A target width usually needs converting into a valid stitch count. First calculate the count from your measured gauge, then choose nearby counts that fit the pattern’s repeat rule. Our calculator works with body stitch counts; it does not invent the pattern’s starting-chain instructions.
Express the body rule clearly
If a row requires a multiple of 6 body stitches plus 2 edge stitches, valid counts are 6n + 2, where n is a whole number of repeats. In this tool at least one repeat is required. Enter 6 as the repeat and 2 as the offset. Do not enter an offset that belongs only to a foundation chain or turning chain.
Choose between two workable widths
Suppose 18 stitches measure 10 cm and the desired width is 100 cm. The unadjusted target is 180 stitches. The nearby valid body counts are 176 (29 repeats plus 2) and 182 (30 repeats plus 2). At that gauge, the widths are approximately 97.8 cm and 101.1 cm.
Pick the smaller option when staying inside a width limit matters. Pick the larger option when minimum coverage matters. If the target is already valid, both bounds are the same. If it is narrower than one repeat, the tool shows the smallest permitted option.
Return to the actual pattern
Foundation-chain and row stitch counts are not necessarily equal. Follow the designer’s instructions for skipped chains and turning chains. The Craft Yarn Council’s pattern-reading guide explains these distinctions. Do not convert a chain multiple into a body-stitch rule without checking how the first row is worked.
Use the chosen width in the yarn calculator. This arithmetic only addresses width in a rectangular repeated body; shaped garments and diagonal or center-out patterns need their own construction rules.
Use the calculator ↗Examples illustrate the arithmetic; they are not physical project tests. Send a correction.