Turning Chain Count Helper
Find out if your turning chain counts as a stitch, and where to start.
Live Turning Chain Count Helper
Instant browser calculations & session state saved locally.
Key Capabilities
- ✓Interactive guide for sc (ch 1), hdc (ch 2), dc (ch 3), and tr (ch 4)
- ✓Visual placement guide: 1st stitch vs 2nd stitch insertion point
- ✓Last stitch edge helper: working into the top of turning chain
- ✓Edge neatness tips (alternative stacked single crochet technique)
Expert Crafting Advice
- 💡When turning chain counts as a stitch, always work your final stitch of the next row into the top chain of that turning chain.
- 💡Try stacked single crochets instead of ch-3 for straight gap-free blanket edges.
How the Turning Chain Count Helper Works
The Turning Chain Count Helper works in 4 steps.
- 1
Find the convention
Look for "ch 3 (counts as dc)" or "ch 1 (does not count as st)" in the pattern.
- 2
Look up the stitch height
Read the turning chain length for your stitch in the table below.
- 3
Place the first stitch
Work into the 1st stitch when the chain does not count, or into the 2nd stitch when it does.
- 4
Count the row
Count the turning chain as stitch 1 on the counter only when it counts.
Turning Chain Count Helper Formula
The Turning Chain Count Helper formula checks the stitch count of a row under each convention.
Row total (t-ch counts) = Stitches worked after t-ch + 1
Row total (t-ch does not count) = Stitches worked after t-ch
- t-ch
- Turning chain
- Stitches worked after t-ch
- Stitches made from the first worked stitch to the end
Worked example: A dc row with ch 3 counting as a stitch and 39 dc worked after it has 39 + 1 = 40 stitches. The last dc goes into the top of the previous row's turning chain.
Turning Chain Count Helper Conversion Table
The Turning Chain Count Helper conversion table lists the turning chain, the usual counting rule and the first stitch position for 6 stitches.
| Stitch | Turning chain | Usually counts as a stitch? | First stitch goes into |
|---|---|---|---|
| Slip stitch (sl st) | 0 | — | First stitch |
| Single crochet (sc) | ch 1 | No | First stitch |
| Half double crochet (hdc) | ch 2 | Varies | First or 2nd stitch |
| Double crochet (dc) | ch 3 | Yes | 2nd stitch |
| Treble crochet (tr) | ch 4 | Yes | 2nd stitch |
| Double treble (dtr) | ch 5 | Yes | 2nd stitch |
Many modern patterns use a ch 2 for dc rows that does not count as a stitch, to reduce gaps at the edge.
What is a Turning Chain Count Helper?
A turning chain count helper is a tool that tells you how many chains to make at the start of a row and whether those chains count as a stitch. The Crochet Stitch Counter Turning Chain Count Helper follows the convention stated in your pattern.
Turning chains lift the hook to the height of the next row's stitches. Single crochet (sc) needs 1 chain, half double crochet (hdc) 2, double crochet (dc) 3 and treble crochet (tr) 4. Tall turning chains usually replace the first stitch, while the sc chain does not.
Counting the turning chain when the pattern does not, or the reverse, adds or loses 1 stitch per row.
What are the Uses of a Turning Chain Count Helper?
There are 4 main uses of a Turning Chain Count Helper.
Keeping straight edges
The right rule stops edges from slanting.
Holding row counts steady
Rows keep the same total from start to finish.
Reading new patterns
The stated convention gets applied every row.
Fixing growing or shrinking rows
A row that gains or loses 1 stitch points to the turning chain.