Crochet guide
How to make a crochet pattern bigger or smaller
There are three ways to change the size of a crochet pattern. Add or remove repeats of the stitch pattern to change the width. Use a thicker yarn and a bigger hook to make every stitch larger. Work more or fewer rows to change the length.
On this page 7 parts
The three ways, side by side
| Way | What you change | What it changes in the piece | Good for |
|---|---|---|---|
| More or fewer repeats | The starting chain, by whole repeats of the stitch pattern | The width. The fabric stays the same. | Blankets, scarves, dishcloths and other flat pieces |
| Thicker or thinner yarn, with a hook to match | The size of every stitch | Width and length together. The fabric itself changes too. | Any pattern, when you want the whole thing scaled |
| More or fewer rows | The number of rows or row repeats | The length only | Anything worked in rows |
You can combine them. A wider and longer blanket uses the first and the third.
Way 1: add or remove repeats
Most stitch patterns repeat across the row. The number of stitches in one repeat is called the multiple. A pattern that says "a multiple of 3 plus 2" needs 3 stitches for every repeat, and 2 more to finish the row.
To change the width:
- Find the multiple in the pattern. If it is not given, count the stitches in one repeat.
- Add or take away whole repeats. Never part of one.
- Add the extra stitches once, at the end. They do not change.
Check whether the pattern's multiple counts the turning chain. Some do and some do not.
An example. Your swatch has 16 stitches to 4 in (10 cm), which is 4 stitches to the inch. You want a blanket 40 in (102 cm) wide, so you need about 160 stitches. With a multiple of 3 plus 2, the nearest count is 161: 53 repeats of 3, plus 2.
The starting chain calculator does this sum for you from a swatch and a multiple.
Way 2: change the yarn and the hook
A thicker yarn makes larger stitches, and a larger hook makes bigger, looser ones. If you follow the pattern stitch for stitch with a thicker yarn and the hook that suits it, the piece comes out bigger in every direction. A thinner yarn and a smaller hook make it smaller.
Two things to know:
- The fabric changes. A different yarn makes a different fabric. Changing only the hook changes how stiff or loose the fabric is, and changes the size a little.
- You cannot guess the new size. Make a swatch in the new yarn and hook and measure it. Divide the pattern's stitch count by your stitches to the inch to see how wide the piece will be.
Crochet gauge shows how to make and measure the swatch.
Way 3: work more or fewer rows
Length is the simple one: keep going, or stop sooner. If the stitch pattern repeats over several rows, add or remove whole row repeats, so that the pattern ends where it should.
What happens to the yarn amount
A bigger piece needs more yarn, and the amount goes by area. A blanket twice as wide and twice as long has four times the area, so it needs roughly four times the yarn.
If you change the yarn itself, the pattern's amount no longer applies. Work the new amount out from a swatch in the new yarn.
Any figure you work out is an estimate. For a closer one, weigh the swatch: the yarn calculator turns the weight of a swatch into an estimate for the whole piece.
Common mistakes
- Adding part of a repeat. The stitch pattern then does not fit across the row.
- Forgetting the extra stitches. A multiple of 3 plus 2 is not the same as a multiple of 5.
- Resizing a shaped piece by repeats alone. A hat or a sweater is shaped with increases and decreases, and those have to be worked out again for the new size. Changing the yarn and hook leaves the shaping as it is. For a hat, see why a crochet hat comes out wavy, pointy or too big.
Where to go next
- Starting chain calculator: how many chains for the width you want.
- Yarn calculator: an estimate of the yarn for the new size.
- Blanket size chart: common sizes to aim for.