Armhole Shaping Calculator
Underarm bind-off, a front-loaded taper and decreases to curve a set-in armhole.
Result
Bind off 3 sts at the start of the next 2 rows, 2 sts at the start of the next 4 rows, then decrease 1 st at each end of every RS row, once. Then work straight to the shoulder.
8 sts removed at each edge. Front and back are usually shaped the same.
A set-in armhole takes off the most stitches first, at the base of the curve where it is sharpest, then runs straight to the shoulder.
Calculated at fibercalc.site/armhole-shaping — free knitting & crochet calculators.
How to use
- Enter how many stitches to remove at each armhole edge — the difference between your body width and the width above the armhole, per side.
- Enter the armhole shaping depth in rows (from the underarm to where shaping ends) — including the two rows the underarm bind-off uses.
- Enter the underarm bind-off — the straight stitches bound off at once at the base of the armhole (about 2.5 cm / 1 in worth).
- Read the instruction: bind off at the underarm, work the bind-off taper that rounds the corner, then the single decreases up to the shoulder.
Good to know
- A set-in armhole binds off a few stitches straight at the underarm, then rounds the corner with a short bind-off taper before single decreases finish the curve.
- The shaping is front-loaded: it comes off fastest at the base of the armhole, where the curve is sharpest, and the piece then runs straight up to the shoulder. This is how a set-in armhole is worked by hand.
- Worked flat, each bind-off and each single decrease lands on a right-side row. “Bind off N sts at the start of the next 2 rows” spends one right-side row and one wrong-side row, which is why every count of rows here is even.
- The underarm bind-off is usually about 2.5 cm (1 in) of stitches; the taper never binds off more at once than the underarm, so the whole run only ever steps down.
- Front and back armholes are normally shaped identically. Pair this with the Sleeve Cap once you know the armhole depth.
- Worked example: to remove 6 stitches over a 12-row armhole with no separate underarm bind-off, the curve opens at 3 stitches once, then works 3 single decreases before going straight to the shoulder.
FAQ
- How many stitches should I remove at each armhole?
- The difference between your body stitch count and the shoulders-plus-neck width, divided by two (one armhole each side). Your pattern or a schematic gives the target width above the armhole.
- How big is the underarm bind-off?
- Usually about 2.5 cm (1 in) worth of stitches, bound off straight at the base of the armhole so the sleeve seam sits neatly. The rest is worked as a short bind-off taper and then single decreases above it.
- Do I shape the front and back the same?
- For most pullovers, yes — the front and back armholes match. The front then adds neck shaping higher up, which the Neckline Shaping calculator handles.