How to Crochet a Blanket: Sizes, Yarn Amounts, Stitches and a Simple First Pattern

A crochet blanket is the project most people want to make and the one most people put off, because it looks like a lot of yarn and a lot of hours. It is both. It's also just a rectangle, with no shaping, no sizing and no seams, and the rhythm of it is half the reason people crochet at all.

This guide answers the questions that stall a first blanket: how big, how much yarn, which stitch, how to start, and how to finish the edges so it looks made rather than homemade.

Step 1: Pick a size

For a first blanket, make a lapghan or a throw. A baby blanket is faster but tempts you into fussy stitches; a queen is a year of your life.

Step 2: Work out how much yarn

The table gives a range because stitch choice changes yardage by up to 40 percent: dense stitches (single crochet, bobbles) sit at the top of each range, open stitches (V-stitch, granny) at the bottom. Two rules:

• Buy one extra skein. Running out two rows from the end with a dye lot you can't match is the classic blanket tragedy.
• Buy all the same dye lot if it's a solid color. Hand-dyed and recycled yarns vary skein to skein on purpose, which is a feature in stripes and a surprise in a solid.

Worsted (category 4) is the standard blanket weight: warm, quick, easy to see. Bulky is faster but heavier. Yarn weights explained if you're choosing.

Step 3: Choose a stitch

Pick one stitch and use it for the whole blanket. Variety is for your second blanket.

• Half double crochet. The best first-blanket stitch: dense enough to be warm, faster than single crochet, and it doesn't lean. Tutorial here.
• Double crochet. Faster still, a little more open. Good for a throw you want finished this month. Tutorial.
• Granny stitch. Clusters of three doubles with chains between. Uses less yarn, hides scraps and color changes, and is the most forgiving stitch for an uneven edge. Tutorial.
• V-stitch. Light, drapey, quick. The one for a summer throw or a limited yarn supply.
• Moss (linen) stitch. Single crochet, chain one, skip one. Slower, but the texture is beautiful and it never curls.

If you're choosing by yarn budget, this ranking of stitches by yarn use settles it.

Step 4: Make a gauge swatch (yes, really)

Crochet a 6-inch square in your stitch, then count stitches across 4 inches. Divide your target width by 4 and multiply by that count: that's your starting chain. A 50-inch throw at 12 half doubles per 4 inches needs about 150 stitches, plus the turning chain. Skip this step and your "throw" is a bath mat or a bedspread.

A simple first blanket pattern

Yarn: about 2,400 yards of worsted. Hook: I-9 (5.5 mm), or one size larger than the label suggests for a softer fabric. Size: about 50 x 60 inches.

1. Chain 152 (or your own count from the swatch, plus 2).
2. Row 1: Half double crochet in the third chain from the hook and in each chain across. Chain 2, turn. (150 stitches.)
3. Row 2 onward: Half double crochet in each stitch across. Chain 2, turn.
4. Repeat until the blanket is 58 inches long. Count your stitches every ten rows; losing one at the edge is the most common error and it makes the blanket taper.
5. Change color whenever you like at the start of a row: pull the new yarn through on the last pull of the previous stitch, leave 6-inch tails.

Step 5: Add a border

A border is what makes a blanket look finished. The simplest: one round of single crochet around all four edges, working 3 stitches into each corner, then one round of half double crochet in a contrasting color. It squares the corners, hides uneven edges and uses about 5 percent of your total yarn. Our fringe tutorial is the alternative if you want something softer.

Step 6: Finish

Weave every tail in at least 3 inches in two directions. Then wash and block: a wet blanket laid flat (or steamed, for acrylic) relaxes the stitches and squares the edges. How to wash a crochet blanket covers the fiber-by-fiber details.

Keeping a big project going

The blanket that gets finished is the one that lives next to the chair. Keep it in a basket you don't have to open, set a small daily target (two rows, ten minutes), and don't start a second blanket. If you want to keep learning stitches while the blanket grows, Yarn of the Month sends three skeins and a small pattern monthly, which is a good palate cleanser between rows of half double crochet.

Crochet blanket FAQ

How long does it take to crochet a blanket?
A 50 x 60 throw in half double crochet takes most people 30 to 50 hours. Bulky yarn and double crochet can halve that; a granny-square blanket with joining takes longer.

What is the easiest crochet stitch for a blanket?
Half double crochet or granny stitch. Both are quick, hard to get wrong, and don't curl.

How many chains do I start with for a blanket?
Measure your gauge over 4 inches, divide your target width by 4, and multiply by the stitch count. For worsted on a 5.5 mm hook, a 50-inch throw is usually 140 to 160 chains.