Knitting gauge calculator
Count the stitches and rows in your swatch over 10 cm or 4 in and enter the width and length you want. You get the stitches to cast on and the rows to knit. Or convert a pattern’s stitch count when your gauge differs from the pattern’s.
Your gauge
Size you want
About the knitting gauge calculator
Count the stitches and rows in your swatch over 10 cm or 4 in and enter the width and length you want. You get the stitches to cast on and the rows to knit. Or convert a pattern’s stitch count when your gauge differs from the pattern’s.
Part of SmartCalcy’s crafts & sewing tools. It runs in your browser with no account, uses your own currency and units (change them at the top of the page), and gives estimates for information only, so check official guidance before you rely on a result.
How to use the knitting gauge calculator
What it calculates and when to use it
Turns your gauge swatch into the number of stitches to cast on and rows to knit for a size, or adjusts a pattern’s stitch count when your gauge differs from the pattern’s.
How to use it, step by step
- Knit, wash and block a swatch.
- Count stitches and rows over 10 cm (4 in).
- Enter the width and length you want, or switch to Adjust a pattern.
- Read the stitches to cast on.
What each input means
- Stitches and rows – Starts at 22 stitches and 30 rows over 10 cm.
- Width and length – Starts at 50 × 60 cm.
- Pattern gauge and stitch count – For adjusting a pattern.
How to read the results
- Cast on – Stitches for the width, and rows for the length.
- Pattern adjustment – Your stitch count for the pattern’s width.
The formula
Stitches = width × (stitches ÷ swatch width). Pattern adjustment = pattern stitches ÷ pattern gauge × your gauge.
A worked example
With the starting entries: 50 cm × 2.2 stitches per cm = 110 stitches; 60 cm × 3 rows per cm = 180 rows.
Assumptions and limits
- The swatch is blocked the same way as the finished piece.
- Edge and seam stitches are not added.
Common mistakes
- Measuring an unwashed swatch.
- Counting a swatch that is too small; knit at least 15 cm (6 in) square.
Frequently asked questions
What is gauge?
The number of stitches and rows in a measured width and length of knitting.
What if my gauge does not match the pattern?
Change needle size, or use Adjust a pattern to recalculate the stitches.
Related tools
- Stitches per cm
- 2.2
- Rows per cm
- 3
- Exact stitches
- 110