If yourecently started crocheting you have probably gotten mixed up at some pointwhen trying to count how many stitches and rows you have worked. If I didn’twrite it down while crocheting how will I figure it out now? In this post weare going to explain step by step how to do it so you don’t get lost.
To make the swatches needed for this tutorial we used a size 7 mm crochet hook and skeins of our petite wool in different colors.
Counting stitches and rows in single crochet
Using aswatch worked in single crochet we are going to count the rows and stitches inthe swatch.
The firstthing we have to do is recognize the shape of the stitch. In the case of singlecrochet, the stitch forms “V’s” across the fabric, as you can see in the photo above.
To countthe rows: look at the sides of the fabric and count the single crochet stitchesfrom the bottom to the top.
To count the stitches in your swatch, look at the single crochets along the row from left to right. Keep in mind that the turning chain (that you will find on the edge of the row) counts as a stitch.
However,if you get a little lost using the method above, and can’t pick out the singlecrochets in the row, you can count the stitches along the top of the last row:by counting the “V’s” that are formed on the top you can easily see how manystitches there are.
Counting stitches and rows in double crochet
Thedouble crochet stitch is taller than single crochet, that’s why, even if youhave swatches of the same size, if it was made in double crochet you will haveless rows and stitches.
Just likethe case above for single crochet, the first thing we have to do is recognizethe shape of a double crochet stitch.
To countthe rows: look at the sides of the swatch and count the double crochets fromthe bottom to the top.
To countthe stitches in your swatch, look at the double crochets along the row fromleft to right. Keep in mind, like in the above case, that the turning chain countsas a stitch.
Just likewe saw with single crochet, if you get mixed up counting the stitches in yourfabric, you can also use the trick of counting the “V’s” along the top of thelast row to know how many stitches you have in total.
We hopethese tricks can help you count the rows and stitches in your crochet swatchesmore quickly 🙂 As always, we hope youshare your projects using the hashtag #weareknitters.
