How to Count Crochet Rows – In Half the Time! Pictures Included

Counting crochet rows properly is essential to achieving the desired length of a project. It can be a bit confusing at first, but after you learn to recognize stitch patterns, counting rows will be a breeze.

Each of the 4 basic stitches has a unique structure. The backs of single crochets look like “pi”. Half double crochets have a twisted line in the middle of the stitch. And double and treble crochets have long posts. All of which help count rows effortlessly.

Follow along, I have tons of pictures to illustrate exactly how to count each of the 4 basic crochet stitches. And if that’s not enough, I also have a video that includes even more tips on how to count crochet rows and I show you how to count rows when crocheting in the round, which is not discussed here. It is living at the bottom of this page and I encourage you to watch it after reading this!

In this post, I am using the US terms. For anyone that needs the equivalent to UK terms, I have them listed below. I got this information from the Craft Yarn Council website, which you can also find here.

US Terms	UK Terms
single crochet (sc)	double crochet (dc)
half double crochet (hdc)	half treble (htr)
double crochet (dc)	treble (tr)
treble (tr)	double treble (dtr)

Single Crochet

Single crochet stitches are small and squish together, which can make counting rows a bit intimidating.

But the trick to counting rows of single crochet stitches is easy. With the right side of the fabric facing you, count each row of dashes as 2 rows. If the last row does not have the dashes, add 1 to your final number. Stick with me as I explain this further with pictures. (If you need help determining which is the right side of the fabric, I wrote a tutorial on this and you can find it here.)

Look at this swatch and tell me, what sticks out to you?

I’ll tell you what my eye is drawn to: the dashes. And if you look closer, the stitches actually look like “pi” symbols. This is what the back side of the single crochet stitch looks like.

The front of the stitches gets lost amongst the other rows. Pull on the swatch vertically, and notice they stand out more. You’ll notice they have “v” shaped stitches on the front side, but you have to look closely. An easier way for me to show you is through the photograph below.

The white rows are the front sides of the crochet stitch and look like “v’s”. The tan color are the backs of the stitches, which look like “pi”. It’s easy to see the difference with alternating colors, but when all the rows are the same color, they jumble together.

Take for instance, the photograph below. It’s the same exact photo I showed you in the beginning, only this time I added a few scribbles to help with any confusion. The row of “pi’s” equal the back side of the single crochets and the straight line represent the front side of the single crochets. Each counts as 1 row, as you can see.

So, here’s the trick. Make sure the right side of the fabric is facing you (you can tell by the bottom, the dashes aren’t on the first row). Then count by 2 every time you see a dashed row.

In the picture above that I just discussed, I actually have the wrong side of the fabric facing me. The same exact principle applies, but you must pay attention to this fact, otherwise your row count will be off.

Therefore, I suggest to always have the front side of the stitches, the”v”, on the bottom row so it’s easy to count the rows of dashes by 2.

Half Double Crochet

The half double crochet stitch has more height than a single crochet and it’s shape is completely different. Counting rows is very similar to what was described in the previous section though.

Count rows of half double crochets easily by looking for the “v” formed from each stitch. Then count each “v” vertically as 1 row to achieve the row count.

I helped you a little by adding the “v’s” to two of the rows. Use that as a guideline to distinguish the other rows and see if you achieve the same count as me.

Another easy way, in my opinion the easiest way, to count rows of half double crochet is by turning the fabric to the right side and counting each line that looks like a spiral as 2 rows. If the top row of stitches does not have the spiral line, add 1 to your final count.

Again, it’s easiest if I show you exactly what I mean through the photograph below.

You can see the difference between the rows easily with the alternating colors. The white has the spiral line that I referred to earlier. And this is the back side of the half double crochet stitches. The front side of the stitches blend in a little more, but still have the “v” that you saw earlier.

You can see from the photo above that your eye is really drawn to the spiral line when the rows of stitches are all the same color. That’s why it is easier to use this as your focal point and count by twos instead of trying to count each individual row.

NOTE: Pay attention to the front and back side of the fabric because this will help you accurately count the rows. You can easily tell by looking at the first row. If it has a line of spirals, that is the back side (wrong side). Check out my tutorial here for more tips on how to tell which side is the right side. I also provided a couple of tips on how to count rows from each side.

If the fabric facing you is the right side, count the spiral line as 2 rows. And if the top row does not have a spiral line, count that row as 1.
If the fabric facing you is the wrong side, count the first row (has a spiral line) as 1, then count by 2’s each time you see a spiral line. Again, if the top row does not have a spiral line, count that row as 1.

If you want more of a visual representation, I do cover how to count rows from the front and back side of the fabric in the video that is below.

Double Crochet

Counting rows gets easier for double crochet stitches! The height of the stitch is significantly taller, making the stitch itself stand out easily. Better yet, you don’t have to pay attention to which is the right or wrong side when counting rows of double crochet stitches.

So how do you do it? Count rows easily from anywhere on the fabric by starting from the bottom row and work your way up, counting each post (stitch) as 1 row. Or count the holes (or posts) on either edge of the fabric as 1 row.

It’s super simple, but let me show you in the photograph below. You will notice that the rows where colors alternate are easy to see. But it’s also easy to see that stitches are tall enough to stand out from the row above and below even when the yarn is all the same color. Therefore, each stitch counts as 1 row.

The four lines on row 8-11 are not a mistake. They represent the post of the double crochet stitch. This is what you count as 1 row.

Treble Crochet

If you think counting double crochet rows is easy, then treble crochet (or triple crochet) stitches are a breeze! The stitch height is much taller, there are more gaps that separate the stitches, which all make counting rows so easy.

To count treble crochet rows, simply start from the bottom (or top) of the fabric and count each stitch as 1 row as you go up (or down). Also, you can count the holes on the edges as 1 row.

Treble crochets are just like counting double crochets. But I like to give examples, so take a look at the photo below.

You’ll notice the stitch itself looks much different from a double crochet, but counting is exactly the same. Count each tall stitch as 1 row as you count from top down or bottom up. Also note, that the side of the fabric doesn’t matter when it comes to counting rows.

Conclusion

Counting rows in crochet does not have to be super difficult. I had a hard time with it and made many mistakes because of it, but once I learned the simple tricks I gave here, I improved significantly.

I hope the same goes for you! Let me know if this helps in the comment section.

And, as promised in the beginning, check out my video where I show you exactly how to count rows for the 4 basic stitches, in half the time!

Thanks for stopping by and I’ll talk to you next time!