Free crochet tool
Crochet Increase and Decrease Calculator
An increase and decrease calculator spreads extra or fewer stitches evenly across a crochet row or round. Enter your current stitch count and the count you need, and it writes the instruction, for example single crochet 7 then two in the next, repeated around, with remainders spread out.
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Result
[sc 7, 2 sc in next st] 6 times
Written in single crochet — substitute your stitch (hdc, dc) and its matching increase or decrease.
How do you space increases evenly?
Divide the current stitch count by the number of increases. Each group of that many stitches gets one increase: work one fewer single crochet than the group size, then 2 single crochet in the next stitch.
When the division leaves a remainder, the calculator gives some groups one extra stitch and spreads those groups through the row, so the shaping stays smooth instead of bunching at the end.
How do decreases work?
A decrease such as sc2tog uses two stitches and makes one. Each group therefore contains the decrease plus the plain stitches before it, and you can make at most half as many decreases as there are stitches.
Why stagger increases in the round?
Stacking increases in the same place every round creates visible corners — useful for hexagons, but not for circles. Shift the start of each group by half a group every other round to keep a circle round.
Frequently asked questions
Does this work for double crochet?
Yes. Replace sc with your stitch; the counts stay the same.
How many increases for a flat circle?
In single crochet, add 6 stitches per round; in half double crochet 8; in double crochet 12.
What is an invisible decrease?
In amigurumi, working a decrease through the front loops only of two stitches hides it. The count maths is identical.