Increase & Decrease Evenly Calculator

Knit & crochet

Enter the stitches you have and how many to add or take away. You get a ready-to-follow line for flat rows or rounds.

Quick answer. To increase 5 stitches evenly across 60 in a flat row, work K6, M1, (k12, M1) 4 times, k6, giving 65 stitches.

Source: worked by this calculator's even-spacing engine.

Your row

1. Craft and shaping

2. Stitches

sts
sts

Pattern says increase to 72? Enter the difference: 72 minus 60 is 12.

Result

0

Check the maths

Place a stitch marker at each increase or decrease on the first try. It makes miscounts easy to spot.

Worked examples

Evenly spaced shaping, worked out
SituationInstructionStitches after
Knit flat, 60 sts, increase 5K6, M1, (k12, M1) 4 times, k665
Knit round, 100 sts, increase 8(K13, M1, k12, M1) 4 times108
Knit flat, 50 sts, decrease 4K5, k2tog, k10, k2tog, k11, k2tog, k10, k2tog, k646
Hat crown, 88 sts, decrease 8(K9, k2tog) 8 times80
Crochet round, 36 sc, increase 6(Sc in next 5, 2 sc in next st) 6 times42
Crochet round, 42 sc, decrease 6(Sc in next 5, sc2tog) 6 times36

How the spacing is worked out

  1. Take out the stitches the shaping itself uses: none for M1, one for a crochet increase, two for k2tog or sc2tog.
  2. Share the rest between the gaps. Flat rows have one more gap than shaping stitches; rounds have the same number.
  3. When it does not divide exactly, some gaps get one extra stitch, spread out rather than bunched at one end.
  4. On a flat row the first gap is split between the two ends so the shaping is centred.

Abbreviations

  • k: knit. k12 means knit 12.
  • M1: make one, an increase that adds a stitch between two.
  • k2tog: knit two together, a decrease.
  • sc: single crochet. 2 sc in next st is an increase.
  • sc2tog: single crochet two together, a decrease.

Standard abbreviations from the Craft Yarn Council. https://www.craftyarncouncil.com/standards/knitting-abbreviations

Common questions

How do I increase evenly across a row?
Divide the stitches by the number of increases plus one, and work that many between each increase. For 5 increases across 60 stitches: K6, M1, (k12, M1) 4 times, k6, ending with 65 stitches.
How do I decrease evenly in knitting?
Each k2tog uses two stitches, so take those out first and spread what is left. For 4 decreases across 50 stitches: K5, k2tog, k10, k2tog, k11, k2tog, k10, k2tog, k6.
How do you increase evenly in a round?
In the round there are as many gaps as increases. 8 increases on 100 stitches: (K13, M1, k12, M1) 4 times, for 108 stitches.
How do I increase evenly in crochet?
In crochet each increase is 2 sc in one stitch, so it uses a stitch. 6 increases on 36 stitches: (Sc in next 5, 2 sc in next st) 6 times, for 42.
What does M1 mean?
Make one: lift the bar between two stitches and knit into it, adding a stitch without using one.
Why are my gaps not all the same size?
When the stitches do not divide exactly, some gaps are one stitch longer. The calculator spreads the longer gaps out so the shaping stays even.