Neckline Shaping Calculator
Centre bind-off and edge decreases to shape a crew or V-neck.
Bind off the centre 12 sts.
Then each side: decrease 1 st at the neck edge every 2nd row, 7 times, then every 3rd row, 2 times.
9 sts removed at each edge. Work the two sides separately. Patterns often bind off a few extra at the very start of a crew neck for a rounder curve.
How to use
- Pick the neckline: crew/round binds off the centre and curves each side; V-neck splits at the centre and decreases up to the shoulder.
- Enter the neck opening width in stitches — how many stitches the finished neck removes across the front.
- Enter the neck depth in rows, from where shaping starts to the shoulder.
- Read the centre bind-off and the even decrease sequence to work at each neck edge, one side at a time.
Good to know
- A crew neck binds off roughly the centre 40% at once, then decreases the rest evenly at each edge. A V-neck has little or no centre bind-off — it decreases steadily from the split.
- The edge decreases are spaced evenly across the depth, the same way the Sleeve Taper calculator spaces shaping. Many patterns bind off a few extra at the very start of a crew neck for a rounder curve.
- Work the two sides separately — shape one shoulder’s worth of neck, then rejoin yarn for the other side and mirror it.
FAQ
- How wide should the neck opening be?
- A crew neck is usually about a third of the total front width; a boat or wide neck is more. Use your finished front stitch count and the neck width your pattern or size chart suggests.
- Why does a crew neck bind off the centre all at once?
- Binding off the centre creates the flat base of the round neck; the decreases each side then curve up to the shoulders. A V-neck skips the centre bind-off and decreases the whole way for the point.
- Does this work for crochet?
- Yes — read "rows" as your crochet rows and "bind off" as fastening off or skipping stitches, and decrease at the neck edge with your usual decrease. The spacing is the same.