How Much Yarn Do I Need for a Blanket?

How much yarn for each blanket size?

These ranges assume worsted weight (size 4) yarn and a medium-density stitch, single or half double crochet, or stockinette in knitting. Crochet generally eats a quarter to a third more yarn than knitting at the same size, so aim at the higher end for crochet and the lower end for knitting.

Typical yardage by finished size:

1. Lovey or security blanket, about 12 x 12 in: 150 to 250 yards.
2. Stroller or baby blanket, about 30 x 35 in: 700 to 1,200 yards.
3. Crib blanket, about 36 x 52 in: 1,200 to 1,800 yards.
4. Throw or lapghan, about 50 x 60 in: 1,500 to 2,500 yards.
5. Twin, about 66 x 90 in: 2,500 to 3,500 yards.
6. Queen, about 90 x 100 in: 3,500 to 5,000 yards.
7. King, about 108 x 100 in: 4,500 to 6,000 yards.

What changes the number?

Yarn weight matters most. A bulky yarn covers the same area in far fewer yards than a fingering yarn, which is why a chunky throw can take 1,100 yards while a fingering one takes 3,000. Match your estimate to the weight you will actually use.

Stitch choice is next. Dense stitches like single crochet or moss stitch use more yarn per square inch; open, lacy stitches like granny clusters or filet use less. Texture is greedy: bobbles, cables, and post stitches can add 20 to 30 percent.

Tension and hook or needle size finish the picture. The same pattern worked tight on a small hook drinks more yarn than the same pattern worked loose. That is why two makers following one pattern can finish with very different leftovers, and why your own swatch beats any table.

How do I calculate it exactly for my yarn?

The swatch method takes ten minutes and one skein, and it turns the wide ranges above into your number. You will weigh a measured swatch, work out yards per square inch, and multiply by your blanket's area.

1. Make a swatch in your blanket stitch, at least 6 x 6 inches, with the exact yarn and hook or needles you will use.
2. Measure the swatch's width and height and multiply them for its area.
3. Weigh the swatch on a kitchen scale in grams, then divide by the skein's grams and multiply by the skein's yards. That is the yards your swatch used.
4. Divide those yards by the swatch area for yards per square inch.
5. Multiply by your blanket's area (width times length). Add 10 to 15 percent for safety, more if the pattern has fringe, border rounds, or texture.

How many skeins is that?

Divide your total yardage by the yards per skein printed on the label and round up. A 2,000-yard throw in a 220-yard skein is ten skeins; buy eleven.

Buy all of it at once and check the dye lot number on every label. Two skeins of the same colorway from different lots can be visibly different in a big flat piece like a blanket, exactly where the change shows most.

Keep one label until the project is finished. It carries the yardage, the lot, and the care instructions you will want later.

What if I run out of yarn?

First check the same dye lot: your yarn shop may still have it, and online listings often state lots. If the lot is gone, alternate old and new yarn every two rows for a stretch so the shift blends instead of drawing a line.

You can also plan the save: work the border, the last stripe, or the edging in a deliberate contrast color. It reads as a design choice because it is one.

The quiet fix is prevention. Weigh your remaining yarn at the halfway row: if less than half your total weight remains, you know early, while every option is still open. Worsted's yardage calculator does the coverage math against what is actually in your stash.