Filet charts count squares; hooks count chains. Enter your chart’s width in squares and whether the first one is open or solid, the foundation chain, the first row’s start, and the finished size at your mesh gauge follow. Any filet graph works: the squares are all the calculator needs.
Your Chart
First square of row 1
Chain
123chains
40 squares · 121 stitches across
Chain 123, dc in the 8th chain from the hook, then [ch 2, skip 2, dc] across for mesh, following the chart from square two.
- Stitches across121
- First dc goes inthe 8th chain from the hook
- Width32.0 in
- Height40.0 in (50 rows)
The Formulas
stitches across = squares × 3 + 1 · base chain = stitches + 2open first square: dc in the 8th chain from the hook · solid: dc in the 4thEach filet square is three stitches wide sharing posts with its neighbor, so a row of q squares holds 3q + 1 stitches. The chain adds the turning dc; an open first square borrows its two chain-spaces from the foundation, which is why its hook enters four chains later.
Worked Example
A 40-square-wide filet panel, open first square, 5 squares per 4 in:
- Stitches: 40 × 3 + 1 = 121 → base chain 123, and the open start brings the hook to the 8th chain: chain 123, dc in the 8th.
- Width: 40 ÷ 1.25 = 32 in; 50 rows ÷ 1.25 = 40 in tall.
- Open squares after the first: ch 2, skip 2, dc. Solid squares: 2 dc in the gap, dc in the dc.
Reading Filet Charts
- Filled cell = solid square (3 dc + the shared post), empty = mesh (dc, ch 2, skip 2).
- Mesh gauge from a swatch: work 10 open squares square, measure: thread filet runs 6–7 per 4 in, worsted 4–5.
- Odd-row reading flips: charts read right-to-left on right-side rows, left-to-right coming back.
Assumptions and Defaults
- Classic dc-and-ch-2 filet; the turning ch-3 counts as the edge dc.
- The open-start convention here (dc in 8th) treats the skipped chains as ch-3 turn + 2 mesh + 1 skipped base.
- Lacets and bars chart over two squares and share the same stitch arithmetic.
Filet Questions, Answered
How many chains do I need for a filet crochet chart?
A filet crochet chart needs squares × 3 + 3 chains for a solid first square, plus 5 more when the first square is open, so a 40-square row chains 123 and starts in the 8th chain for an open mesh, or the 4th for a solid one. The calculator writes out both starts for your chart.
How big will my filet crochet piece be?
A filet crochet piece measures its squares ÷ your mesh gauge, so 40 squares at 5 squares per 4 in comes to 32 in. Thread work comes out much smaller, while worsted filet blankets grow large quickly, so check your mesh gauge before committing to a chart size.
Why is my filet crochet mesh leaning?
Filet mesh leans when the chain-2 spaces are worked tightly, which pulls the double crochets off vertical. Keep the ch-2 relaxed, work each dc into the dc below rather than into the space, and block the finished piece, because filet responds to blocking better than almost any other crochet.