Craftuary guide · shaping
To increase or decrease evenly, subtract your stitch count from the target to get the number of increases or decreases, then divide your stitches by that number to find how many stitches sit between them. Going from 24 to 30 stitches is 6 increases, one every 4 stitches: (sc 3, inc) x6 (30).
An increase in crochet is 2 stitches in one stitch (inc); in knitting it is usually M1 between stitches. A decrease is 2 stitches worked together (sc2tog, k2tog).
From 32 to 38 stitches the gap is 32 ÷ 6 = 5 remainder 2, so four of the six segments cover 5 stitches and two cover 6 (each segment ends with the stitch that is increased), and the longer ones are mixed through the round so nothing bunches. Written out: [(sc 4, inc) x2, sc 5, inc] x2 (38). Worked flat, the row starts and ends with half a gap so both edges match: sc 3, (inc, sc 4) x5, inc, sc 3 (38).
| Case | Stitches | Instruction |
|---|---|---|
| Crochet, in the round | 24 → 30 | (sc 3, inc) x6 (30) |
| Crochet, in the round | 32 → 38 | [(sc 4, inc) x2, sc 5, inc] x2 (38) |
| Crochet, flat | 32 → 38 | sc 3, (inc, sc 4) x5, inc, sc 3 (38) |
| Crochet, in the round, decrease | 36 → 30 | (sc 4, sc2tog) x6 (30) |
| Knit, in the round | 80 → 96 | (k5, M1) x16 (96) |
| Knit, flat | 60 → 52 | k4, (k2tog, k5) x8 (52) |
| Knit, in the round, decrease | 72 → 60 | (k4, k2tog) x12 (60) |
These are produced by the same increase or decrease evenly calculator, which verifies that every instruction works into your current count and makes the target. In the round, knitters can also place a stitch marker at each gap. If one round would need more than one increase in every stitch, spread the shaping over more than one round, as most amigurumi patterns do. For reading the brackets in a pattern, see how to read a crochet pattern.
Sources: the arithmetic is standard; the calculator's output is verified in code against the stitch counts, 2026-10-21. Crochet abbreviations follow the Craft Yarn Council list (see our abbreviations chart).
Subtract your stitch count from the target to get the number of increases, then divide your stitches by that number to find the gap. From 32 to 38 stitches is 6 increases: sc 3, (inc, sc 4) x5, inc, sc 3 (38).
Same method. From 24 to 30 stitches is 6 increases, one every 4 stitches: (sc 3, inc) x6 (30).
Subtract the target from your count; each k2tog removes one stitch. From 60 to 52 stitches worked flat: k4, (k2tog, k5) x8 (52).
Some gaps are one stitch longer than others. Mix the longer and shorter gaps through the row instead of leaving all the extra stitches at the end.
Single crochet in each of the next 4 stitches, then 2 single crochets in the next stitch, six times. Each repeat covers 5 stitches and makes 6.