Crochet Chain Calculator: Starting Chain for Any Width and Stitch

Enter how wide you want the piece, your gauge (or pick a yarn weight to start from its typical gauge), and the stitch you will work. The calculator gives the starting chain with the right turning chain, both ways of counting it, and the hook to chain with.

Your crochet piece

Finished width (in)

Stitch Single crochet (sc)Half double crochet (hdc)Double crochet (dc)Treble crochet (tr)

Yarn weight Super Fine (1)Fine (2)Light (3)Medium (4)Bulky (5)Super Bulky (6)

Gauge (sts per 4 in)

Your swatch, in your stitch

Hook for the rows 2.25 mm (B-1)2.5 mm2.75 mm (C-2)3.25 mm (D-3)3.5 mm (E-4)3.75 mm (F-5)4 mm (G-6)4.5 mm (7)5 mm (H-8)5.5 mm (I-9)6 mm (J-10)6.5 mm (K-10.5)7 mm8 mm (L-11)9 mm (M/N-13)10 mm (N/P-15)11.5 mm (P-16)15 mm (P/Q)16 mm (Q)

Stitch multiple

Plus

Your results

Starting chain

Chain 159

156 stitches + 3 turning chains; first stitch in the 4th chain from the hook

Chain with a hook one size up

6.5 mm (K-10.5)

If turning chain counts as a stitch	Chain 158
Stitches in row 1	156
Finished width	49.9 in
Exact stitches	156.3

How do you calculate how many chains to start a crochet project?

A foundation chain has to hold the first row of stitches plus the turning chain that lifts your hook to the height of that row. The calculator does it in four steps. For the default 50 inch throw in medium weight yarn worked in double crochet:

1. Get stitches per inch. The Craft Yarn Council single crochet gauge for medium weight is 11 to 14 stitches per 4 inches. The calculator starts from the middle, 12.5, which is 3.125 stitches per inch.
2. Multiply by the width. 50 x 3.125 = 156.25, rounded to 156 stitches. With a stitch multiple, it rounds to the nearest count that fits the repeat instead.
3. Add the turning chain. Single crochet uses 1, half double 2, double 3 and treble 4. For double crochet: 156 + 3 = 159 chains, and the first double crochet goes into the 4th chain from the hook.
4. Adjust if the turning chain counts. If your pattern counts the turning chain as the first stitch, the skipped chains replace one stitch, so chain one fewer: 158.

The yarn weight default is only a starting point. The CYC gauge range is measured in single crochet, and double crochet or a textured stitch can sit at a different gauge. For a blanket you want to be a particular size, crochet a swatch of about 6 inches in your actual stitch, measure 4 inches in the middle, and type that number into the gauge box.

Starting chain for common crochet widths

This chart uses the medium weight midpoint gauge of 12.5 stitches per 4 inches, with the turning chain not counted as a stitch. Swap in your own gauge in the calculator for exact numbers.

How many chains for a throw in each yarn weight?

Heavier yarn means fewer, bigger stitches. Each row uses the middle of the CYC single crochet gauge range and the hook nearest the middle of the recommended hook range, with the next size up suggested for the chain.

Hook sizes run in half millimeter steps in the middle of the range, and US letters are not perfectly consistent between brands, so the millimeter size printed on the hook is the one to trust. The crochet hook size chart lists every metric, US and UK size.

Why do crochet chains get tight, and how do you fix it?

A chain has nothing underneath it. Each loop is pulled only against the one before, so most people's chains come out smaller than the stitches in the rows above. The result is a bottom edge that is narrower than the blanket, which makes the first rows fan out and the corners pucker.

• Go up a hook size for the chain. This is the simplest fix. With a 6 mm (J-10) for the body, chain with a 6.5 mm (K-10.5), then switch back for row one. The calculator suggests the next size for whatever hook you choose.
• Work into the back bump. Inserting the hook into the bump on the back of each chain gives a neat edge that matches the top of the last row.
• Skip the chain entirely. Foundation single crochet, foundation half double and foundation double crochet make the chain and the first row at the same time, and they stretch as much as the fabric.
• Watch your grip. Pinching the chain tightly while you work is a common cause. Let the loops ride up onto the wide part of the hook shaft, not the throat.

Hands that ache after long chains are telling you something too. A cushioned handle lets you hold the hook more loosely, which also loosens the chain. The Tulip Etimo Rose Set comes with every size from 2 to 6 mm, so the size up for the chain is always in the case.

How do you count a long foundation chain accurately?

Count the V shapes on the front of the chain, not the loops on the back, and do not count the loop still on your hook or the slip knot at the start. Those two are the most common sources of an off by one error. For long chains, count in groups of 10 or 25 and clip a locking marker at each group, so a recount only covers the last group instead of all 150 chains.

It is also worth checking the chain against the fabric rather than the number alone. After the first two or three rows, measure the width. If it is more than about half an inch narrower than planned, the chain is pulling in, and ripping back to chain again with a larger hook now is much quicker than living with a flared blanket.

Which turning chain should you use for each stitch?

The turning chain matches the height of the stitch. Single crochet is short, so it uses 1 chain; half double crochet uses 2; double crochet uses 3; treble crochet uses 4. Some crocheters find 3 chains too tall for their double crochet and use 2, which leaves a small gap at the edge; if that is your habit, subtract one from the result. For the names of each stitch and step by step instructions, see the single crochet, half double crochet, double crochet and chain stitch guides. Patterns written in UK terms call double crochet a treble, so check the US and UK crochet terms chart before you count.