Gauge Calculator enables a knitter or crocheter to easily do the arithmetic required to:

• Calculate how big a project will be if you know your gauge and the number of stitches and rows.
• Calculate how many stitches and rows you need to work if you know your gauge and the desired length and width of the finished item.
• Calculate your gauge if you have made a swatch, measured its size, and counted your rows and stitches.
• Convert between gauges computed in inches versus centimeters.
• Convert between sizes measured in inches versus centimeters.

Weavers can also use Gauge Calculator to do the arithmetic for converting between ends, picks, ends per inch, picks per inch, and size (on the loom). Just think ends whenever the application mentions stitches and think picks whenever the application mentions rows.

The Online Edition requires that you have internet connectivity in order to load the page, a browser with reasonably good HTML 4 (or 5) and CSS support, and a browser setting that lets the web page execute scripts (Javascript).

By default, the Gauge Calculator is configured to work with gauges specified as stitches per inch and rows per inch. The default configuration works with lengths and widths specified in inches. If you want to work with a gauge specified in one of the other common conventions, scroll down past the pane containing the tabs until you see two labeled pairs of radio buttons. Click the radio buttons to match how you measured your gauge.

If your gauge is in stitches per inch, use this radio button setting:

If your gauge is in stitches per 4 inches, use this radio button setting:

If your gauge is in stitches per centimeter (cm), use this radio button setting:

If your gauge is in stitches per inch, use this radio button setting:

When you configure Gauge Calculator to work with a gauge measured per inch or per 4 inches, Gauge Calculator will report the project size in inches. When you configure Gauge Calculator to work with a gauge measured per centimeter or per 10 centimeters, Gauge Calculator will report the project size in centimeters. Knitting patterns often treat 4 inches and 10 centimeters as equal distances, although they do differ slightly. If the gauge is given in centimeters but you want to work with project size in inches, read the section on converting gauges.

To calculate a project's size, you need to know your gauge, the number of stitches, and the number of rows. Look at the tabs and click on the word Size on the first tab. The picture that follows shows the tabs (in the Winter Snow colorway), with the correct tab circled in red. The light color background from the Size tab will continue into the form area below if you selected the right tab.

If you have not already configured Gauge Calculator to use the units you want (inches or centimeters), follow the instructions in the section on configuring Gauge Calculator. Then scroll back up to the pane with the Size folder tab.

Enter your gauge, stitch count, and row count into the text boxes. You can use integers and decimal numbers. You can't use fractions such as 4 1/3. Once you have typed a stitch gauge and stitch count, you'll see the width appear in the boxed value below the line. Similarly, once you have typed a row gauge and a row count, you'll see the project length appear. The image below shows what you will see after filling in your gauge and counts. The yellow highlight circles the numbers you type. The bold numbers that aren't in the circle were computed by the Gauge Calculator.

You can go back and edit the gauge values, stitch count, and row count. Gauge Calculator will automatically update its calculations of the project size. Updates are triggered when you change focus to a different field in the form or type the ENTER key.

You can use Gauge Calculator to display the project size as either centimeters or inches. Skip ahead to the section on Converting Sizes.

Calculating Stitches and Rows

To calculate how many stitches and rows you'll need to knit or crochet in order to produce a project of the size you want, you need to know your gauge and how big (i.e. how wide and how tall) you want your project to be. Look at the tabs and click on the words Stitch/Row on the first tab. The picture that follows shows the tabs (in the Winter Snow colorway), with the correct tab circled in red. The light color background from the Stitch/Row tab will continue into the form area below if you selected the right tab.

If you have not already configured Gauge Calculator to use the units you want (inches or centimeters), follow the instructions in the section on configuring Gauge Calculator. Then scroll back up to the pane with the Stitch/Row folder tab.

Enter your gauge into the text boxes. You can use integers and decimal numbers. You can't use fractions such as 4 1/3. Enter the desired project width and length. Once you have typed a stitch gauge and a desired width, you'll see the stitch count appear in the boxed value below the line. Similarly, once you have typed a row gauge and a desired length, you'll see the row count appear. The image below shows what you will see after filling in your gauge and sizes. The yellow highlight circles the numbers you type. The bold numbers that aren't in the circle were computed by the Gauge Calculator.

You can go back and edit the gauge values, width, and length. Gauge Calculator will automatically update its calculations of the number of stitches and rows you'll need to work. Updates are triggered when you change focus to a different field in the form or type the ENTER key. If you are using a mix of centimeters and inches, be sure to double check that the radio button settings match the units of the new value you enter.

To calculate your gauge, you need to know the width and length of your swatch (or size specified in a pattern), the number of stitches, and the number of rows. Look at the tabs and click on the word Gauge on the first tab. The picture that follows shows the tabs (in the Winter Snow colorway), with the correct tab circled in red. The light color background from the Gauge tab will continue into the form area below if you selected the right tab.

If you have not already configured Gauge Calculator to use the units you want (inches or centimeters), follow the instructions in the section on configuring Gauge Calculator. Then scroll back up to the pane with the Gauge folder tab.

Enter your width, length, stitch count, and row count into the text boxes. You can use integers and decimal numbers. You can't use fractions such as 4 1/3. Once you have typed a width and stitch count, you'll see the stitch gauge appear in the boxed value below the line. Similarly, once you have typed a length and a row count, you'll see the row gauge appear. The image below shows what you will see after filling in your sizes and counts. The yellow highlight circles the numbers you type. The bold numbers that aren't in the circle were computed by the Gauge Calculator.

You can go back and edit the swatch length and width, stitch count, and row count. Gauge Calculator will automatically update its calculations of your gauge. Updates are triggered when you change focus to a different field in the form or type the ENTER key.

Gauge Calculator can help you work with patterns that measure the gauge in units you normally don't work with. As an example, consider the plight of Chris. Chris wants to knit a sweater for a friend with a 34 inch bust and has found a lovely pattern that says to cast on 216 stitches with needles and yarn that deliver a gauge of 24 stitches per 10 cm. Chris wants to know if this pattern would work.

Chris knows the gauge and the number of stitches so she selects the Size tab of Gauge Calculator. Chris knows the gauge in stitches per 10 cm. and so selects the measure size in centimeters and gauge per 10 centimeters radio buttons.

Now Chris enters the gauge from the pattern.

Chris has measuring tapes and knows sizes in inches and is most comfortable working in inches and stitches per inch. So Chris scrolls back down and changes the radio buttons to match.

Chris scrolls back up and sees that Gauge Calculator has updated its display to show that a gauge of 24 stitches per 10 centimeters is equivalent to a gauge of 6.1 stitches per inch.

Chris enters the stitch count and learns that the sweater will be 35.375 (i.e. 35 3/8) inches around. That is a bit snug, but close enough that Chris figures it won't be hard to find a yarn and needle combination that will yield about 5.9 stitch/inch gauge, which would make the sweater just a bit larger around -- a nice fitting sweater, with an ease of 2.5 inches. Chris was planning to measure to get the right sleeve and torso length anyway so the slight increase in rows/inch is not an issue.

Gauge Calculator recomputes the values you've already entered whenever you select a different radio button for the unit of measurement or gauge. You can easily convert between gauges in stitches and rows per inch, stitches and rows per 4 inches, stitches and rows per centimeter, and stitches and rows per 10 centimeters. Just select the radio buttons corresponding to the unit you want to type in, type in the gauge, then select the radio buttons for the units you prefer to use.

Word of warning: Gauge Calculator rounds off size and gauge measurements. This rounding means that that the numbers you see are not obnoxious values like 4.10950293578. However, the rounding introduces some error. If you keep changing the units back and forth, the error can add up. Try to enter all numbers in the units you don't want to keep using first, then convert once.

Gauge Calculator can help you work with patterns that state lengths and widths in units you normally don't work with. As an example, consider the plight of Robin. She bought baby hat pattern plus the amount and kind of yarn specified by the pattern. Robin sees that the gauge is 24 stitches and 32 rows per 10 centimeters on size 4 needles. Robin knows that 10 centimeters is almost exactly 4 inches so she does a swatch to confirm that her gauge is 24 stitches and 32 rows per 4 inches. Great! Now she casts on and starts knitting. Robin realizes that the pattern tells her to knit ribbing for 1.6 centimeters. Robin's ruler measures in inches. How far should she knit?

Robin knows a size (1.6 cm.) and so picks a tab of Gauge Calculator with inputs for the size. Either the Stitch/Row or Gauge tab will work. Robin picks the Stitch/Row tab, then selects the radio button configuring measurement in centimeters. Robin decides it might be nice to know how many rows to expect to knit and so also selects the radio button for gauge measured per 10 centimeters.

Now Robin enters the size and gauge from the pattern.

Robin sees that knitting for about 5 rows will yield the 1.6 centimeter target length. Robin still wants to measure progress in inches so Robin selects the radio button to configure Gauge Calculator's measure in inches mode.

Robin scrolls back up and sees that Gauge Calculator has updated its display to show that a gauge of 32 rows per 10 centimeters is equivalent to a gauge of 32.5 rows per 4 inches. The rule of thumb about treating 4 inches and 10 centimeters as the same in gauge swatches checks out. That gives Robin confidence that Gauge Calculator is working properly. The expected row count is unchanged - still 5 - which is what Robin expected since row counts aren't measured in centimeters. The length measurement was converted. 1.6 cm. is approximately 0.625 inches (5/8 of an inch). Robin can measure that on a ruler.

Gauge Calculator recomputes the values you've already entered whenever you select a different radio button for the unit of measurement. You can easily convert between sizes in stitches and sizes in centimeters. Just select the radio buttons corresponding to the unit you want to type in, type in the measurement, then select the radio buttons for the units you prefer to use. You can do the conversion whenever it is convenient. If you have a size in centimeters and a gauge per 10 centimeters, you'll find it useful to do the conversion after you've typed in the size and the gauge. If you happen to know mixed units such as a size in inches and a gauge per centimeter, the best approach is to configure Gauge Calculator for the unit you don't want to use (e.g. gauge per centimeter), type in the value in that unit, reconfigure Gauge Calculator for the unit you like, type in the second pair of values (e.g. size in inches), and view the results.

Word of warning: Gauge Calculator rounds off size and gauge measurements. This rounding means that that the numbers you see are not obnoxious values like 4.10950293578. However, the rounding introduces some error. If you keep changing the units back and forth, the error can add up. Try to enter all numbers in the units you don't want to keep using first, then convert once.