Ask a group of crocheters which blanket uses the most yarn and you will hear strong opinions. The real answer is in the stitch structure: how much yarn goes into each stitch, and how much area each stitch covers. Short, dense stitches and stitches with lots of loops use more yarn; tall stitches and fabrics with holes use less.
How much yarn do crochet stitches use?
A useful way to compare stitches is area covered per gram of yarn. In a well-known experiment comparing yarn usage in knitting and crochet, Interweave measured stockinette at about 3.0 square inches per gram of worsted yarn, single crochet at about 1.9 and double crochet at about 2.4. Turned around, single crochet uses roughly 1.6 times as much yarn as stockinette for the same area and double crochet about 1.27 times. The calculator uses these ratios and typical values for the other stitches:
| Stitch | Factor | Worsted yd / sq in | Throw 50 × 60 yd + 10% |
|---|---|---|---|
| Knit: Stockinette | 1.00× | 0.66 | 2,250 |
| Knit: Garter stitch | 1.20× | 0.79 | 2,700 |
| Knit: Seed / moss stitch | 1.15× | 0.76 | 2,600 |
| Knit: Ribbing (1×1, 2×2) | 1.25× | 0.83 | 2,800 |
| Knit: Cables | 1.35× | 0.89 | 3,050 |
| Knit: Brioche | 1.60× | 1.06 | 3,600 |
| Knit: Lace / openwork | 0.80× | 0.53 | 1,790 |
| Crochet: Single crochet | 1.60× | 1.06 | 3,600 |
| Crochet: Half double crochet | 1.45× | 0.96 | 3,250 |
| Crochet: Double crochet | 1.27× | 0.84 | 2,850 |
| Crochet: Treble crochet | 1.15× | 0.76 | 2,600 |
| Crochet: Moss / linen stitch | 1.45× | 0.96 | 3,250 |
| Crochet: Granny stitch / shells | 1.10× | 0.73 | 2,450 |
| Crochet: Corner to corner (C2C) | 1.15× | 0.76 | 2,600 |
| Crochet: Puff, bobble, waffle | 1.90× | 1.25 | 4,250 |
| Crochet: Tunisian simple stitch | 1.90× | 1.25 | 4,250 |
Two things stand out. First, every common crochet stitch uses more yarn than knitting, because each crochet stitch is a stack of loops rather than a single loop. Second, the taller the stitch, the less yarn per area: one double crochet is roughly as tall as two single crochets but uses much less than twice the yarn.
Corner to corner (C2C)
A C2C block is three double crochets plus a chain-3 space, worked diagonally. The double crochets sit tightly side by side, but every block also contains a chain-3 that uses far less yarn than three more stitches would. The result is a thick, squishy fabric that uses a little less yarn than plain rows of double crochet — about 1.15 times stockinette — while the color changes in graphghans add tails and bobbin waste on top. In worsted weight a C2C block uses roughly half a yard; a 50 × 60 inch C2C throw lands around 2,600 yards including a 10% margin, which matches the per-block figure used by Feeed's C2C graph maker.
Granny squares
A classic granny square is made of clusters of three double crochets separated by chain spaces. Those chain spaces are small holes, so the fabric covers more area per yard than solid double crochet — about 1.1 times stockinette. On the other hand, granny-square blankets are made from many separate motifs, so there are extra costs that a single-piece blanket does not have:
- Joining. Slip stitch or single crochet joins along every edge add roughly 5–8% to the total; a join-as-you-go method adds less.
- Tails. Every color change leaves two tails of about 6 inches. A 100-square, four-color blanket has 800 tails — around 130 yards of yarn that end up woven in.
- Border. A wide border around the assembled blanket can be 5–10% of the yardage.
Even with these, a granny-square blanket usually uses less yarn than a C2C or single crochet blanket of the same size.
Side by side by blanket size
The table below compares estimates for worsted weight yarn with a 10% safety margin. Joining and tails are not included in the granny column; add 5–10% for those.
| Size | Single crochet | Double crochet | C2C | Granny |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baby / receiving 30 × 36 in | 1,2901,180 m | 1,030940 m | 930850 m | 890810 m |
| Crib 36 × 52 in | 2,2502,050 m | 1,7801,630 m | 1,6101,470 m | 1,5401,410 m |
| Lap 36 × 48 in | 2,0501,890 m | 1,6401,500 m | 1,4901,360 m | 1,4201,300 m |
| Throw 50 × 60 in | 3,6003,300 m | 2,8502,600 m | 2,6002,350 m | 2,4502,250 m |
| Twin 66 × 90 in | 7,1006,500 m | 5,6505,150 m | 5,1004,650 m | 4,9004,450 m |
| Full / double 80 × 90 in | 8,6007,900 m | 6,8506,250 m | 6,2005,650 m | 5,9005,400 m |
| Queen 90 × 100 in | 10,7509,850 m | 8,5507,800 m | 7,7507,100 m | 7,4006,750 m |
| King 108 × 100 in | 12,90011,800 m | 10,2509,400 m | 9,3008,500 m | 8,9008,100 m |
Single crochet is the most expensive by a wide margin, about 25–45% more than the other options. Plain double crochet comes next, C2C a little below it, and granny is the most economical. Textured stitches — puff, bobble, waffle — can approach double the single crochet figure, so be careful with blankets made entirely of puff stitches.
Estimating a motif blanket
For any blanket made of squares, hexagons or other motifs, the most accurate method is to make one motif, weigh it and multiply:
total grams = motif grams × number of motifs × 1.1
Weigh the motif after weaving in its ends (or include the tails), and use the label to convert grams to yards: yards = grams × label yards ÷ label grams. To find the number of motifs, divide the blanket width and length by the motif size and round: a 50 × 60 inch throw of 6-inch squares is 8 × 10 = 80 squares (48 × 60 inches). Then add yarn for joining and the border. If you have no scale, the swatch calculator accepts a measured length of yarn instead of grams — unravel a motif and measure it.
Estimating a C2C graphghan by color
In a graph-based blanket each color takes a different share. Count the blocks of each color in the graph, multiply by the yards per block for your yarn weight, and add 10–15% per color for tails and bobbins. Small colors still need a whole skein. Feeed's C2C graph maker counts blocks per color automatically from a picture.
Which should you choose?
- Least yarn: granny stitch, shells, treble crochet or any lacy stitch.
- Warmest: single crochet, moss/linen stitch or puff — they trap air but use more yarn.
- Portable: granny squares and motifs, which you can carry in a small bag.
- Pictures: C2C for pixel graphs; tapestry single crochet for fine detail, at a high yarn cost.
Whichever you choose, the yarn calculator gives a starting estimate in seconds, and the swatch mode turns it into a number for your own tension.