You put it down for a cup of tea, you pick it up, and the pattern says Row 14 while your work says something else. Here are the habits that stop that happening, and how to work out exactly where you are when it does.
By the Crochets team · written with left-handers first, in memory of Susi · updated October 2026
Use three things together. Put a stitch marker in the first stitch of every row or round. Count your stitches at the end of each row and check them against the number the pattern gives. And keep one record of the last row you finished: a clicker, a tally, a highlighter or an app, whichever you will actually use. When you come back after a break, trust your work over your memory: find the last row, count it, and match it to the pattern.
Stitch names on this page are US terms. In UK terms, US single crochet (sc) is double crochet (dc), and US double crochet (dc) is treble (tr). The US vs UK guide has the full list.
A stitch marker is a small clip you hook into a stitch so you can find it later. Locking markers are the most useful because they are very hard to knock out. A safety pin, a paper clip or a short piece of contrasting yarn does the same job.
Clip a marker into the first stitch you work in a row. When you come back along the next row, that marked stitch is your last stitch. This stops the two classic edge mistakes: missing the last stitch (the piece gets narrower) or working into the turning chain when you should not (it gets wider). If your pattern counts the turning chain as the first stitch (common with ch 3 in double crochet), clip the marker into the top of the turning chain instead. Move the marker up as you go.
If a row says something like "*sc in next 3 sts, ch 1, sk 1; rep from * across", clip a marker after each repeat, or after every five. If the count goes wrong at the end, you only check back to the last marker instead of the whole row.
Hook a marker on the side edge at Row 10, Row 20, Row 30 and so on. Counting the rows of a blanket then becomes counting markers and adding the few rows above the last one. A strand of contrasting yarn woven in and out along the edge works too and costs nothing.
When you work in rounds, mark the first stitch of the round and move the marker up each time you reach it. In spiral rounds (common in amigurumi) there is no join or slip stitch to show where a round starts, so the marker is the easiest way to know. Do not skip it.
Many patterns say which side is the right side (RS). Clip a marker on that side early on and you will always know which way you are facing.
The number in brackets at the end of a row, like (24) or (24 sts), is how many stitches you should have when the row is done. It is the single best place-keeping tool you have, because it tells you not just where you are but whether that row is right.
If a row in the pattern confuses you before you even start it, paste it into the free Pattern Decoder. It shows the row in plain words and stitch symbols, with the count checked.
A row counter does one job: it remembers a number so you do not have to. The common kinds:
The habit matters more than the device. Pick one moment to count and always use it. The end of the row, as you turn, is the easiest to stick to. Count at the start of some rows and the end of others and you will be one out before you know it.
The weakness of any counter is that it only knows what you tell it. Click twice by accident, or forget once, and it is wrong without telling you. That is why it works best alongside the stitch count above.
If your pattern is printed, mark it up. Print a copy for yourself to scribble on and keep the original clean.
These are at their best when every row is different, like a shaped garment or a motif chart, because you are tracking which line to read, not how many times you have read it.
A pencil and the margin of the pattern beat almost everything for repeats. Two ways to do it:
Writing out the range is especially good for patterns with a repeat inside a repeat, such as "repeat Rows 3 to 6 four more times". Write it as four little groups and cross off as you go.
Being able to read your fabric is the skill that rescues you when every other method fails. A few things to look for:
Along the top edge of the last row you worked, you will see a neat line of sideways V shapes with nothing worked into them yet. Those are the tops of the stitches waiting for the next row. Every row below has stitches sitting in its tops.
If Row 1 was worked into the foundation chain, there is a handy check: when your working yarn is on the same side as the starting tail, you have just finished an odd-numbered row. When it is on the opposite side, you have just finished an even one. This works for left- and right-handers alike.
Not sure which stitch you are looking at? The stitch dictionary shows each one step by step, with a left-handed video where there is one, so you can match what is on your hook to what the pattern means.
Left-handed? Every method on this page works the same for you. Your rows run left to right instead of right to left, and rounds usually go clockwise rather than counter-clockwise, but markers, counts, tallies and the tail check are identical. There is more in the left-handed crochet guide.
Most people end up with two or three of these at once: a marker, a count, and one record of the row. Here is what each is good at.
| Method | Best for | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| Stitch markers | Finding the edge stitch, the start of a round, counting long pieces | Forgetting to move the round marker up |
| Counting stitches | Catching a mistake while it is one row deep | Turning chains that do or do not count |
| Clicker or row counter | Long runs of the same row | A double click, or a missed one |
| Highlighter or sticky note | Patterns where every row is different | Needs a printed copy |
| Tally beside the pattern | Ranges like "Rows 5 to 10" and repeats | Loose bits of paper go missing |
| Pattern Reader app | Row text and your place in one spot on your phone | Needs the pattern as text to paste |
If you follow patterns on a phone or tablet, the Crochets Pattern Reader does the tally and the highlighter in one place. It is one option among the ones above, not a replacement for counting your stitches.
The honest limits. It works from text you paste, so a pattern that only exists as a photo or a chart is better followed with a printed copy and a highlighter. It only knows the rows you tap, just like a clicker, so keep counting your stitches. The free plan holds 1 pasted pattern. Crochets Plus (£6.99 a month in the UK, shown in your own currency in the app) holds as many as you like, and every new account gets Plus free for 7 days, with no card, and it ends by itself.
Got a pattern open right now?
Paste it in and pick up from the row you are on. Without an account your place is kept in this browser only. A free account keeps it safe if you change phone, clear your browser or switch to a tablet.
Paste your pattern, freeUse a stitch marker in the first stitch of each row, count your stitches at the end of every row, and keep one record of the last row you finished, such as a clicker, a tally in the margin, a highlighter on a printed copy or an app. The record tells you the number and the stitch count tells you it is right.
The most useful places are the first stitch of each row, so you can find the last stitch on the way back; the first stitch of each round, which is essential in spiral rounds; after each repeat in a long row; and on the side edge every 10 or 20 rows, so counting rows becomes counting markers.
Typically, the ch 1 at the start of a single crochet row does not count as a stitch, and the ch 3 at the start of a double crochet row often does. Patterns differ, so check the notes at the top of yours. If your count is one out at every row, this is the first thing to check.
Check what your counter or tally says, then find the last row on your work: it is the one with open tops and nothing worked into them. Count its stitches and compare with the pattern. If your record and your work disagree, trust the work.
Double crochet rows are tall, so count them post by post up the edge. Single crochet rows form ridges when worked back and forth, and counting ridges then doubling is a good quick estimate, but count the stitches up one edge when it matters. Rounds are counted from the centre out.
Yes. The Crochets crochet row counter is free and runs in your browser. Inside the free Crochets app, each project has a row counter that saves itself, and the free plan includes 3 projects.
Make a free account (no card), paste your pattern, and your place follows you to any phone or tablet. Tap each row as you finish and come back to exactly where you stopped. New accounts also get Crochets Plus free for 7 days, and it ends by itself.
Paste your pattern, freeRelated: Free row counter · Pattern decoder · How to read a crochet pattern · Crochet abbreviations · US vs UK terms