There are two moments you count stitches in knitting: on the needle, to check you are holding the number you cast on, and in the fabric, to confirm you are still on your pattern count. Both are quick once you know what a single stitch looks like, and both save you from ripping back later.
How do you count the stitches on your needle?
Spread the stitches out along the needle so none hide in a bunch, then count the loops one at a time from the tip. The working yarn hangs from the very last stitch, so count that stitch once and do not add an extra. For a large cast on, drop a removable marker every ten or twenty stitches, so if you lose track you only recount one small group.
How do you count stitches in the fabric?
Once the fabric has grown, you count across a row rather than on the needle. What a stitch looks like depends on the pattern, so match yours to the table below.
| Stitch pattern | What one stitch looks like | How to count across a row |
|---|---|---|
| Stockinette | A small V | Count the V's straight along one row |
| Garter | A raised bump | Count the bumps along a single ridge |
| Ribbing (K1P1, K2P2) | A knit column of V's or a purl column of bars | Count every column, knit and purl alike |
| Seed or moss | Alternating tiny bumps and V's | Count each bump or V as one stitch |
How do you count your stitches step by step?
- Lay the work flat or spread it along the needle so nothing is hidden.
- Pick your reference row, ideally a plain knit row where the V's are clearest.
- Count across in groups of ten, pausing a fingertip at each group.
- Compare the total to your cast on or your pattern count.
- If it matches, carry on. If not, count again before you knit another row.
Why does my stitch count keep changing?
The usual culprits are an accidental yarn over at the edge, a stitch that split in two, or a missed increase or decrease. The habit that catches all of them is simple: count at the end of each row, or at least each time the pattern gives you a stitch count in parentheses. A change spotted now is one row to fix, not ten.
Keep your count with Knittle
Knittle keeps a stitch counter right next to your row counter, so you can set the stitch count your pattern expects and check it at a glance. Tap through your rows, glance at the number when the pattern gives one, and catch any drift early. Everything stays on your iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch and in sync, with no account to set up. Knittle is a free download and works for both knitting and crochet.
