Blanket Size & Yarn Calculator

Crochet & knit

Pick a blanket size and your stitch, enter your yarn label, and get the skeins to buy. Add your gauge for the starting chain and rows.

Quick answer. A 48 x 60 in throw in half double crochet takes about 1,421 g of yarn with 10% extra, which is 15 skeins of 100 g (2,841 yd at 200 yd per skein).

Source: blanket area divided by Interweave's measured 2.23 sq in of half double crochet per gram; sizes from A Crocheted Simplicity.

Your blanket

1. Size

in
in

Custom width and length are used only when Custom size is picked.

2. Stitch

in
in
g

Most accurate: weigh a swatch in your own yarn on a kitchen scale and pick From my swatch.

3. Yarn label

g
yd
%

Both numbers are printed on the label. 10% extra covers a simple border and swatching.

4. Gauge (optional)

sts
rows

Add your gauge to get the starting chain or cast on and the number of rows.

Result

0

Your plan

Buy every skein from one dye lot. A leftover skein is cheaper than a mismatched last stripe.

Standard blanket sizes

There is no official blanket standard, so these are the finished sizes most patterns use. Where a size is usually a range, the calculator starts from the smaller end.

Common crochet and knit blanket sizes
Blanket Inches Centimetres
Lovey (12 to 18 in square) 12 x 12 30 x 30
Security blanket (14 x 18 to 18 x 24 in) 14 x 18 36 x 46
Preemie 18 x 24 46 x 61
Receiving blanket 30 x 30 76 x 76
Baby blanket (36 to 40 in square) 36 x 36 91 x 91
Crib 36 x 45 91 x 114
Wheelchair 36 x 42 91 x 107
Lapghan 36 x 48 91 x 122
Toddler 40 x 60 102 x 152
Throw 48 x 60 122 x 152
Afghan 50 x 65 127 x 165
Twin bed 66 x 90 168 x 229
Twin XL 66 x 96 168 x 244
Full / double bed 80 x 90 203 x 229
Queen bed 90 x 100 229 x 254
King bed 108 x 100 274 x 254
California king 104 x 108 264 x 274

Sizes from A Crocheted Simplicity. Centimetres are calculated.

Yarn by blanket size

Grams and 100 g skeins with 10% extra, calculated from Interweave's measured coverage. Those figures come from one chunky yarn, so treat this as a planning estimate and weigh a swatch of your own yarn before you buy for a big blanket.

Yarn needed by blanket size and stitch
Blanket Single crochet Half double Double crochet Stockinette
Lovey, 12 x 12 in 84 g, 1 sk71 g, 1 sk66 g, 1 sk52 g, 1 sk
Receiving blanket, 30 x 30 in 524 g, 6 sk444 g, 5 sk414 g, 5 sk327 g, 4 sk
Baby blanket, 36 x 36 in 754 g, 8 sk639 g, 7 sk596 g, 6 sk470 g, 5 sk
Crib, 36 x 45 in 943 g, 10 sk799 g, 8 sk746 g, 8 sk588 g, 6 sk
Lapghan, 36 x 48 in 1,006 g, 11 sk852 g, 9 sk795 g, 8 sk627 g, 7 sk
Toddler, 40 x 60 in 1,397 g, 14 sk1,184 g, 12 sk1,105 g, 12 sk871 g, 9 sk
Throw, 48 x 60 in 1,676 g, 17 sk1,421 g, 15 sk1,326 g, 14 sk1,046 g, 11 sk
Afghan, 50 x 65 in 1,892 g, 19 sk1,603 g, 17 sk1,496 g, 15 sk1,180 g, 12 sk
Twin bed, 66 x 90 in 3,457 g, 35 sk2,930 g, 30 sk2,734 g, 28 sk2,156 g, 22 sk
Full / double bed, 80 x 90 in 4,190 g, 42 sk3,552 g, 36 sk3,314 g, 34 sk2,614 g, 27 sk
Queen bed, 90 x 100 in 5,238 g, 53 sk4,439 g, 45 sk4,142 g, 42 sk3,267 g, 33 sk
King bed, 108 x 100 in 6,286 g, 63 sk5,327 g, 54 sk4,971 g, 50 sk3,921 g, 40 sk

sk = skeins of 100 g. A 200 yd per 100 g label turns grams into yards at 2 yd per gram.

How the blanket maths works

  • Area = width x length
  • Yarn in grams = area / coverage (square inches per gram) x (1 + extra)
  • Skeins = grams / grams per skein, rounded up
  • Yards = grams x the label's yards per gram
  • Stitches across = width x stitches per 4 in / 4, plus the turning chain for crochet

Coverage figures come from Interweave, which weighed swatches of one chunky yarn worked on 6 mm needles and a 6 mm hook: single crochet 1.89, half double crochet 2.23, double crochet 2.39, stockinette (knit) 3.03, garter stitch (knit) 2.08 square inches per gram. Taller crochet stitches cover more ground per gram, and stockinette covers the most.

Weigh a swatch for a better answer

  1. Make a swatch at least 6 in (15 cm) square in your yarn, hook or needles and stitch.
  2. Wash and dry it the way you will treat the blanket, then measure it.
  3. Weigh it on a kitchen scale and pick From my swatch in the calculator.

For example, a 6 x 6 in swatch weighing 16 g covers 2.25 sq in per gram, which is close to Interweave's half double crochet figure.

Bigger blankets add up fast

  • A baby blanket in half double crochet is about 639 g (7 skeins).
  • A king in double crochet is about 5 kg (50 skeins), roughly 9.1 km of yarn.
  • Textured stitches like bobbles and puffs can use 15 to 30% more yarn, so raise the extra.

Sources

All gram, skein, yard and centimetre figures on this page are calculated.

Common questions

What size is a throw blanket?
A throw is usually 48 x 60 in (122 x 152 cm). 50 x 60 in is just as common and is big enough to cover an adult sitting on a couch.
How much yarn do I need for a crochet throw blanket?
For a 48 x 60 in throw in half double crochet, about 1,421 g with 10% extra. At 200 yd per 100 g that is 2,841 yd, or 15 skeins. Single crochet needs about 1,676 g (17 skeins).
How big is a baby blanket?
A baby blanket is 36 to 40 in square (91 to 102 cm). A receiving blanket is smaller at 30 x 30 in and a crib blanket is 36 x 45 in.
What size is a queen size crochet blanket?
90 x 100 in (229 x 254 cm). In half double crochet that is about 4.4 kg of yarn, or 45 skeins of 100 g with 10% extra.
Does crochet use more yarn than knitting?
Yes. In Interweave's test, stockinette covered 3.03 sq in per gram and single crochet only 1.89, so a 48 x 60 in throw takes about 1,046 g knitted in stockinette against 1,676 g in single crochet.
How many chains do I need to start a blanket?
Multiply the width by your stitches per inch, then add the turning chain. At 12 hdc per 4 in, a 50 in wide blanket is 150 stitches, so chain 152. Round to your pattern's multiple first if it has one.
How do I size a blanket for my own bed?
Measure the mattress. Width = mattress width + 2 x mattress depth, length = mattress length + mattress depth. Add 5 to 6 in to each if you tuck it in.