes it looks different on each side, which makes rows easier to tell apart than in single crochet. Stitch and Story describes ridges forming after every second row of half double crochet, with bumps between them. Count the ridges, double them, and add one if there is a single row above the last ridge.

Counting rounds

When you crochet in the round, you count rounds rather than rows, but the idea is the same.

• Start at the centre. Stitch and Story counts amigurumi rounds from the centre of the magic loop outward.
• Count the Vs or ridges. On the outside of a single crochet piece, each ring of Vs, or each ridge, is one round.
• Mark the start of each round. For spirals with no slip-stitch join, it is hard to see where a round begins. Stitch and Story suggests a stitch marker at the start of each round.

For joined rounds, Sigoni Macaroni notes that the seam where you join often slants. That is normal, and it is not a sign you miscounted.

Check your count against the pattern

Patterns often help you. The Craft Yarn Council's guide to reading crochet patterns says the stitch count is often given at the end of a row, such as "(14 sc)", and advises counting the stitches at the end of every row. A correct stitch count tells you the row was worked right. It does not tell you which row you are on, so keep the row count separately.

When a pattern says "repeat rows 2 to 5", the count gets harder. You need to know both which row of the repeat you are on and how many repeats are done. Our guide to counting crochet stitches covers stitch counts, and what is a row counter explains tools for tracking rows and repeats together.

Habits that keep the count right

• Put a locking stitch marker in the first stitch of every tenth row. Then you count markers instead of every row.
• Count before you put the work down, and write the number down or tap it into a counter.
• Count twice. If the numbers differ, count a third time using markers.
• If the counter and the fabric disagree, trust the fabric and fix the counter.

If you knit as well, the method is different. See how to count rows in knitting.