Bust Darts Short-Row Calculator
Enter your gauge, the front stitch count & a few body measurements, then choose the garment type and knitting direction. The calculator returns the exact written short-row instructions, ready to drop into your pattern.
1. Which measuring system are you using?
2. What is your gauge?
3. Which garment are you making?
4. How many front stitches?
5. Body measurements
6. Which direction are you knitting?
How to measure
Measure over the same layers you plan to wear the garment with.
If you wear a bra, keep it on while measuring.
Where the upper bust, full bust and under bust fall — for reference.
Straight across the front, from one bust point (nipple) to the other.
From the top of the shoulder, over the bust point, down to the underbust.
The same measurement taken down the back, from shoulder to underbust.
When to work the bust darts
Where the darts sit depends on which way you are knitting. Work them at your full bust line — the calculation for exactly where to begin differs for top-down and bottom-up.
Top-down sweaters
Bust darts should begin when you reach your full bust line. I strongly recommend blocking your yoke before starting the bust darts, as blocking can significantly affect the fit and length of the garment. Without blocking first, the bust darts may end up sitting too high or too low, resulting in an improper fit.
Bottom-up sweaters
Working bust darts in a bottom-up sweater requires a little more planning than in a top-down sweater. Since the sweater is worked from the hem upwards, the bust darts must end at your full bust line. This means you need to begin them your dart height before reaching your full bust line — that height is your calculated bust dart height, shown in the results above.
To determine where to begin the bust darts, you first need to know how much of the sweater remains to be worked.
Your finished sweater length is 50 cm (19¾"), and your shoulder-to-full-bust measurement is 27 cm (10¾"). This means your full bust line sits 23 cm (9") above the hem (50 − 27). Because the darts must end at that line, you begin them one dart-height below it — the calculator makes this final adjustment for you once you enter both measurements in step 7 above.
This calculation is only correct if your row/round gauge matches the pattern gauge. If your row gauge changes after blocking, the length of the sweater will also change, and the starting point for the bust darts must be adjusted.
Let's say your blocked gauge is 26 rows per 10 cm (4") instead of the pattern gauge of 27 rows per 10 cm (4"). Your sweater will now measure approximately 52 cm (20½") instead of 50 cm (19¾"). In this case, you should begin the bust darts after working 25 cm (9¾") from the hem instead of 23 cm (9").
For the most accurate results, measure your row gauge after knitting approximately 15 cm (6") of the body. Block this section, allow it to dry completely, and then measure your blocked row gauge before determining the placement of the bust darts.
Instead of calculating by length, you can determine the exact row where the bust darts should begin. Read through the pattern and calculate the total number of rows for your size.
The sweater is worked over 135 rows, and the pattern gauge is 27 rows per 10 cm (4"). Based on the pattern gauge, the bust darts should begin after 62 rows.
After blocking, however, you discover your actual gauge is 26 rows per 10 cm (4"). As in the previous example, your finished sweater will now be approximately 52 cm (20½") long instead of 50 cm (19¾"). To keep the bust darts aligned with your full bust line, you should begin them after 65 rows, which corresponds to 25 cm (9¾") from the hem.
If all of these calculations feel overwhelming, don't worry! Simply enter your finished sweater length, your shoulder-to-full-bust measurement, and your actual blocked row gauge into the calculator, and it will tell you exactly where to begin your bust darts.