Knitting or crocheting from a pattern means holding two numbers in your head at once — which row you're on and how many stitches you've worked in it — while also watching for when a pattern repeat comes back around. This free online knitting counter tracks all three: a Rows counter for finished rows, a Stitches counter for the row in progress, and a Pattern Repeat tracker that resets itself automatically. It works the same way for crochet, keeps a full row history you can export, and saves everything per project, right in your browser.
What is a knitting counter?
A knitting counter — also called a knitting row counter or knitting stitch counter — is a tool that keeps track of your place in a pattern so you don't have to hold it in your head. Traditionally that's a small mechanical ring worn on a finger, a clicker clipped to a needle, or a sliding tally on a chain: click or turn it once per row, and it shows a running number.
This tool does the same core job digitally, with a few things a mechanical counter can't do: it tracks rows and stitches separately, follows a pattern repeat and resets it automatically, keeps a timestamped log of every row you finish, and remembers exactly where you left off — even if you close the tab and come back next week.
How to use this knitting counter
It takes a few seconds to get going, and there's nothing to install:
- Tap + on Stitches as you work each stitch. Choose a step of 1, 2, 3, 5 or 10 under the Stitches panel if you're counting in groups instead of one at a time.
- Press Finish Row when you reach the end. Rows goes up by one, Stitches resets to 0 for the next row, and the finished row is added to your Row History with its stitch count and the time.
- Watch the Pattern Repeat bar. Set how many rows are in one repeat, and it fills automatically as you finish rows — with a small fanfare when a repeat completes.
- Made a mistake? Undo. Backspace (or the Stitches counter's own reset) undoes one stitch at a time; the separate Undo Last Row button reverses an entire finished row if you pressed Finish Row too early.
- Come back any time. Close the tab, come back tomorrow, and your row, stitch and repeat counts are exactly where you left them.
Count stitches in the current row
The Stitches panel is a separate live counter for the row you're working on right now. Tap + to add a stitch and − to take one off, or set the step to 2, 3, 5 or 10 if you're counting in multiples — cable crosses, colorwork blocks, or a lace repeat worked several stitches at a time. Stitches only ever resets when you press Finish Row (or its own ⟲ reset button) — it never carries a number over into the next row by accident.
Follow a pattern repeat automatically
Most patterns — a lace panel, a cable, a colorwork chart, an entire garment section — repeat every fixed number of rows. Set that number under Pattern Repeat (8 rows by default), and the progress bar fills as you finish rows. When the repeat completes, the counter plays a short fanfare and resets to 0 on its own, so you always know where you are in the repeat without counting back through your history by hand. The repeat count has its own reset button too, for starting a new repeat mid-project without touching your total row count.
Keep a full row history
Every row you finish is logged to the Row History table — row number, stitch count, and the time it was completed — with up to 500 rows stored and the most recent 200 shown on screen. Scroll back to check how many stitches a particular row had, or press Export CSV to download the whole history and open it in Excel or Google Sheets for your own records.
Track more than one project at once
Working on a sweater and a pair of socks at the same time — or knitting a matching pair, one on each needle? Add a named Project tab for each one. Every project keeps its own Rows, Stitches, pattern-repeat setting and row history, saved completely separately, so switching between them never mixes up your counts. Rename a project any time by editing its tab, and delete one you're done with — you'll be asked to confirm first, since deleting a project removes its history for good.
How to count rows in knitting without losing your place
The usual advice for counting rows in knitting — or figuring out how to count knit rows on a piece you've already made — is to lay the fabric flat and count the horizontal "V" ridges (in stockinette) or ridge pairs (in garter), often with a row counter or a pin marking every tenth row. That works after the fact, but it's slow and easy to miscount on a long piece. The faster fix is to never lose the number in the first place: press Finish Row the moment you complete each one, and let the Rows counter and Row History carry the number for you instead of recounting stitches on the needle later.
Works on your phone, PC — and for crochet too
This knitting counter runs in any modern browser, so it works on a phone propped up next to your knitting bag, a tablet, or a laptop at a desk, with nothing to download. It's labeled Knitting & crochet row counter because the same Rows/Stitches/Pattern Repeat setup works identically for crochet — rows or rounds, and the stitches worked into each one. On a computer, the keyboard does the tapping for you:
| Action | Keyboard |
|---|---|
| Add a stitch (by the selected step) | Space or ↑ |
| Remove a stitch | ↓ |
| Finish the row | Enter |
| Undo the last stitch tap | Backspace |
Looking for a knitting counter online you don't have to sign up for? This one needs no account and no download — bookmark the page or add it to your home screen and it's ready whenever you pick your needles back up.
What can you use a knitting counter for?
Row and stitch tracking comes up constantly in fiber crafts, well beyond a single scarf:
- Garment pieces — sleeves, backs and fronts that need an exact row count to match shaping instructions or a second piece
- Lace and cable repeats — the Pattern Repeat tracker resets itself so you always know which row of the chart you're on
- Colorwork — count stitches in steps of the block size you're working, instead of one at a time
- Socks, mittens and other pairs — a separate Project for each half keeps their row counts from getting mixed up
- Crochet rows and rounds — the same Rows/Stitches setup, whichever craft you're working in
- Swatching and gauge checking — a quick, disposable Project you can delete once you've got your numbers
- Classes and knitting groups — a shared screen or projector makes it easy for everyone to see the current row at once
Knitting counter vs. a mechanical row counter
A mechanical row counter — a ring, a clicker, or a sliding tally — still works well and needs no battery or screen. But it only tracks one number, it's easy to lose or leave in a project bag, and if you click it by mistake there's usually no way back except clicking forward to the number you meant, or all the way around to zero. This tool tracks rows and stitches at the same time, follows a pattern repeat on its own, keeps a full timestamped history you can export, and lets you run several projects side by side — all from a browser tab you already have open.
It's also worth being upfront about what this tool doesn't do: it's a row and stitch counter, not a full pattern-management app. It won't import a PDF or Ravelry pattern, highlight your place on a chart, or sync to a smartwatch — some dedicated apps do. If all you need is an accurate, always-with-you row and stitch count with repeats and history, this covers that without the extra weight.
Your project data stays on your device
Every row, stitch and repeat you log is saved in your own browser as you go — nothing is uploaded to a server. If your browser is blocking local storage entirely, a banner at the top of the tool warns you before you lose any work. There's deliberately no single "reset everything" button: knitting a project can take weeks, and one accidental tap shouldn't be able to wipe it out. To start a project fresh, reset its Stitches and Pattern Repeat, undo rows one at a time with Undo Last Row, or delete the project outright — that one does ask for confirmation first. Export your Row History as a CSV any time you want a copy outside the browser.
Counting something else that isn't tied to rows — stitches in a gauge swatch, or how many squares you've finished for a blanket? The Tally Counter keeps up to 15 named running totals with a shared goal bar.
Frequently asked questions
How do I count rows in knitting without losing my place?
Tap the Stitches counter once for every stitch you work, and press Finish Row when you reach the end of the row. The Rows counter goes up by one, the Stitches counter resets to 0 for the next row, and the finished row is logged to your Row History with its stitch count and the time — so you never have to hold the row number in your head.
Can I use this for crochet as well as knitting?
Yes. The tool is built for both — it's labeled Knitting & crochet row counter — and works the same way whether you're counting knit rows, crochet rows, or crochet rounds. Finish Row logs whichever you're working on.
What's the difference between the Rows counter and the Stitches counter?
Rows is your running total of completed rows, and only changes when you press Finish Row (or Undo Last Row). Stitches counts up as you work the current row and resets to 0 every time a row is finished — it never carries over.
Does it track pattern repeats automatically?
Yes. Set how many rows are in one pattern repeat under Pattern Repeat, and the counter fills a progress bar as you finish rows, playing a small fanfare and resetting to 0 automatically when a repeat completes.
Can I keep more than one project going at once?
Yes. Add as many named Projects as you like — each has its own Rows, Stitches, pattern-repeat setting and row history, saved completely separately, so working on two garments at once never mixes up your counts.
Is my row count saved if I close the page?
Yes. Every change is saved automatically to your browser as you go, per project, so closing the tab or coming back tomorrow leaves everything exactly where you left it.
Can I undo just one stitch without undoing a whole finished row?
Yes. Backspace only ever undoes one stitch tap at a time. Undo Last Row is a separate, button-only action that reverses an entire finished row — rows, stitches and repeat progress together — so a single mis-tapped stitch can never accidentally erase a row you already finished.
How do I reset a project completely?
There's no single "reset everything" button, by design — it's too easy to hit by accident on a project you've worked on for weeks. To start fresh, reset its Stitches and Pattern Repeat, then use Undo Last Row to step back through its history, or delete the project entirely (with a confirmation prompt) and add a new one.