Rewards
Written by Kate Curry
Congratulations!
Either yourself or someone in your life has a baby - that’s great. But babies aren’t great at keeping toasty warm by themselves! You might be looking into making them a special blanket - but where to even start? How many skeins of yarn do you even need for a baby blanket?
Before you lunge off the crafting edge - there’s a few questions you need to ask yourself
Are you following a pattern?
If not, what stitches are you using? How large do you want to make the blanket?
What type of yarn are you using? What is the weight and yardage on the yarn?
Follow The Pattern
If this is your first time making a baby blanket - make it easy on yourself and follow a pattern. The pattern will tell you the sizing, amount of yarn, stitches, and everything else you’ll need to make a gorgeous baby blanket. There’s no shame in the pattern game!
If you’re looking for some great baby blanket patterns, I’ve got your back!
Baby Basics
If you’re a renegade crafter and you don’t like being held hostage by a pattern, that’s fine! Do your wild thing, baby!
When it comes to making your blanket, just like a baby, it typically works out better if you have a battleplan.
Firstly - sizing. How big do you want this blanket to be? Typically, the smallest baby blankets are 14” x 16”, but you can make them a little larger if you want them to be able to use the blanket when they’re a toddler as well. The larger the blanket, the more skeins of yarn you will need!
Secondly, what stitches do you want to use for the blanket? Depending on the stitch, you may need more skeins of yarn. Making a complex stitch like the puff stitch will use more yarn than something simple like a single crochet stitch. The size and stitch will determine how many skeins of yarn you’ll need for your baby blanket.
Pick The Right Yarn
The type of yarn you choose will also determine the amount of yarn you’ll need to buy. The majority of baby blankets are made using acrylic, bamboo, wool, or cotton yarns, but always play it safe - as the parents what type of fiber they want. If you want it to be a surprise, cotton or bamboo are always safe bets!
When it comes to yarn weight - the thicker the yarn, the quicker the yarn will work up. Thick yarns will make bulkier and chunkier blankets. If you go for a thinner weight yarn, you will have a lightweight and flowy blanket - but it will take longer to work up and take longer to make.
When you’re perusing your yarn, keep an eye on the gauge and yardage of the yarn. If you know that you’ll need 500 yards and you want to use our worsted weight silk yarn, which is 75 yards per skein, you’ll need to get 7 skeins. I always suggest buying a little more than you need - just in case! Who knows if you’ll mess up or tangle some yarn and need to snip snip!
If you’re not sure what yarn to choose - here’s a list of our suggested baby blanket yarns!
Good luck with your baby blanket and happy crafting!
Don't Give Up!
If you're struggling, you don't have to give up! Scratch the blanket and make them something else! We've got some options:
Kate has been on the Darn Good Yarn team since 2018.
They have their degree in Creative Art Therapy & Psychology - and like crafting and animals a little too much.
