What a row counter is for
A crochet or knitting pattern moves forward one row at a time, and it only takes one interruption — a phone ringing, a sip of tea, someone asking a question across the room — to lose count. A row counter keeps that number in large print while your hands are full of hook or needles: one glance is enough to know where you are, without putting the work down or recounting stitches on the fabric itself. Unlike a notebook or an app to install, this one remembers on its own: the value is still there after reloading the page, on a tablet or a phone.
How you lose your row, and how to stop losing it
The most reliable way to lose your row is to count from memory. A few seconds’ interruption is enough to leave you unsure whether you’re on row 24 or row 25, and doubt on a piece that’s already well underway is expensive to fix: it often means unravelling several rows just to check. The simplest fix is to tap the counter the moment you finish each row, before putting the work down — never after answering the phone. The "+1" button is deliberately very large, built to be tapped without aiming, and the arrow keys (or the space bar) do the same thing on a computer. If you tap it by mistake, "−1" corrects it straight away, and "Reset" starts a fresh piece — with a confirmation past ten rows, so one stray tap can’t wipe out an afternoon’s work.
Counting in the round
A hat, an amigurumi or a crochet pouch is often worked in rounds rather than straight rows: each round ends with a slip stitch or a marker, then the next one begins. The counter works exactly the same way for a round as for a row — it’s the action that counts, not what you call it. Place a round marker at the start of the piece, tap the counter every time you reach it again, and the "Up to row" field lets you enter the total number of rounds the pattern calls for: the progress bar fills up as you go, handy for judging how far you are from the next decrease.
Counting repeats
A row and a repeat aren’t the same thing: a pattern can ask for "1 double crochet, chain 2, repeat 8 times" within a single row. This counter tracks whole rows or rounds; to also track repeats inside a row, with the instruction shown in large print and abbreviations explained on hover, head to the full pattern reader.
Got the pattern as text or a PDF?
Paste your whole pattern into the reader: it splits it into steps, shows one instruction at a time in large print, and counts rows and repeats for you.