Estimate how many stitches to cast on using your own circumference, ease and measured stitch gauge. The result fits a whole number of stitch repeats plus your specified edge stitches. All lengths use centimetres; gauge uses stitches per centimetre. No garment-size tables or automatic ease recommendations are used.
- Enter the circumference before ease. If you already have the desired finished circumference, enter it here and set ease to zero.
- Choose ease in centimetres. Positive ease adds room; negative ease makes the requested circumference smaller. The Craft Yarn Council explains this distinction. Choose the amount for your project rather than treating the example default as a fit recommendation.
- Enter your measured stitches per centimetre. Divide the stitches counted by the measured width in centimetres: 22 stitches across 10 cm gives 2.2 stitches/cm. Gauge relates stitch count to fabric width, as explained by the Craft Yarn Council. You can also use the Knitting and Crochet Gauge Calculator.
- Enter the horizontal stitch-repeat multiple. Use 1 if there is no repeat constraint.
- Enter the total edge or extra stitches outside the repeats, counting both edges together. For ordinary circular knitting without extra stitches, use 0.
The circumference-to-stitch conversion follows directly from gauge: length multiplied by stitches per unit length gives stitches. Adding signed ease follows the Craft Yarn Council’s explanation of ease; the gauge definition is documented in its gauge article. The repeat-rounding rule is this calculator’s explicit arithmetic policy, not a formula attributed to those sources.
Edge stitches are included within the requested total width. Subtract them from the ideal stitch count, round the remaining repeat count, then add the edges back. The result is the nearest allowed count of the form repeat multiple × whole repeats + edges, with at least one complete repeat. Exactly halfway between two counts, the larger count wins.
The one-repeat minimum can produce a result substantially larger than a very small target. Check the displayed circumference difference before using the count. Stitch counts are rounded in the calculation itself; the two-decimal circumference display does not affect the result.
| Circumference and ease | Gauge | Repeat and edges | Repeat calculation | Cast-on count | Resulting circumference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 56 cm − 4 cm = 52 cm | 2.2 stitches/cm | Multiple 4; edges 0 | (52 × 2.2 − 0) / 4 = 28.6 → 29 | 29 × 4 = 116 stitches | 116 / 2.2 ≈ 52.73 cm |
| 100 cm + 6 cm = 106 cm | 2 stitches/cm | Multiple 6; edges 2 | (106 × 2 − 2) / 6 = 35 | 35 × 6 + 2 = 212 stitches | 212 / 2 = 106 cm, including edges |
| 50 cm + 0 cm = 50 cm | 2.1 stitches/cm | Multiple 10; edges 0 | (50 × 2.1) / 10 = 10.5 → 11 | 11 × 10 = 110 stitches | 110 / 2.1 ≈ 52.38 cm |
| 2 cm + 0 cm = 2 cm | 1 stitch/cm | Multiple 6; edges 0 | 2 / 6 ≈ 0.333 → 0, then minimum 1 repeat | 1 × 6 = 6 stitches | 6 / 1 = 6 cm; review the large difference |
Supported input ranges are circumference 1–500 cm, ease −100 to +100 cm, measured gauge 0.1–20 stitches/cm, repeat multiple 1–100 whole stitches, and total edge stitches 0–100 whole stitches. Length inputs use 0.1 cm steps; gauge uses 0.01 stitches/cm steps. Circumference plus ease must be at least 0.1 cm. An invalid combined target produces an unavailable result, not a zero-stitch recommendation. These are calculator input limits, not recommended garment measurements.
The estimate assumes a uniform stitch gauge across all counted stitches, including edges. It does not subtract fabric consumed by a seam or model different border gauges, stretch, shaping or cast-on elasticity. For a flat piece, the displayed circumference is the equivalent fabric width before seam take-up; it is not a guaranteed finished circumference after joining. Use this calculation for a single full-circumference piece, not automatically for one panel of a multi-panel garment.