Free tool
Crochet gauge calculator
Count the stitches and rows in 10 cm (or 4 inches) of your swatch, then turn any size into stitch counts, any stitch count into a size, or a diameter into the rounds of a flat circle. Your gauge is remembered for next time.
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How to use it
- Crochet a swatch at least 12 cm (5 in) square, in the yarn and hook you will use.
- Count the stitches across 10 cm (4 in) in the middle, away from the edges, and the rows over the same height. Half stitches count.
- Type them in and choose what you want: stitches for a size, a size for some stitches, or a flat circle.
What gauge is, and why it matters
Gauge (called tension in UK patterns) is how many stitches and rows fit into a set width and height. Two crocheters with the same yarn and hook often get different gauges, because everyone holds the yarn a little differently. If your gauge doesn't match the pattern's, the piece comes out a different size and takes a different amount of yarn.
Too many stitches in 10 cm? Your stitches are small: try a bigger hook. Too few? Go down a size. For amigurumi, tight and even stitches matter more than an exact gauge, but gauge still decides the finished size.
The flat circle plan starts with 6 single crochet in a magic ring and adds 6 stitches every round, the usual start for amigurumi heads and bodies.
Questions crocheters ask
How do I measure crochet gauge?
Make a swatch bigger than 10 cm (4 in), lay it flat without stretching, and count the stitches across 10 cm in the middle. Count the rows over 10 cm the same way. If the finished piece will be washed or blocked, measure the swatch after washing.
How many stitches do I chain for a certain width?
Choose Turn a size into stitches and type the width. You get the stitches across and the foundation chain: one more chain than stitches, for the turning chain in single crochet.
How many rounds make a flat circle?
About the diameter times your rows per 10 cm, divided by 20, because each round adds a row's height on both sides. The calculator writes every round out, starting from 6 sc in a magic ring.
What if my gauge is different from the pattern?
Change your hook size and swatch again, or keep your gauge and use the calculator to work out new stitch counts for the size you want.
Learn to crochet, stitch by stitch
Yon video lessons film every stitch up close, round by round, for right and left hand. Every tool on this page is also in the Yon Crochet app, with your projects and a row counter that counts out loud.