Who This Page Helps
This page is useful when your raw stitch count does not fit the repeat in a stitch pattern, border, cable panel, or lace motif and you need the nearest workable options.
How It Works
A repeat is a block of stitches that must be worked a whole number of times. The tool compares the valid repeat counts above and below your raw target so you can pick the width you prefer.
How To Use It
- 1Start from your raw stitch target based on gauge and width.
- 2Enter the repeat multiple and any extra stitches outside the repeat.
- 3Compare the nearest valid repeat counts and select the width you want to keep.
The formula
Repeat count = (raw stitches - extra stitches) / multiple. Valid stitches = whole repeat count × multiple + extra.
A worked example
For 95 raw stitches and a 6n + 2 pattern, (95 - 2) / 6 = 15.5 repeats. Fifteen repeats give 92 stitches; sixteen give 98. At 5 stitches per inch, these measure 18.4 and 19.6 inches.
Common mistakes
Do not round the repeat size itself. Edge stitches belong in the extra count only once. Flat and in-the-round instructions can have different extras; use the rule for the construction you are actually knitting.
Questions People Ask
How do I enter multiple of 8 plus 4?
Enter 8 in Multiple of and 4 in Plus extra stitches. For example, 12 full repeats then use 100 stitches.
What if my width is too small for one repeat?
The calculator shows the first complete repeat plus the extras. There is no smaller valid option in this tool; check the resulting width before using it.
Does this parse written pattern instructions?
No. Enter the numerical multiple and extra count yourself. Complex nested repeats and row-repeat grammar are outside this calculator's scope.