How does a circular yoke differ from raglan?

A circular yoke distributes increases evenly around the entire circumference, often with decorative colourwork patterns. A raglan concentrates increases along 4 diagonal lines. Circular yokes give a more traditional Icelandic/Norwegian look.

How deep should a yoke be?

Standard adult yoke depth is 22-28cm, depending on size. Measure from the base of the neck to where you want the underarm to be. Children need 15-20cm; babies 10-14cm.

How do I separate the yoke into body and sleeves?

At the desired yoke depth, place sleeve stitches on holders and cast on underarm stitches. Continue working the body in the round. Return to the held sleeve stitches later to knit the sleeves.

Can I add a colourwork pattern to the yoke?

Yes, circular yokes are ideal for colourwork. Plan your increase rounds to fall on solid-colour rounds, not within the pattern. Some patterns incorporate the increases into the colourwork design.

How many stitches should I increase per round?

There is no fixed number — unlike a raglan (which adds a fixed 8 sts per round at its 4 seams), a circular yoke spreads its increases evenly around the whole circumference. Traditional Icelandic and Norwegian yokes use just 3-5 staged increase rounds, each adding a large percentage of the current stitch count (Elizabeth Zimmermann's EPS uses roughly +25%, +33%, then +40%). This calculator instead spreads the total increase over many smaller, evenly-spaced rounds; set the "Increases per round" value to match your chosen approach. Whichever method you use, the total increases must equal body stitches + both sleeves at the underarm minus the neck stitches.

KnitCalcs

Yoke Calculator — Circular Yoke Increase Rates

Calculate increase rates and depth for seamless circular yoke sweaters.

Neck Stitches

Cast-on stitches at neckline

Body Stitches (total)

Body + both sleeves at underarm

Yoke Depth

Neck to underarm

Row Gauge (per 10cm)

Rows per 10cm from your gauge swatch

How We Calculate This

This calculator determines the increase rate for a seamless circular yoke based on neck and body stitch counts.

The formula

Total increase = Body stitches - Neck stitches

Increase rounds = Total increase / increases-per-round (default 8)

Increase interval = Available yoke rows / Increase rounds (rounded down)

Any rows left over after the evenly-spaced shaping are reported separately as plain rounds. Work these at the bottom of the yoke: a circular yoke fits best when the increases sit closer together near the neck and the lower yoke is worked plainer toward the underarm.

Frequently Asked Questions

Related Calculators

Raglan Calculator

Calculate raglan decrease rates and yoke depth for top-down or bottom-up construction.

Set-In Sleeve Calculator

Calculate sleeve cap shaping for set-in sleeve construction.

Neckline Calculator

Calculate neckline shaping for round, V-neck, and boat neck styles.

Armhole Calculator

Calculate armhole depth and bind-off shaping for fitted garments.

Shoulder Shaping Calculator

Calculate short-row or bind-off shoulder shaping steps.

Last updated: February 2026

All calculations are estimates based on standard yarn weights and gauge. Results may vary with individual tension, yarn brand, and needle size.