Crochet Tutorial: how to calculate the stitches easily

Discover this basic guide to knitting with the proportion formula and calculating points, with Santa Pazienzia

One of the biggest difficulties we can face when we start a crochet project is how to calculate the stitches we need for our project. In the end, the correct calculation of the points will be what determines whether the item of clothing is symmetrical or whether the size is exact.

Estefa González, better known as @santapazienzia, is a designer, crochet teacher and creator of the Santa Pazienzia website. This crochet master shares in this tutorial her technique for calculating points based on the proportion formula. Don't miss the video below!

1. Make an initial chain

In this case, Santa Pazienzia will calculate the stitches needed to knit a top-down jacket. The first step is to make an initial chain the size of your head. Once you have it, pass the chain through the lower part of your head and close it at the top, as if it were a headband. Count the stitches of the chain and write them down. Do not eat stitches because the piece would be asymmetrical and do not count the closure of the chain or the stitch that is mounted on the needle.

2. Calculate the points for the shoulders

Divide the stitches obtained in your chain by five to calculate the number of shoulder stitches. If the number is not a whole number, round down.

3. Calculate the points on the back

Take the number of stitches from the initial chain, divide it by two and then subtract the number of stitches from one of your shoulders. If the result is not an integer, round down.

4. Calculate the points of the forwards

Divide by two the number of points that you have obtained for your back. If the number is not a whole number, round it up.

5. Add all the measurements

Add up all the points that you have scored on the shoulders, back and front. That will be the number of stitches that your chain should have. If you get a different number than the initial chain, adjust by removing or adding stitches.

Did you like this tutorial? If you want to learn with her to design and knit your own seamless designs tailored to your needs, don't miss her online course 'Top-down: crochet garments of a single piece'.

You may also be interested in:

-'Intarsia crochet: knit your own tapestries', a Flor course Samoilenco
-'Design and creation of amigurumis', a course by Prince of Crochet
-'Crochet: create garments with a single needle', with Alimaravillas

-6 online crochet courses for explore the possibilities of this technique.
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