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How to increase or decrease stitches evenly

Do you need to increase or decrease stitches evenly across your work? We show you how to do it in easy steps below. Remember, DROPS also has its own increase/decrease calculator that gives you the answer directly.

Increase stitches evenly

Example: Increase 21 stitches evenly across 140 stitches on the needle. Result: 161 stitches on the needle.

Step 1: Calculate the spacing
Use a calculator and divide the total stitches (140) by the number of increases (21): 140 / 21 = 6,66

Step 2: Round to whole or half stitches
The calculation says to increase before every 6,66 stitch. This number is rounded down to 6,5 since this is a number that is easier to work with. To get as close as possible, alternate increases after 6 stitches and 7 stitches.

Step 3: Work the increases
Here’s how you can do it:

  • Work 6 stitches, then increase 1 stitch before the next stitch (for example, by making a yarn over or picking up a stitch).
  • Work 7 stitches, then increase 1 stitch before the next stitch.
  • Continue alternating until you have made 21 increases. After the last increase there are 4 stitches left on the needle. Work these without increasing.

Decrease stitches evenly

Example: Decrease 21 stitches evenly across 140 stitches on the needle. Result: 119 stitches on the needle.

Step 1: Calculate the spacing
Use a calculator and divide the total stitches (140) by the number of decreases (21): 140 / 21 = 6,66

Step 2: Round to whole or half stitches
The calculation says to decrease every 6,66 stitch. This number is rounded down to 6,5 since this is a number that is easier to work with. To get as close as possible, alternate decreasing the 6th stitches and 7th stitch.

Step 3: Work the decreases
Here’s how you can do it:

  • Work 4 stitches, work 2 stitches together.
  • Work 5 stitches, work 2 stitches together.
  • Continue alternating until you have made 21 decreases. After the last decrease there are 4 stitches left on the needle. Work these without decreasing.

Comments (188)

Country flag Samantha wrote:

Hello! I am knitting the Blushing Rose Cardigan in size L and in the pattern for the yoke it says that I need to knit 181 sts and increase 28 sts evenly over them. When I divide 181 by 28 I get 6.46. In your lesson for increasing sts evenly it says to round down the numbers we get to full or half numbers. Should I round it to 6, because in your lesson it says to round it DOWN or round it to 6.5 because it's closer? Thank you for your time!

14.07.2024 - 22:06

DROPS Design answered:

Dear Samantha, you should round it down to 6, so that you have space for all stitches. The last few stitches will have no increases but otherwise you would be left without enough stitches to work the last increase. Happy knitting!

16.07.2024 - 19:41

Country flag Justine wrote:

Hi Q: re Cracked Walnut short sleeves. Back Pattern says work A.4 until 1 stitch remains and decrease at the same time 36 stitches evenly in , 1 edge stitch in garter st =92. Is this decrease done in the first row only of the pattern or across the 22 rows of the pattern please?

23.06.2024 - 05:49

DROPS Design answered:

Dear Justine, the decreases are worked in the very first row of A.4, to adjust the number of stitches from A.3 to A.4. Happy knitting!

23.06.2024 - 18:23

Country flag GAGNAIRE wrote:

Bonjour, J'envisage de faire un pull à partir d'un ancien pull qui me va très bien , comment calculer le nombre et la fréquence des augmentations ainsi que des diminutions pour avoir des jolies courbes pour l'encolure, l'emmanchure et les manches montées? Merci de votre attention.

05.05.2024 - 05:51

DROPS Design answered:

Bonjour Mme Gagnaire, tout va dépendre de votre échantillon, du point, de la forme précise souhaitée etc..; il peut être plus simple de vous baser sur un modèle similaire avec la même tension/le même type de point pour faire les ajustements nécessaires. Bon tricot!

06.05.2024 - 09:35

Country flag Ida wrote:

Hej! Jag har totalt kört fast och får inte rätt på min minskning. Jag har 154 maskor och ska minska 40 maskor jämt fördelat på varvet. Hur gör jag? Tacksam för svar!

12.04.2024 - 18:16

DROPS Design answered:

Hei Ida. På felle omgangen/pinnen må du strikke 2 rett samme + 2 rett masker ca 34-35 ganger, men samtidig også bare strikke 1 maske rett mellom hver gang det strikkes 2 masker sammen ca 5-6 ganger. mvh DROPS Design

15.04.2024 - 07:16

Country flag Helena Brodersen Jensen wrote:

Hej, Jeg er igang med sweet november og skal øge mit maske antal fra 174 med 36 jævnt fordelt så jeg ender med 210 masker. Hvordan skal jeg gøre det? 174 / 36 = 4,8 Vil det sige jeg skal strikke 4 masker, 1 udtagning, strik 5 masker, 1 udtagning, strik 4 masker, 1 udtagning, strik 5 masker, 1 udtagning osv. Hilsen Nybegynderen

09.04.2024 - 21:07

DROPS Design answered:

Hej Helena, ja det stemmer :)

10.04.2024 - 14:52

Country flag Glenn wrote:

Jeg har 128 masker og skal strikke 28 masker ind. Hvordan regner jeg det ud? Vh Glenn

21.03.2024 - 18:48

DROPS Design answered:

Hei Glenn. Strikk hver 4. og 5. maske sammen, men et få tall ganger må også 3. og 4. maske strikkes. mvh DROPS Design

22.03.2024 - 13:02

Country flag Susan Louwerens wrote:

Hallo, ben de oat flakes cardigan aan het maken, waarom 153 steken (xxxl) opzetten 12 cm boordsteek en dan gelijk 53 steken minderen in de eerste pen van het patroon.

11.02.2024 - 17:14

DROPS Design answered:

Dag Susan,

Om te voorkomen dat de boord het werk samentrekt, wordt er gelijk na de boordsteek geminderd.

01.03.2024 - 08:10

Country flag Bonnie wrote:

Har 216 masker og skal tage 16 ind 216/16=13,5 Tager jeg så skiftevis ind ? Strikker 11-2 sammen-strikker 12-2 sammen osv? Mvh Bonnie

03.01.2024 - 06:41

DROPS Design answered:

Hei Bonnie. Ja, det stemmer. mvh DROPS Design

08.01.2024 - 11:05

Country flag Aðalheiður Tómasdóttir wrote:

Ég er að hekla peysu úr heklubók og ég á að auka út fyrir ermarnar. Er til myndband til að sýna þetta fyrir hekl? English bellow I'm crocheting a sweater from a crochet book and I'm going to increase the sleeves. Is there a video to show this for crochet?

01.01.2024 - 16:28

DROPS Design answered:

Dear Mrs Tómasdóttir, in this video you will see how to work 2 treble crochet (UK-English) in the same stitch to increase 1 treble crochet; Happy crocheting!

09.01.2024 - 08:42

Country flag Michella wrote:

Jeg har 160 masker og skal tage 57 masker ud jævnt fordelt. Det giver udtagning på hver 2,8. maske. Er det så hver anden på 2. maske og hver anden på 3. maske? Vh

21.12.2023 - 21:05

DROPS Design answered:

Hej Michelle, ja det stemmer :)

22.12.2023 - 13:26

Country flag Marta wrote:

Hej! Jag ska öka antalet maskor från 119 till 151, alltså öka med 32 maskor jämt fördelat över raden. Ökar genom att sticka fram, bak och fram igen i samma maska så det blir 16 ställen att öka på över raden. Men jag lyckas inte räkna ut hur jag ska fördela de 16 ökningarna, kan ni hjälpa mig?

21.12.2023 - 13:49

DROPS Design answered:

Hej Martha, du måste öka i alla 32 maskorna för att få 32 extra. Du öker i var 4:e maska :)

22.12.2023 - 13:28

Country flag Kooy wrote:

Hallo, ik heb 132 steken en moet 52 steken minderen maar op de een of andere manier kom ik niet uit, ik ben nu al 3x overnieuw begonnen maar het lukt me maar niet om 80 steken over te houden. Alvast vriendelijk dank.

21.12.2023 - 06:28

DROPS Design answered:

Dag Kooy,

Het gaat erom dat je de steken gelijkmatig om over de naald verdeeld, maar het hoeft niet super precies. Je zou de naald bijvoorbeeld in 4 stukken kunnen verdelen en dan op elk stuk 13 steken minderen. Op die manier houd je wat meer overzicht.

07.01.2024 - 14:35

Country flag Anja wrote:

Moin, ich muss von 61 M gleichmäßig auf 44 M abnehmen. 61 geteilt durch 17 ergibt 3,58. Damit ist die erste Nachkommastelle genau 5 und beide Varianten ergeben nicht die gewünschten 44 M. Wie kann ich das Problem lösen? Vielen lieben Dank!

11.12.2023 - 18:45

DROPS Design answered:

Liebe Anja, dann sind wir im Beispiel-2 und abwechslunsweise jede 3. und jede 4. Masche abnehmen bis die 17 Maschen abgenommen werden. Viel Spaß beim stricken!

12.12.2023 - 09:53

Country flag Debrye wrote:

Hallo, ik brei een muts en wil die minderen met een centered double decrease. Ik heb 96 steken en moet naar 6. Hoe doe ik dat zodanig dat het mooi verdeeld is. Ik werk met een rondbreinaalden. Vriendelijk dank bij voorbaat

25.11.2023 - 08:28

DROPS Design answered:

Dag Debrye,

Als je de muts in de rondte breit en 90 steken moet minderen, dan zou je bijvoorbeeld 9 markeerders kunnen plaatsen waarbij je 5 keer mindert aan beide kanten van de 9 markeerders .

26.11.2023 - 07:35

Country flag Sabine wrote:

Warum müssen eigentlich kurz vor Ende des Rumpfteils nochmals 20 Maschen zugenommen werden?

12.11.2023 - 21:53

DROPS Design answered:

Liebe Sabine, es wird vor den unteren Bündchen zugenommen, damit die Arbeit unten nicht zu eng wird: man braucht für die gleiche Breite mehr Maschen für Bündchen mit den kleineren Nadeln as für Glatt rechts mit den grösseren Nadeln. Viel Spaß beim stricken!

13.11.2023 - 08:58

Country flag Alessandra wrote:

Buongiorno, sto facendo Foggy Autumn Sweater ma finito il collo mi si dice di aumentare le maglie dello sprone ma il numero degli aumenti non mi torna la divisione successiva dove vanno messi i segnapunti. In particolare, per la taglia L, si dice di aumentare 17 maglie per avere un totale di 104. Nella divisione delle maglie i segnapunti vanno messi dopo 18 - 14 -36 -14- 18 = 100 e non 104. calcolo 19-14-38-14-19? Grazie in anticipo per l'aiuto

20.10.2023 - 13:07

DROPS Design answered:

Buongiorno Alessandra, ha inserito i segnapunti NELLA maglia come indicato e non tra 2 maglie? Le 4 maglie che mancano sono le 4 maglie con i segnapunti. Buon lavoro!

20.10.2023 - 19:12

Country flag Marian Deasy wrote:

I am knitting River Reflections and starting the decreasing for the armholes but don’t understand “On next row cast off for armholes in each side as follows: Cast off 3-3-3-4-4-4 stitches 1 time, 2 stitches 1 time, and 1 stitch 1-3-4-6-9-12 times = 62-66-70-72-76-80 stitches.” Can you help please Marian

04.10.2023 - 21:50

DROPS Design answered:

Dear Mrs Deasy, you will have now to cast off at the beginning of each row on each side the stitches for armholes, so you cast off 3-3-3-4-4-4 stitches at the beg of next 2 rows (= 1 time on each side), then 2 sts at the beg of next 2 rows (= 2 sts 1 time on each side), then 1 stitch at at the beg of next 2-6-8-12-18-24 rows (= 1-3-4-6-9-12 times on each side). Happy knitting!

05.10.2023 - 09:15

Country flag Carola Vonhof wrote:

Vielen Dank für die Rechenaufgabe zum gleichmäßigen Abnehmen bei der Rundpasse. Ich habe auch spontan gedacht, dass man einfach die Maschenzahl durch die Zahl der Abnahmen teilen muss. Das funktioniert aber nicht. Denn ab der ersten Masche habe ich weniger Maschen und dann funktioniert die Abnahme nicht mehr.

03.09.2023 - 10:38

DROPS Design answered:

Liebe Frau Vonhof, es wird immer die gleiche Rechnung sein, es kann aber sein, daß das Ergebnis mehr zu Beispiel 1 (mit z.B. 6,25) oder zu Beispiel 2 (mit 4,66) aussieht - dann sollen Sie abwechslungsweise wie bei den beiden Beispiele ab- bzw zunehmen. Viel Spaß beim stricken!

04.09.2023 - 09:15

Country flag Ingrid wrote:

Super erklärt und weiter geholfen. Danke!

17.07.2023 - 10:37

Country flag Mia wrote:

Hvilken metode anbefaler I til at tage 4 masker ud jævnt fordelt på 30 masker? Jeg er i gang med chocolate toes baby sutsko. Kh en nybegynder

28.06.2023 - 09:15

DROPS Design answered:

Hei Mia. Om du har 30 masker og skal øke med 4 masker, deler du 30 på 4 = 7,5. Da øker du 2 ganger etter at du har strikket 7 masker og øker 2 ganger etter du har strikket 8 masker. F.eks slik: Strikk 7 masker, øk, strikk 8 masker, øk, strikk 7 masker, øk, strikk 8 masker og øk siste gang = 34 masker. mvh DROPS Design

24.07.2023 - 08:44

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