Blanket Size & Yarn Reference Guide
Each cell shows skeins and yards for the selected craft at average stitch density. The length beneath each yarn weight is the assumed length of one skein. Use the calculator if your label gives a different length.
| Blanket size | Lace #0500 yd / skein | Super Fine (Fingering) #1420 yd / skein | Fine (Sport) #2350 yd / skein | Light (DK) #3300 yd / skein | Medium (Worsted) #4220 yd / skein | Bulky #5150 yd / skein | Super Bulky #6100 yd / skein | Jumbo #740 yd / skein |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baby30×40 in | 5 skeins2,106 yd | 5 skeins1,716 yd | 5 skeins1,404 yd | 4 skeins1,124 yd | 4 skeins858 yd | 4 skeins593 yd | 4 skeins390 yd | 5 skeins188 yd |
| Throw50×60 in | 11 skeins5,265 yd | 11 skeins4,290 yd | 11 skeins3,510 yd | 10 skeins2,808 yd | 10 skeins2,145 yd | 10 skeins1,482 yd | 10 skeins975 yd | 12 skeins468 yd |
| Twin66×90 in | 21 skeins10,425 yd | 21 skeins8,495 yd | 20 skeins6,950 yd | 19 skeins5,560 yd | 20 skeins4,248 yd | 20 skeins2,935 yd | 20 skeins1,931 yd | 24 skeins927 yd |
| Full80×90 in | 26 skeins12,636 yd | 25 skeins10,296 yd | 25 skeins8,424 yd | 23 skeins6,740 yd | 24 skeins5,148 yd | 24 skeins3,557 yd | 24 skeins2,340 yd | 29 skeins1,124 yd |
| Queen90×100 in | 32 skeins15,795 yd | 31 skeins12,870 yd | 31 skeins10,530 yd | 29 skeins8,424 yd | 30 skeins6,435 yd | 30 skeins4,446 yd | 30 skeins2,925 yd | 36 skeins1,404 yd |
| King108×100 in | 38 skeins18,954 yd | 37 skeins15,444 yd | 37 skeins12,636 yd | 34 skeins10,109 yd | 36 skeins7,722 yd | 36 skeins5,336 yd | 36 skeins3,510 yd | 43 skeins1,685 yd |
Read across from your finished blanket size. For example, the throw row under Medium gives 10 skeins for knitting. These are estimates for plain fabric, not a substitute for a pattern’s requirements.
How to use this calculator
- Choose your finished blanket dimensions.
For a bed blanket, include the overhang you want on both sides and at the foot.
- Select knit or crochet, then match the yarn weight number on your label.
Use Average unless your fabric is especially dense or open.
- Enter the length of one skein.
The suggested value is only a starting point; skein sizes vary between brands and product lines.
- Enter a color count only if you expect to use equal amounts.
Each color rounds up to a whole skein, so splitting colors can increase the number to buy.
- Copy the result to save the estimate and a link with your settings.
The result changes as you edit the form.
Check your yarn label and gauge
Use length, not the ball’s weight
A label might say “100 g / 220 yd.” Enter 220, not 100. Two 100-gram balls can contain very different lengths. Find the yarn weight symbol as well: a number from 0 to 7 describes the yarn’s thickness. It does not tell you the length of the skein.
If the label lists meters, switch the calculator to metric. For a partly used ball, estimate the remaining length from its weight only when you know the original length and weight of that same yarn. Do not include the label or packaging in the weight.
Measure a washed swatch
Make a swatch larger than 4 × 4 inches in the actual blanket stitch. Wash and dry it as you will the finished blanket. Lay it flat without stretching, then count stitches and rows over the center 4 inches. Avoid the edges, where tension is often uneven.
Compare that measurement with your pattern’s gauge before choosing a needle or hook size. A small difference across a swatch becomes a large difference across a bed blanket. Cables, bobbles, and carried colorwork strands also use yarn that a plain stitch estimate cannot fully account for.
Scale from your own fabric
For a closer estimate, record the yarn used in a measured swatch. Divide that length by the finished area to get your own yards per square inch, then multiply by the blanket area. Keep the stitch pattern, yarn, and tool size consistent. A pattern written for the same yarn and gauge is another useful starting point.
How to measure your blanket
Allow for borders and fringe
For a border in the same fabric, include its width in the finished dimensions. A 2-inch border around a 50 × 60-inch center makes a 54 × 64-inch blanket: about 15% more area. A dense border may need more yarn than this area comparison suggests.
For a different border stitch, work a measured sample and scale its yarn use to the total perimeter. Leave a separate allowance for joining squares, seaming, and weaving in ends.
Measure fringe rather than guessing. Each folded strand needs about twice the finished fringe length, plus enough for the fold, knot, and trimming. Multiply the cut length by the number of strands in each tassel and the number of tassels, then convert inches to yards by dividing by 36. Include both ends if the blanket has fringe at each end.
Frequently asked questions
How many skeins for a baby blanket?
For the 30 × 40-inch Baby preset in Medium (Worsted) (#4) yarn, average-density knitting needs an estimated 858 yards, or 4 skeins at 220 yards each. Choose Crochet for a crochet estimate, and enter the actual length printed on your yarn label. A denser stitch or added finishing can change the requirement.
How many skeins for a queen size crochet blanket?
For the 90 × 100-inch Queen preset in Medium (Worsted) (#4) yarn, average-density crochet needs about 8,173 yards, or 38 skeins at 220 yards each. The displayed yardage is rounded up to a whole yard. Measure the finished coverage you want, including side and foot drop, before selecting a size.
How many skeins of chunky yarn for a throw blanket?
For the 50 × 60-inch Throw preset in Super Bulky (#6) yarn, average-density knitting needs an estimated 975 yards, or 10 skeins at 100 yards each. Chunky can refer to Bulky (#5) or Super Bulky (#6). Match the weight number on the label and enter that product’s skein length rather than relying on its name.
Does crochet use more yarn than knitting?
Usually, but stitch structure matters. This calculator applies a 27% crochet allowance at the same dimensions, yarn weight, and stitch density. Open mesh, dense textures, cables, and bobbles can differ from that planning assumption. A swatch made in the actual pattern provides a more specific estimate.
Should I buy extra yarn?
Use the included allowance for ordinary finishing, then estimate substantial borders, fringe, tassels, and joining yarn separately. If you change the pattern or finished dimensions, recalculate before ordering. Check the store’s return policy so any unused, unopened yarn can be handled under that policy.
How do I find yards per skein?
Read the length printed on one yarn label, usually in yards and meters. Enter the length of one ball, skein, hank, or cake, rather than its weight in ounces or grams. For a multipack that gives only combined yardage, divide the length by the number of skeins. Use metric mode when the label lists meters.