How To Crochet Any Blanket Size By Stitch Count
Let’s say you want to make a crochet baby blanket. One of the first questions you might have is, how many stitches do I need to start a blanket?
I wish I could just give you a straight answer, but honestly it depends. It depends on your tension, what weight yarn you’re working with and the crochet hook size you’re using. And, of course, the size of the blanket you want to crochet!
The number will be slightly different for everyone based on these factors. So there’s no standard answer. However, I can tell you how to (easily) figure it out so that you can make the right size.
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Materials
You’ll need to choose your yarn and hook. For this tutorial I’m using a #4 medium worsted weight yarn and a 5 mm hook. And you’ll need a measuring tape and a calculator.
If you don’t yet have the yarn you want to use for your blanket that’s ok. Just choose a similar yarn that’s in the same weight category. It will give you a close estimate.
Gauge Swatch
The first thing you do is make a gauge swatch in your yarn.
Make a starting chain of 20, double crochet in the 3rd chain from your hook and in each chain across. You’ll have 18 double crochet stitches. Those first two skipped chains from our foundation chain are our turning chain and will not count as a stitch here.
If you need to adjust your stitch count here start with the number of stitches you want to end up with (18) and add 2 to the total number of chains (20).
Some double crochet pattern instructions add 3 chains and start in the 4th chain and those skipped chain will count as the first st. Just do what works for you, and make a note about if those chains count so you have the right number of stitches.
After your first row, turn your work. Row 2. Ch 3 to start a new row, work 1 double crochet stitch in each stitch across to the end of the row. Continue to repeat row 2 until you have about 6 rows and at least a 4″ tall swatch.
The larger swatch you can make the better estimate you will have of how your yarn, crochet stitch pattern and tension will work out as a blanket. So use a 4″ square as the minimum and aim for 6″ for larger projects like blankets and sweaters.
Measure
Now measure the length and width of your swatch. You want at least a 4″ x 4″ swatch. A 6″ square is even better. Don’t round here, just record how many inches wide it is, even if it’s a decimal.
My 18 stitches = 5″. So I know that for every 18 stitches I will get 5″ in blanket width. So 36 stitches will make approximately a 10″ width and 72 stitches will be about 20″.
Dividing the width in inches by the number of stitches gives us the inches per stitch.
5″ / 18 sts = .2777″ per st
Using the number you got from your swatch you can calculate how many stitches you need to start a baby blanket that’s 36″ wide, or a throw blanket that’s 60″ wide.
How to get the number of stitches you need
Use this formula with the specific numbers from your swatch.
A = swatch width in inches, for this example 5″.
B = number of stitches, here we’re using 18 stitches.
A / B = number of stitches per inch, we’ll call this number C.
5 / 18 = .2778 (C)
What size blanket do you want to crochet?
For this example we’ll use a 36″ wide baby blanket.
D = desired blanket width, here it’s 36″.
D / C = How many stitches you need to start your blanket. (E)
36 / .2778 = 129.5 stitches so I round up to 130 sts to get a width of 36″.
The Formulas
A = Your swatch width in inches.
B = The number of stitches in one row of your swatch.
C = A / B (the number of stitches per inch)
D = Your desired blanket width.
E = How many stitches you need to start your blanket.
Here are the formulas again for you to plug in your numbers.
A / B = C
D / C = E
How long will my blanket be?
Your row gauge, or how many rows you get per inch is helpful for determining length. If 2 rows = 1″ then for every 2 rows you crochet you will add 1″ more to your blanket length.
inches in height / #of rows = inches per row
1″ / 2 rows = .5 inch per row
If you want a 36″ long blanket then you can calculate:
Desired blanket length (36″) / inches per row (.5″) = number of rows needed
36″ / .5″ = 72 rows
Read more about crochet gauge and what it is in this blog post.
The good thing about calculating your blanket stitches this way is that it doesn’t matter what yarn weight you use. It works for any of them.
You can also use simple math to find out how much yarn you need to make a different size blanket. Check out this post to estimate how many skeins of yarn you’ll need.
Looking for the most common blanket sizes? You might enjoy this blanket size chart with all the different sizes you can crochet.
Downloadable Blanket Sizes Chart
Free Crochet Patterns
Learn how to calculate how much yarn you need to make a blanket in this post.
Find your next crochet blanket!
Free Crochet Blanket Patterns
- Alessio Blanket: The Alessio is an easy pattern that works great for baby showers (boy or girls)!
- Ava Blanket: A chunky weight blanket that works up quickly in squares.
- Carlo Blanket: This super simple crochet blanket pattern is the type of pattern you relax and enjoy while you work.
- Emilio Blanket: This free baby blanket pattern looks great in stripes.
How to Crochet Any Blanket Size by Stitch Count
Learn how to use gauge to calculate the number stitches to crochet any blanket size.
Materials
- For this pattern I'm estimating 1000 yd for a baby blanket 36" square in #4 medium worsted weight yarn. The amount of yarn will vary by blanket size and yarn weight.
Tools
- 5 mm hook (US Size H-8) crochet hook, or hook compatible with your yarn.
- Measuring Tape
- Yarn needle
- Scissors
Instructions
Gauge
- First find your gauge by crocheting a gauge swatch. You can choose to work in any stitch. For this tutorial I'll use double crochet.
- With a 5mm hook and #4 yarn my gauge is 4" x 4" = 13 dc x 8 rows of dc. You can use any yarn weight and matching hook size.
- Learn about meeting and adjusting gauge here.
Use The Formulas To Calculate Your Starting Chain
- Plug in your numbers. My example numbers are in parenthesis.
A = Your swatch width in inches. (4")
B = The number of stitches in one row of your swatch. (13 dc)
C = the number of stitches per inch - A / B = C (4 / 13 = .3076" per dc) I try not to round until the end.
D = Your desired blanket width. (36")
E = How many stitches you need to start your blanket. - D / C = E
- (36" / .3076" = 117 dc)
- I start a double crochet chain by working in the 3rd chain so add 2 for our starting chain 117 + 2 = 119 chains for a 36" blanket. If you are using single crochet or half double crochet then add 1 or 2 chains accordingly. Just note if your skipped chains count as a stitch or not so you get the right stitch count.
A Second Example
- So what if we use a #6 superbulky yarn, 10 mm hook and the single crochet stitch to make a small lap blanket of 45" wide.
- First I swatch. Ch 11 and sc in the 2nd ch from my hook and in each ch across, turn. (10 sts)
- Ch 1, sc in each stitch across, turn. Repeat this row for 4" for a small swatch or 6" for a larger one.
- Measure
- 4" x 4" = 9 sc x 9.5 rows in sc
- Now we have all the information we need to calculate our starting chain.
- A / B = C
- 4 / 9 = .4444
- D = 45"
- 45 / .4444 = 101.26 which we can round down to 101 stitches.
- Add our turning chain of 1 + 101 = 102.
- So to crochet a 45" wide blanket with this gauge in single crochet with sueprbulky yarn and 10 mm hook we'll start with a chain of 102.
- Use this as a guide to figuring out how many chains you need to get started on a blanket.
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