Knitting Increase & Decrease Calculator
Plan evenly spaced M1, KFB or K2tog in one knit row or round. Follow exact source stitches, step through the row and print your instructions.
Shape one row. Account for every stitch.
Space increases or decreases evenly across a plain knit row or round. Choose your technique, then follow the original stitches all the way to the target count.
Keep edge stitches plain
Work from the start of this knit row.
Coral links mark shaping positions. The shaded band follows the next instruction. Both needles fit the same diagram width; this shows stitch positions, not fabric size.
Next: Knit 2
0 / 100 original stitches worked · 0 / 130 stitches made
Mark each instruction done after knitting it. Progress stays on this page until inputs change or you reload.
Complete sequence
61 instructions. Source positions refer to the original 100 stitches, before shaping. Shaping is spaced across the available source stitches; rounding may make the two ends differ.
Why the method changes the instruction
M1 lifts the bar between two original stitches: it uses zero original stitches and creates one new stitch. KFB knits into one original stitch twice: it uses one and creates two. K2tog uses two original stitches and creates one. An instruction for M1 cannot simply say “or KFB” without changing the number of plain stitches.
For 100 → 130 with M1, knit all 100 original stitches and add 30 between them. With KFB, knit 70 original stitches plain and work the other 30 into two stitches each: 70 + 60 = 130. For 80 → 72 with K2tog, knit 64 plain stitches and work 8 pairs together: 64 + 8 = 72.
The planner divides the unprotected source stitches into equal-width zones and places each shaping operation near a zone centre. M1 instead divides the eligible between-stitch bars, using each bar at most once. Flat rows exclude bars beyond the two ends. A round includes the bar across the marker; move the marker as your pattern requires. Integer rounding gives neighbouring gaps that can differ by one stitch. The ends need not be mirror images.
Up to 10,000 starting and target stitches, with at most 2,000 shaping operations. Impossible plans are rejected: for example, reducing 10 stitches to 1 using only K2tog in one row. Instructions cover one plain knit row or round, not a whole garment, shaping over multiple rows, fit, gauge or patterned stitch alignment. Follow your pattern for leaning increases, stitch orientation and the following row.
Technique references: Purl Soho M1L and M1R, KFB and K2tog. The diagram shows stitch accounting, not a needle-motion tutorial.
