Crochet Pattern Stitch Checker
Paste a written pattern and verify every round's stitch count — with the arithmetic shown, round by round.
Free and unlimited — everything runs in your browser, your pattern never leaves your device. 🔒
Every written crochet pattern makes a quiet promise: follow these instructions and you'll have exactly this many stitches at the end of the round. This checker tests that promise. Paste the pattern, and it re-computes each round from the instructions — plain stitches count one each, increases count two, decreases halve, chains and slip stitches don't count — then compares the result against the stitch count the pattern declares.
What it does not do is judge patterns. A wrong count is evidence, not a verdict. Still, that evidence matters: AI-generated fake patterns almost always break on stitch math first, and the classic community complaint — "check your patterns before you sell them" — exists because even paid, human-written patterns ship with count errors. Catching one before row 40 saves a project.
What you get
Round-by-round verification
Each round gets its declared count re-computed from the actual instructions, with the working shown — you see exactly where the numbers diverge and by how much.
Understands real pattern syntax
*sc, inc* rep 6 times, [sc, inc] x6, "6 sc, 2 inc", "sc in next 2 sts", "inc in each st around" — Rnd, Round and Row formats all parse.
Honest about what it can't check
Rounds with no declared count or with "ch 2 counts as dc" declarations are marked "can't verify" — never silently guessed, never fake-passed.
US/UK mixing flagged
If one text mixes US-only terms (sc, hdc) with UK-only ones (htr, dtr) you get a warning — mixed terminology is the classic source of "the count is right but my piece is wrong".
How to check a crochet pattern
Paste the pattern
Copy the rounds or rows you want to check — the whole pattern or just the suspicious section — into the box above.
Read the per-round table
Each round shows its declared count, the count we computed from the instructions, and the working. Rounds that don't add up are highlighted.
Treat it as evidence, not a verdict
A mismatch is worth a message to the designer or a recount of your own work — it isn't proof the pattern is fake. A clean pass isn't proof it's good.
Checker vs. counting by hand
| Stitch checker | Manual recounting | |
|---|---|---|
| Speed | Every round verified as you paste | Pen, paper, and ten minutes per round |
| Repeat sections | *sc, inc* rep 6 times expanded and multiplied for you | Easy to lose track of what's inside vs outside the repeat |
| Finding the error | Working shown per round — you see it's off by exactly 2 | You know it's wrong somewhere, not where |
| Honesty | Unverifiable rounds said so out loud — no fake passes | Your own arithmetic feels certain even when it isn't |
Frequently asked questions
Does a wrong stitch count mean the pattern is fake?
No. Human designers make typos constantly — an off-by-two count in an otherwise excellent paid pattern is common, which is why "check your patterns before you sell them" is such a familiar complaint in crochet communities. A mismatch is evidence worth investigating: recount your own work, check the errata, message the designer. It's a red flag, not a conviction.
Why do AI-generated crochet patterns fail stitch counts?
Language models write pattern-shaped text without tracking a running stitch total, so the count in parentheses is often just a plausible-looking number. The instructions might produce 30 stitches while the pattern claims 24. Stitch math is the fastest way to catch this — which is exactly what this checker automates.
What pattern formats can it check?
Written-out US patterns with numbered rounds or rows: Rnd, Round, Row, or R. It handles asterisk repeats (*sc, inc* rep 6 times), bracket repeats ([sc, inc] x6), "in each st around", "sc in next 2 sts", and declared counts like (18 sts). Chart-only patterns and stitch diagrams can't be checked — there's no text to count.
What does "can't verify" mean?
The round is missing a declared stitch count, or it contains something arithmetic can't settle — like "ch 3 counts as dc", a combined round (Rnds 4–6), or a term we don't recognize. We mark these honestly instead of guessing: an unverified round is not a failed round.
Is my pattern uploaded anywhere when I check it?
No. The checker runs entirely in your browser — the pattern text never leaves your device, there's no account, and nothing is stored or sent to a server. That also makes it safe for checking paid patterns you own.