BEGINNER BASICS

How to use a row counter for knitting: a beginner’s guide

A row counter keeps track of how many rows you’ve knit, so you don’t have to count the stitches stacked up in your fabric. The trick is to count at the same moment, every time.

Tap at the end of every row

Tap your counter right after the last stitch of a row, before you turn your work. Then the number on your counter always means “rows finished”, and the next row you knit is that number plus one.

If you have to stop partway through a row, try to finish the row first. If you can’t, leave yourself a note, so you don’t count the same row twice.

What counts as row 1?

Most patterns don’t count the cast-on as a row. Row 1 is usually the first row you knit after casting on. If your pattern says “Row 1 (RS)”, that first row is a right-side row. See what RS and WS mean.

Knitting in the round

In the round, patterns say rounds instead of rows. Place a stitch marker at the start of the round, and tap your counter each time you pass it.

Use a second counter for repeats

Many patterns repeat a set of rows, like an 8-row cable or “decrease every 6th row 8 times”. Keep one count for where you are in the repeat and another for how many repeats are done. How to keep track of pattern repeats walks through an example.

If you lose count

You can count the rows in your knitting. In stockinette, each little V in a column of stitches is one row. In garter stitch, each ridge is two rows. Count from just above the cast-on edge, then set your counter to match.

Paper, clicker or app?

A pencil tally on your pattern works, and so does a clicker on your needle. A row counter app adds a few things: your count is saved with each project, it can’t be bumped by accident when locked, and repeats are counted for you. With several projects on the go, that’s a lot less to remember.