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Knitting Gauge Calculator

Enter your swatch counts and target size to get stitch and row counts.

How it is calculated

Your swatch gives two densities: stitches per cm = swatch stitches ÷ swatch width and rows per cm = swatch rows ÷ swatch height. Measurements are in centimetres. The tool multiplies each density by the target size: cast-on = stitches per cm × target width and total rows = rows per cm × target height, both rounded to the nearest whole number. It also shows the gauge per 10 cm, the figure most patterns quote, to two decimals. The swatch width and height must be above zero. The tool does not add selvedge or seam stitches, ribbing or pattern-repeat adjustments, so round the cast-on to fit your stitch pattern yourself.

Worked example

The swatch has 18 stitches over 10 cm and 24 rows over 10 cm, so the gauge is 1.8 stitches and 2.4 rows per cm (18.00 sts and 24.00 rows per 10 cm). For a piece 52 cm wide and 60 cm tall: cast-on = 1.8 × 52 = 93.6, which rounds to 94 sts. Rows = 2.4 × 60 = 144 rows. Cast on 94 stitches and knit 144 rows to reach the target size at this tension.

Try this example →

Common mistakes

  • Measuring a tiny swatch or one that has not been washed and blocked. The size changes after washing, so a gauge taken before it throws off the whole garment.
  • Entering inches in a tool that works in centimetres. Typing 4 for a 4 inch swatch tells it the swatch is only 4 cm wide, so the cast-on will come out far too high.
  • Counting the cast-on and bind-off edges as part of the swatch width. Measure and count in the middle of the fabric, away from the edges.
  • Using the stitch gauge for the height too. Stitches and rows per cm differ, so both must be counted and measured separately.
  • Casting on the number exactly as shown for a pattern with a repeat or seam allowance, without adjusting to a multiple of the repeat.

About this calculator

Knitting gauge (or tension) is the number of stitches and rows produced per unit of width and height with a specific yarn, needle size, and knitter's tension — measured by knitting a swatch and counting stitches across a fixed span, usually 10cm/4in. To hit a target finished size, the swatch's stitch and row density is scaled up: target stitches = (swatch stitches ÷ swatch width) × target width, and the same ratio applied to rows and target height.

Knitters use gauge calculations before starting any garment pattern, because even a small mismatch between the pattern's assumed gauge and an individual knitter's actual tension compounds across a whole sweater or blanket into a significantly wrong finished size. It's the standard first step recommended in virtually every knitting pattern, and it's especially important when substituting a different yarn than the one the pattern was originally written for, since yarn weight and fiber content both affect how many stitches fit per inch.

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  • Editorial team

    For a garment worked in the round, enter the full body circumference as the target width, not half of it. A 96 cm circumference at the default swatch of 22 stitches per 10 cm gives 211 stitches, and you would then nudge that to a multiple of your stitch pattern. For flat pieces, use each piece's own width. Do you swatch in stockinette even when the pattern uses lace or cables? Your habit may help the next knitter.

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