Whether you use a row counter, paper and pen, an app on your phone, or some other method, we all need to keep track of where we are in a pattern when we’re knitting. Simple instructions may require nothing more than your own short term memory (like “work in 2×2 rib until piece measures 2.5 inches”), but the more complicated your piece, the more help you’ll need. A knitter brought these new Sirka counters to our attention recently, pulling one out of her knitting bag to show us how it works. Most row counters are intuitive enough that you likely wont need instruction: press a button and the number goes up in the usual fashion, 1, 2, 3 and so on. The Sirka counter, however, is a smarter counter that does more than just count up. Curious? So were we.

We now have Sirka counters in stock alongside our regular row-counters, because Sirka allows you to count more than one thing at a time. As knitters, we often have to do this, whether it’s tracking both the frequency and number of decreases, or maybe even all that and stitch pattern repeats. To use the Sirka, you assign one of those three tasks to each of the differently-colored hands, and use the “crowns” beneath the face of the counter to set the number you’re counting to. So not only does it help you keep track of how many rows/increases/repeats you’ve done, it tells you when you’ve gotten to your intended stopping place.

We also stock the Sirka LP, which is the same counter designed to be readable “upside-down,” should you wear it around your neck or pin it to your lapel as you work. Read all about how to use the Sirka counter, including helpful examples from knitting patterns, in the Sirka manual, and come by the shop to take a closer look at this intriguing gadget.