How to count rows in knitting, and keep count while you knit
Count rows in stockinette, garter and ribbing by reading the fabric, then keep count with a counter, markers or a lifeline so you never guess again.
· 3 min read
You put the knitting down for a cup of tea and come back to “work 24 rows straight”. Did you do 15 or 17? There are two skills here: reading rows off the fabric when you have lost count, and keeping count so you do not have to.
Counting rows in stockinette
Look at the knit side. Each column of stitches is a stack of little Vs. Every V is one row.
Pick one column near the middle, where the fabric is even, and count the Vs from just above the cast-on edge up to the stitch on the needle. Do not count the loop on the needle itself, since you have not worked a row on top of it yet. A blunt needle or a pin pointed at each V helps you keep your place.
On the purl side, rows show as little bumps. They are harder to read, which is why most knitters count on the knit side.
Counting rows in garter stitch
Garter stitch makes ridges. Each ridge is two rows: one row makes the ridge and the next makes the valley.
Count the ridges on one side and double the number. Ten ridges means 20 rows.
Counting rows in ribbing and patterns
In k2, p2 ribbing, count the Vs up one of the knit columns, just as for stockinette. In lace or cables, look for a landmark row, such as the cable crossing or the row with the yarn overs, and count repeats of the pattern instead of single rows.
Keeping count while you knit
Reading the fabric is a rescue skill. For everyday knitting, these are faster:
A row counter. Mechanical counters sit on the needle or hang from a ribbon; you click once at the end of every row. App and web counters do the same with a tap. Our online row counter saves your count in the browser and can track a repeat as well.
Click at the end of the row, not the start. If you are interrupted in the middle of a row, the counter shows the rows you have finished, and the row on the needle is always the next one.
Removable stitch markers every 10 rows. Hook a marker into the edge stitch every tenth row. To count, multiply the markers by ten and add the rows above the last one.
A tally on paper. Low tech, and it works. Draw a stroke for every row and cross through each group of five.
A lifeline before tricky sections. Thread a strand of smooth yarn through all the stitches on the needle before a lace or shaping section. If you have to rip back, you stop at the lifeline and know exactly which row you are on.
When the count does not match the pattern
If your piece measures what the pattern says but your row count is off by a few, check your row gauge. Patterns often say “work until the piece measures 30 cm” for this reason. Length matters more than the row number in plain sections.
If the count matters, as in shaping every 6th row, trust the counter and check it against the fabric every so often. In the Yarnstep app, the counter follows the rows of your actual pattern, so it shows where you are in the pattern as well as the number.
For repeats like “rep rows 3–6”, how to read pattern repeats explains how to count rows inside the repeat as well as overall.
Questions people ask
Do I count the cast-on row?
Usually not. Most patterns count rows worked after the cast on. If the pattern counts it, it will say so.
How do I count rows in crochet?
Count the posts of the stitches stacked on top of each other. Each layer of stitches is one row, and taller stitches such as double crochet are easier to count than single crochet.
