StitchCalcsCrochet increase & decrease evenly calculator
Space increases or decreases evenly across a row or round, in pattern shorthand like “(sc 4, inc) × 6” or written out in full.
How to use this calculator
- Choose increase or decrease, and enter how many stitches your last row or round has.
- Enter how many stitches to add or remove, and pick your stitch.
- Choose rounds or rows. You'll get pattern shorthand and a fully written version.
In the shorthand, inc means two stitches worked into the same stitch, and dec means two stitches worked together (sc2tog, hdc2tog or dc2tog).
How the stitches are spaced
An increase is worked into one stitch of the last round, and a decrease uses two. The rest of the stitches are shared out as plain stitches between them. For example, increasing 6 on a round of 30:
30 − 6 = 24 plain stitches
24 ÷ 6 increases = 4 plain stitches before each increase
Result: (sc 4, inc) × 6 → 36 stitches
When the numbers don't divide exactly, some gaps are one stitch longer. The easiest to follow version groups the longer gaps together. The most evenly spaced version scatters them, which gives a smoother shape on big rounds.
Rows versus rounds
In rows, the calculator splits one gap between the start and the end of the row, so the first and last stitches stay plain and your edges stay straight. In the round every repeat is the same.
Tips for amigurumi and flat circles
- A flat circle in single crochet usually starts with 6 stitches and adds 6 increases every round: (sc 1, inc) × 6, then (sc 2, inc) × 6, and so on.
- Stacking increases in the same place every round makes a hexagon. To keep a round shape, start the repeat at a different point each round, for example by working half of the first plain stitches at the start and the rest at the end.
- Turning chains usually don't count as a stitch in single crochet, but often do in double crochet. Follow your pattern, and leave the turning chain out of the stitch count you enter here unless your pattern counts it.