How to count crochet stitches, rows and rounds
Most crochet problems start with a count that was off by one a few rows ago. Counting is not hard, but it is easier once you know where each stitch lives, what the pattern counts as a stitch, and how to make the count visible so you do not have to start over.
What counts as a stitch
Each stitch in a finished row shows a small V (or a pair of strands) across the top. That V is what you count. Three things are often counted wrongly:
- The loop on your hook is not a stitch yet. Do not count it.
- The turning chain sometimes counts as the first stitch and sometimes does not. A pattern written "ch 3 (counts as first dc)" includes it in the count. A pattern written "ch 1 (does not count)" leaves it out. The pattern tells you which; follow it consistently, because changing the rule halfway makes the edge uneven.
- Chain spaces in lacy and granny patterns are counted as spaces, not as the chains inside them. A pattern that says "ch-2 space" asks you to work into that gap.
1. Count the foundation chain
Hold the chain with the front facing you. The front of a chain looks like a row of small Vs. Count them from the first chain after the slip knot to the last one before the loop on your hook. Do not count the slip knot or the active loop. Put a stitch marker or safety pin in every tenth chain so a miscount only costs you ten to recount, not the whole chain.
If your pattern gives a number such as "ch 31", counting twice is much cheaper than discovering a missing stitch at the end of row 1. The pattern also says which chain from the hook gets your first stitch (for example the second chain from the hook for single crochet); follow it exactly.
2. Count the stitches in a row
Look at the top of the finished row. Each stitch has a V. Starting at the end where you began, point at each V with the tip of your hook or a pin and count aloud or silently, skipping the loop on the hook. At the very end of the row, check the last stitch: the top of the turning chain from the row below is easy to miss if the pattern asks you to work into it. If your count is one short at the end, that last stitch is usually the one you skipped.
For long rows, break the count into groups: mark every tenth stitch with a removable stitch marker, then count the markers and the leftovers. A row of 52 stitches is five markers plus 2.
When a pattern gives a stitch count in brackets at the end of a line, for example "(36)", that is the number you should have at the end of that row or round. Treat it as a checkpoint, not a suggestion.
3. Count rows
Rows are harder to count than stitches because taller stitches make deeper rows, so height is a poor guide. Instead, count the turning points along one edge: each time you turned your work, you left one small bump or turning chain on that edge. For double crochet rows with a chain 3 turning chain, count the chain 3s up the side. Put a safety pin or removable marker in every tenth row so you can recount quickly.
For a pattern that says "work until piece measures 10 in (25 cm)", the row count matters less than the length. If it gives a number of rows instead, the row count is the reliable guide.
A row counter can help. A small mechanical counter, a phone app or a tally on paper all work; the habit that matters is to click or mark at the same point each time, such as the end of the row after the last stitch, never mid-row.
4. Count rounds and stitches in the round
Amigurumi and hats are worked in rounds, usually as a spiral without turning. There is no turning chain and no obvious edge, so the stitch marker does all the work. Put a marker in the first stitch of each round and move it up every time you reach it. If the marker is in the stitch you just made, you have finished the round.
To count the stitches in a round, count the Vs around the circle, starting from the marker. You can check against the pattern for the round, which is given in brackets, and against a simple rule for flat circles: if the pattern adds six stitches in every round (a standard flat circle), then round 1 has 6 stitches, round 2 has 12, round 3 has 18 and so on. Round n has 6 x n stitches. If round 4 has 23 or 25 instead of 24, you can correct it now, before the shape cups into a bowl or ruffles.
To count rounds on a finished piece, count the rows of Vs in a vertical line from the centre to the edge, or count the stitch columns running up the side of a tube. Because spiral rounds drift slightly, count along a column that you can see clearly and recount once.
5. Build a checking habit
- Mark every ten. Use removable markers or pins in the chain, the stitches of long rows and the rows themselves.
- Count at the end of every row or round until the pattern settles into a rhythm. After that, count every few rows, always at the end of a row.
- Write the number down. A pencil mark beside the pattern line, or a tick for each completed round, shows where you are if you are interrupted.
- Compare your fabric with the gauge. If your stitches per inch are different from the pattern, the stitch count is right but the size will not be. The gauge calculator turns your swatch into an adjusted count.
When the count is wrong
If the count is off by one or two, work out where it happened before deciding what to do. If you find the error within the current row or round, pull back to that point and redo it. If it is several rows down, our guide to fixing mistakes covers when to unravel and when to adjust in the next row.
Practise on a small piece
The free first granny square and easy dishcloth are good places to practise counting stitches, rows and turning chains. For counting rounds in a spiral, the free mini amigurumi ball is small enough that a miscount costs very little, and the magic ring guide explains how to begin it.
