How much yarn to knit a blanket
How much yarn to knit a blanket: yardage chart for baby, lap, throw, twin, full, queen and king blankets in stockinette and garter, DK to super bulky, plus skeins.
Make a swatch of at least 6 × 6 in in your stitch, wash and block it, then measure and weigh it.
Pattern yarn — from the materials list.
Your new yarn — from its label.
You need about
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Knit blanket yardage
Knitted blankets are usually worked in garter stitch, seed stitch or a stitch pattern with a garter border, because plain stockinette curls at the edges. Garter stitch uses about 20% more yarn than stockinette for the same area because its rows are compressed; cables use 30–40% more.
For a blanket wider than about 30 inches you will need a long circular needle (40–60 inches) and you will knit back and forth on it. A worsted throw has 220–250 stitches per row; a bulky throw around 170.
Hand-knitted and arm-knitted chunky blankets in jumbo yarn are covered on the chunky blanket page.
| Size | Light (3) DK | Medium (4) Worsted | Bulky (5) Chunky | Super Bulky (6) Super chunky |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lovey / security 12 × 12 in | 135125 m · 1 sk | 110100 m · 1 sk | 8075 m · 1 sk | 5550 m · 1 sk |
| Baby / receiving 30 × 36 in | 1,010920 m · 5 sk | 810740 m · 5 sk | 610550 m · 5 sk | 400370 m · 6 sk |
| Crib 36 × 52 in | 1,7501,600 m · 7 sk | 1,4001,280 m · 7 sk | 1,050960 m · 9 sk | 700640 m · 10 sk |
| Lap 36 × 48 in | 1,6201,480 m · 7 sk | 1,2901,180 m · 7 sk | 970890 m · 8 sk | 650590 m · 10 sk |
| Throw 50 × 60 in | 2,8002,550 m · 12 sk | 2,2502,050 m · 12 sk | 1,6801,540 m · 13 sk | 1,1201,030 m · 17 sk |
| Twin 66 × 90 in | 5,5505,100 m · 23 sk | 4,4504,050 m · 23 sk | 3,3503,050 m · 26 sk | 2,2002,050 m · 32 sk |
| Full / double 80 × 90 in | 6,7506,150 m · 27 sk | 5,4004,900 m · 27 sk | 4,0503,700 m · 32 sk | 2,7002,450 m · 39 sk |
| Queen 90 × 100 in | 8,4007,700 m · 34 sk | 6,7506,150 m · 34 sk | 5,0504,600 m · 39 sk | 3,3503,100 m · 49 sk |
| King 108 × 100 in | 10,1009,250 m · 41 sk | 8,1007,400 m · 41 sk | 6,0505,550 m · 47 sk | 4,0503,700 m · 58 sk |
Values are yards with 10% extra; small figures are meters and skeins of a typical ball: light 250 yd / 100 g, medium 200 yd / 100 g, bulky 130 yd / 100 g, super bulky 70 yd / 100 g. Use the calculator with your own label for exact skein counts.
| Size | Light (3) DK | Medium (4) Worsted | Bulky (5) Chunky | Super Bulky (6) Super chunky |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lovey / security 12 × 12 in | 160150 m · 1 sk | 130120 m · 1 sk | 9590 m · 1 sk | 6560 m · 1 sk |
| Baby / receiving 30 × 36 in | 1,2101,110 m · 5 sk | 970890 m · 5 sk | 730660 m · 6 sk | 480440 m · 7 sk |
| Crib 36 × 52 in | 2,1001,920 m · 9 sk | 1,6801,540 m · 9 sk | 1,2601,150 m · 10 sk | 840770 m · 12 sk |
| Lap 36 × 48 in | 1,9401,770 m · 8 sk | 1,5501,420 m · 8 sk | 1,1601,060 m · 9 sk | 780710 m · 12 sk |
| Throw 50 × 60 in | 3,3503,100 m · 14 sk | 2,7002,450 m · 14 sk | 2,0001,850 m · 16 sk | 1,3501,230 m · 20 sk |
| Twin 66 × 90 in | 6,6506,100 m · 27 sk | 5,3504,850 m · 27 sk | 4,0003,650 m · 31 sk | 2,6502,450 m · 39 sk |
| Full / double 80 × 90 in | 8,1007,400 m · 33 sk | 6,4505,900 m · 33 sk | 4,8504,450 m · 38 sk | 3,2502,950 m · 47 sk |
| Queen 90 × 100 in | 10,1009,250 m · 41 sk | 8,1007,400 m · 41 sk | 6,0505,550 m · 47 sk | 4,0503,700 m · 58 sk |
| King 108 × 100 in | 12,10011,100 m · 49 sk | 9,7008,850 m · 49 sk | 7,2506,650 m · 56 sk | 4,8504,450 m · 70 sk |
Values are yards with 10% extra; small figures are meters and skeins of a typical ball: light 250 yd / 100 g, medium 200 yd / 100 g, bulky 130 yd / 100 g, super bulky 70 yd / 100 g. Use the calculator with your own label for exact skein counts.
| Size | Medium (4) Worsted | Bulky (5) Chunky | Super Bulky (6) Super chunky |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lovey / security 12 × 12 in | 145135 m · 1 sk | 110100 m · 1 sk | 7565 m · 2 sk |
| Baby / receiving 30 × 36 in | 1,0901,000 m · 6 sk | 820750 m · 7 sk | 550500 m · 8 sk |
| Crib 36 × 52 in | 1,8901,730 m · 10 sk | 1,4201,300 m · 11 sk | 940860 m · 14 sk |
| Lap 36 × 48 in | 1,7401,600 m · 9 sk | 1,3101,200 m · 11 sk | 870800 m · 13 sk |
| Throw 50 × 60 in | 3,0502,750 m · 16 sk | 2,2502,100 m · 18 sk | 1,5101,380 m · 22 sk |
| Twin 66 × 90 in | 6,0005,500 m · 30 sk | 4,5004,100 m · 35 sk | 3,0002,750 m · 43 sk |
| Full / double 80 × 90 in | 7,2506,650 m · 37 sk | 5,4505,000 m · 42 sk | 3,6503,300 m · 52 sk |
| Queen 90 × 100 in | 9,1008,300 m · 46 sk | 6,8006,250 m · 53 sk | 4,5504,150 m · 65 sk |
| King 108 × 100 in | 10,9009,950 m · 55 sk | 8,2007,500 m · 63 sk | 5,4505,000 m · 78 sk |
Values are yards with 10% extra; small figures are meters and skeins of a typical ball: medium 200 yd / 100 g, bulky 130 yd / 100 g, super bulky 70 yd / 100 g. Use the calculator with your own label for exact skein counts.
About these numbers: estimates assume typical gauge for each yarn weight. Your tension, hook or needle size and stitch pattern can move them by ±15% or more — weigh a swatch in the swatch calculator for a figure based on your own work.
How to work out how much yarn you need
- Choose the project. Pick knit or crochet, the project and its size — or a custom width and length.
- Set the yarn. Choose the yarn weight (CYC 0–7) and stitch, then type the length and grams from your skein label.
- Add a safety margin. Keep 10% extra, or more for tight tension, borders and fringe.
- Check with a swatch. For the most accurate number, weigh a blocked swatch in the From a swatch tab and scale it to your project.
FAQ
How much yarn do I need for a blanket?
Multiply the blanket area by the yarn your stitch uses per square inch. For worsted weight that is roughly 0.66 yd per sq in in stockinette and 0.84 yd in double crochet, so a 50 × 60 in throw needs about 2,200–2,600 yards, plus 10% for safety.
How many skeins of yarn do I need for a blanket?
Divide the total yardage by the length on your yarn label and round up. A worsted throw of 2,600 yd needs 13 skeins of 200 yd, or 8 skeins of a 364 yd super saver skein. Always buy them from one dye lot.
Does crochet use more yarn than knitting?
Yes. Measured comparisons show single crochet uses about 60% more yarn than stockinette for the same area, and double crochet about 27% more. Taller crochet stitches are more economical than short ones.
How much extra yarn should I buy?
Add about 10%. Add more (15–20%) for tight tension, textured stitches, borders and fringe, or when you cannot buy more of the same dye lot later.