Crochet sleeve taper calculator

A sleeve narrows from the upper arm to the wrist. This calculator works out how many paired decreases you need, or increases if you start at the cuff, and spreads them evenly over the shaping length, in the "every 5th row 6 times and every 6th row 5 times" style patterns use.

How to use the calculator

1. Choose top down (decrease towards the cuff) or cuff up (increase towards the arm).
2. Enter the upper arm, with ease, and the wrist measurement just above the cuff.
3. Enter the underarm-to-wrist length, the cuff length if you work the cuff separately, and any straight section below the underarm.
4. Enter your stitch and row gauge.

How the calculator works

Only part of the sleeve is shaped: the cuff and the straight section below the underarm are left out.

Shaping length = underarm to wrist − cuff − straight section

Rows to shape over = shaping length × row gauge

Shaping rounds = (upper arm stitches − wrist stitches) ÷ 2

Each shaping round changes 2 stitches, one each side of the underarm, so the difference has to be even; if it is odd, the wrist count is moved by one stitch. The shaping rounds are spread so the intervals between them differ by at most one row.

Reading your results

• Start and finish: the stitch counts at the upper arm and the wrist.
• Shaping rounds and rows to shape over.
• Shaping: the instruction, starting after the straight section.

Worked example

A top-down sleeve from a 14 in upper arm to an 8.5 in wrist, at 16 stitches and 16 rows per 4 in, 18 in from underarm to wrist with a 2 in cuff and 1 in straight below the underarm:

• Shaping length: 18 − 2 − 1 = 15 in, which is 60 rows.
• Stitches: 56 at the upper arm, 34 at the wrist, so 22 to remove in 11 decrease rounds.
• 60 ÷ 11 = 5 remainder 5: after 1 in straight, decrease 2 stitches every 5th row 6 times and every 6th row 5 times.

Accuracy and limits

• The schedule is exact and covered by our automated tests, assuming the same row gauge all along the sleeve.
• Measurements should include ease: the upper arm of the garment, not of your arm.
• The cuff is worked separately and is not shaped here.
• To see each shaping row by number, enter the same counts in the shaping rate calculator.

Common mistakes

1. Shaping the cuff length too. Leave out the cuff, or the sleeve narrows to the wrist too early.
2. Losing the underarm. Mark the underarm stitch and keep the shaping either side of it so it lines up.
3. Using body measurements without ease. A sleeve made to your bare arm will be tight.

Tips for more accurate results

• Try the sleeve on as you go; arms vary more than the measurements suggest.
• For balloon sleeves, work straight and decrease quickly just before the cuff with the increase and decrease evenly calculator.
• Working top down from a raglan yoke? The raglan calculator gives the sleeve's starting stitches.

Frequently asked questions