How to track pattern repeats (cables, lace) with a repeat counter
Knit a cable that crosses every 8 rows and you have to hold two numbers in your head: which row of the repeat you're on, and how many repeats you've done. Count only total rows and you're doing division every few minutes; count only the repeat and you lose track of length. This guide explains how repeat counting works, the math behind it, ways to do it by hand, and how a repeat counter keeps both numbers in sync.
What a pattern repeat is
A pattern repeat is a block of rows you work again and again, written as "repeat rows 1–8" or "repeat from * to *". Cables usually cross on a fixed row of the repeat, and lace charts repeat a block of 8, 12 or 16 rows a set number of times.
Tracking a repeat takes two numbers: the row within the repeat (for example 3/8) and which repeat you're on (for example the fifth).
Working out your place from the total row count
If the pattern starts at row 1 and the repeat is N rows long: row within the repeat = ((total row − 1) mod N) + 1, and repeat number = floor((total row − 1) ÷ N) + 1.
For an 8-row repeat at total row 21: (21 − 1) ÷ 8 is 2 remainder 4, so you're on row 5 of the third repeat. Doing that sum every time is exactly why knitters keep a separate repeat count.
| Total row | Row in repeat (8-row) | Repeat # | Cable cross (on row 8) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rows 1–7 | 1–7 | 1 | — |
| Row 8 | 8 | 1 | Cross |
| Rows 9–15 | 1–7 | 2 | — |
| Row 16 | 8 | 2 | Cross |
| Row 24 | 8 | 3 | Cross |
Tracking repeats by hand
The simplest paper method is to draw one box per row of the repeat, cross one off each row, and add a tally mark each time you finish the block. Clipping a locking stitch marker to the edge at the end of each repeat works too: the number of markers is your repeat count.
Cables can be read from the fabric. Count the rows above the last crossing to see how many rows are left until the next one. In many lace patterns every wrong-side row is a plain rest row, so counting only the patterned right-side rows cuts down on confusion.
Two repeats of different lengths
If one piece has an 8-row cable and a 12-row lace panel, both repeats line up again every 24 rows — the least common multiple of 8 and 12. For patterns like this, keep the total row count as your anchor, track the longer repeat with the repeat counter, and check the shorter one with row notes or the formula above.
Using Rowmark's repeat counter
Rowmark's repeat counter resets every 8 rows (or any number you set) and keeps counting the rounds. It moves with your main row count, so one tap on the bottom half of the screen updates the total row and your place in the repeat together — shown as "Cable repeat 3 / 8 ×5".
Increases and decreases go on the separate stitch counter, and row notes like "Row 8: cross cable" or "Row 48: start crown decreases" pop up when you reach that row. Fix a mis-tap with −1 or Undo, or count with the volume keys. The repeat counter, like everything else, is unlocked with no subscription.
Your place in the repeat and the repeat count, in one tap
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