Sleeve Taper Calculator

How to use

1. Enter the stitch count you are starting from and the count you need to end with — the calculator works out whether that is an increase or a decrease on its own.
2. Enter how many rows you have to do the shaping over. For a sleeve this is usually the length from cuff to underarm, converted to rows with your row gauge.
3. Choose whether you are shaping both ends of the row (a sleeve) or just one (a raglan edge or neckline).
4. Read the instruction — "Decrease 1 st at each end every 12th row, 10 times" means work 11 plain rows, shape on the 12th, and repeat that ten times.

Good to know

• Shaping both ends of a row changes two stitches at once, so the difference between your start and target counts has to be an even number. If it is odd, shape one end only or adjust a count by a single stitch.
• When the rows do not divide evenly, the calculator splits the shaping into two intervals — for example eleven rows apart eight times, then twelve rows apart once. This is the same principle the Increase / Decrease Evenly calculator uses across a row, applied down the rows instead.
• You need a row gauge to turn a length into a row count. Measure rows over 10cm (or 4in) of your swatch, in the stitch pattern the sleeve will actually use.
• The instruction places a shaping row at the end of each interval. Many patterns also work a few plain rows after the last shaping row before the underarm — check your pattern rather than assuming.

FAQ

What does "decrease 1 st each end every 6th row" actually mean?

Work five rows plainly, then on the sixth row decrease one stitch at the beginning and one at the end — losing two stitches. Repeat that six-row block as many times as the instruction says.

How is this different from the Increase / Decrease Evenly calculator?

That one spaces shaping across a single row ("add 8 sts evenly to this row"). This one spaces shaping down the rows ("go from 60 sts to 40 over 120 rows"). The two are at right angles to each other and most patterns need both.

Why does it not ask whether I am increasing or decreasing?

It does not need to. If your target count is lower than your start count that is a decrease, and if it is higher that is an increase — the calculator reads it from the numbers, which also makes it impossible to enter a contradictory combination.

How do I work out how many rows I have?

Multiply the length you want to shape over by your row gauge. If your sleeve is 45cm from cuff to underarm and your row gauge is 28 rows per 10cm, that is 45 ÷ 10 × 28 = 126 rows.

Does this work for crochet?

Yes. Read "row" as your crochet row and use your preferred increase or decrease — the spacing math is identical.