Picking up along a side edge, you’re trading rows for stitches, and they’re different sizes, which is why “pick up 3 of every 4” exists: the pick-up rate. Enter your gauges and the edge; the count and the rhythm come back.
Your Edge
Pick Up
90stitches
along 18 in · the edge offers about 126 row-ends
Work [pick up 5, skip 2] along the edge, one full stitch in from the selvage, adjusting the last repeat to land on 90.
- Band wants90 sts (multiple 4+2)
- Rhythmpick up 5, skip 2 (of every 7)
- Ratio0.71 stitches per row-end
The Formulas
stitches to pick up = edge length × stitch gauge · the edge offers = length × row gauge chancesrhythm ≈ stitch gauge ÷ row gauge: pick up that fraction of the rowsA 20-stitch, 28-row gauge gives 20 ÷ 28 ≈ 5 of every 7: in practice the nearby friendly rhythm, 3 of every 4 or 2 of 3. Pick up every row and the band flares; skip too many and it puckers. The rhythm is the whole trick.
Worked Example
An 18 in cardigan front edge at 20 sts and 28 rows per 4 in, for a k2 p2 band (multiple 4 + 2):
- Stitches wanted: 18 × 5 = 90 → snapped to 4n + 2 → 90.
- The edge offers 18 × 7 = 126 row-chances: 90 of 126 = 5 of every 7, knit it as pick up 5, skip 2, repeating.
- The calculator spreads any remainder so the rhythm ends even at the neck.
Edges and Their Ratios
- Side edges trade rows for stitches, the ratio above.
- Cast-off edges: stitch for stitch, one in each.
- Curves mix both plus the diagonal: pick up roughly 3 of 4 along the slope, every stitch along the bottom, and ease the corners.
- Pick up one whole stitch in from the edge, through both legs, and the band’s base looks machine-made.
Assumptions and Defaults
- Counts snap to the band’s repeat; buttonhole bands want the cast-on calculator‘s spacing after this count.
- The rhythm is expressed in the smallest repeating pair and the remainder spread across the edge.
- Garter-edged pieces offer one chance per ridge (2 rows); halve the row gauge for those edges.
Pick-Up Questions, Answered
How many stitches do I pick up per inch?
You pick up stitches at your stitch gauge, because the band needs the same stitches per inch as band fabric, whatever edge it hangs on. The ratio of stitches to the edge’s rows only decides which row ends receive a stitch and which are skipped.
What does “pick up 3, skip 1” mean?
Pick up 3, skip 1 means picking up a stitch in three consecutive row ends, skipping the fourth, and repeating. That rhythm turns every 4 rows into 3 stitches, which suits the common ¾ ratio of stitches to rows in stockinette.
Why does my button band flare?
A button band flares when it has too many stitches, usually from picking up a stitch in every row. Undo it, which goes quickly on a band, and pick up again at the calculated rhythm; a well-sized band holds the edge very slightly taut.
Where exactly does the needle go when picking up stitches?
When picking up stitches, the needle goes one full stitch in from the edge, under both legs of the edge stitch. Picking up only half a stitch leaves a loose, laddered line between the band and the body that blocking can’t fix.