Blanket Yarn Calculator: How Much Yarn for a Knit or Crochet Blanket

Pick a blanket size or type your own, choose the yarn weight, and enter the yards on one skein. The calculator estimates yardage for knitting and crochet side by side, adds a cushion, and shows exactly how the estimate was scaled so you can judge it.

Your blanket

Blanket size Lovey (12 x 12 in)Stroller / Car Seat (30 x 36 in)Receiving (30 x 40 in)Baby / Crib (42 x 52 in)Throw / Afghan (50 x 60 in)Twin (66 x 90 in)Full / Double (80 x 90 in)Queen (90 x 100 in)King (108 x 100 in) Custom size

Width (in)

Length (in)

Yarn weight Fine (2)Light (3)Medium (4)Bulky (5)Super Bulky (6)

Craft KnitCrochet

Yards per skein

From the yarn label; 10 percent extra is added

Your results

Knitted blanket

2,080 to 2,880 yd

Buy 16 skeins (3,169 yd with 10 percent extra)

	Knit	Crochet
Yards	2,080 to 2,880	2,610 to 3,830
Skeins to buy	16	22
Grams	900 to 1,690 g	1,130 to 2,250 g

Scaled from the published Throw (50 x 65 in) by area, x 0.92.

How do you calculate how much yarn a blanket needs?

Published yardage guides give ranges for a handful of standard blanket sizes in each yarn weight. Any other size can be estimated by area, because a blanket is a flat rectangle of the same fabric throughout: twice the area takes about twice the yarn. The calculator uses these steps, shown for the default 50 x 60 inch throw in worsted.

1. Find the area. 50 x 60 = 3,000 square inches.
2. Pick the nearest published size. The reference data has yardage for a baby blanket, a 50 x 65 inch throw, and twin, full, queen and king sizes. The closest by area is the throw at 50 x 65 = 3,250 square inches.
3. Scale by the area ratio. 3,000 / 3,250 = 0.92. The published knit range is multiplied by that ratio and rounded to the nearest 10 yards: 2,080 to 2,880 yards knitted and 2,610 to 3,830 yards crocheted.
4. Add 10 percent and convert to skeins. 2,880 x 1.1 = 3,169 yards, divided by 200 yards per skein and rounded up = 16 skeins.

Using the nearest size keeps the scaling small, which keeps the estimate close to the published figures. One caution about the source data: the twin, full, queen and king rows are themselves the throw range scaled by area, and the baby blanket range is matched here to the chart's 42 x 52 inch crib size. Treat every figure as a planning estimate, and if your pattern lists yardage, the pattern wins.

How much yarn for every blanket size in worsted weight?

Medium weight yarn, sold as worsted, aran or afghan yarn, is the classic blanket choice. Every row uses the calculator's method; the last column shows which published size each estimate was scaled from.

Blanket sizes are not standardized, and charts vary. The presets follow common published knit and crochet blanket charts; if you are making a blanket for a specific bed, measure the mattress and decide how far you want the blanket to hang over each side. Our blanket size chart lists the ranges behind each preset.

How much more yarn does a crochet blanket use than a knitted one?

This is the question that surprises the most people planning a first blanket. Crochet fabric generally uses about 25 to 33 percent more yarn than knitting for the same size, and the reference data applies exactly that: crochet ranges are the knit range multiplied by 1.25 at the low end and 1.33 at the high end. Here is the same 50 x 60 inch throw in every blanket weight.

Heavier yarn needs fewer yards, but not proportionally fewer grams: a super bulky throw still weighs a lot. If a blanket is for someone who finds heavy covers hard to manage, a lighter weight yarn at a looser gauge gives a warm blanket that is easier to lift and wash.

What changes blanket yardage the most?

• Stitch pattern. Garter stitch used about 46 percent more yarn than stockinette in one published comparison. Textured crochet such as waffle or bobble stitches uses far more than open granny or mesh patterns.
• Gauge. A looser gauge covers more area per yard. Blankets are forgiving about exact gauge, but your yardage follows your tension, so a quick swatch is still worth it. The knitting gauge calculator turns a swatch into stitches for your width.
• Borders. A deep border adds area outside the main rectangle. Include it in the width and length you enter.
• Construction. Blankets made of squares or strips add yarn for joining. For granny squares, the granny square blanket calculator counts squares and yardage per square; for a crochet blanket worked in rows, the crochet chain calculator gives the starting chain.

How do you keep a big blanket even from start to finish?

Large flat pieces show every change in tension. A blanket started on a relaxed weekend and finished in a busy week can end up wider at one end. A few habits help. Measure the width every few inches of length and compare it with the first measurement. Keep the same hook or needle for the whole blanket, since two tools labeled the same size can differ slightly. Count stitches at the end of each row for the first several rows, where a missed stitch at the turn is easiest to catch. Finally, block the finished blanket: wash it, lay it flat on towels or mats, and pat it into a rectangle while it dries.

If the blanket is a gift with a deadline, work backward from the yardage. A throw in worsted takes thousands of yards, and knowing that number early tells you whether to choose a heavier yarn or a smaller size.

Is a knitting machine worth it for blankets?

For big, plain blankets it can be. A crank machine knits tubes or flat panels of stockinette far faster than hands can, and many knitters make blankets by knitting several long panels and seaming them. The addi Express Kingsize lists a 17.7 inch flat mode and a 13.8 inch circular mode, and the addi I Want It All Set pairs it with the smaller 22 needle machine. Machines suit lighter and medium yarns best; very bulky blanket yarn is usually knit or crocheted by hand. Whatever you choose, thousands of yards means dozens of skeins to wind, and a Stanwood Winder + Amish Swift handles 10 ounce cakes so you wind less often.