Before we get into the details, there are a few things to consider when buying yarn for a crochet project.
How many threads will you use? The heavier the weight, the less yardage/ball you need. So if you're using a lightweight yarn like finger sleeves, you might need two or three strands of yarn, and you'll only need one or two worsted yarns or rovings.
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What is the size of the item you are crocheting? For clothing, consider whether it's a child or adult size before buying yarn. When it comes to crochet blankets, also check out the many size options. Even the baby blankets discussed in this article come in at least 8 different types and sizes. How big is a baby blanket (crocheted)?
What type of needle would you use? Use a different amount of yarn per stitch. Single crochet uses far less yarn than bubble stitch. Watch out for "yarn eating needles" and buy more yarn if needed.
What size crochet hook would you use? If you've crocheted, you'll know that using different sized hooks in a pattern will change the size as the stitches are closer or farther apart.
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What is your typical tension and strength when crocheting? Or what is the recommended gauge for the crochet pattern you are using? Thickness and tension will vary depending on the amount of yarn used, as there is more or less space between stitches.
Blankets are a great option for crocheters of all skill levels. They're fun to make and feel great to wrap in your own handmade blanket. When you start a new piece, the first thing you need to do is figure out how many balls of yarn you need to complete it.
Here, we take a look at how much yarn you need for a crochet blanket based on the size of the blanket.
For a crocheted blanket, you'll need about 1 to 18 yarns. Or about 900-4000 meters of yarn. It depends on the size of the blanket, the thickness of the yarn and the color of the blanket. Larger blankets require more balls and therefore more color. Very fine yarns also require more yarn than thicker ones.
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____ How much yarn is needed? 2 threads
Scarf 550-850 meters, 400-625 meters
Adult sweater 3375 yards, 1500-2250 yards
Baby blanket 1500-1625 yards, 1125-1250 yards
Afghanistan 3750-4125 yards, 3000-3500 yards
Work out these numbers and know that you have about 340 feet of yarn on a single strand to make a 30" x 50" blanket. Calculations will vary slightly depending on whether you purchased "Extra Thick" (6) or "Extra Large" (7) yarn.
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The approximately 50" x 65" crochet blanket comes in three basic sizes: Afghan, Knee, and Baby. Traditionally, full-size Afghan crochet patterns measure about 50" x 65". A blanket is approximately 35" x 40". The most popular baby blanket of all time measures approximately 25" x 30".
A typical baby blanket will require 700 to 1500 yards of yarn, depending on size (assuming a worsted blanket), so a typical 220 yards of 3.5 oz strands will require 3-7 strands to make a crocheted baby blanket . Some larger strands require less.
After you've made all your decisions, the best way to see how much yarn your quilt needs is to create a sample quilt design and do some simple calculations.
The pattern is a small sample of the blanket you want to make, using the same yarn, hooks and stitches you want to make. The size of the pattern is usually 4"x4", but for ease of calculation, we will make a 10"x10" pattern.
This is how it works.
You will need a deli scale (in grams) and a school ruler.
Make a 10 x 10 inch pattern sample
Take a sample of the fabric and use a precision balance to determine the weight of the sample (in grams). Write this number down and set it aside. Let's say it's 25 grams
Each skein label states how many yards and how many grams of yarn are in each skein. Using these numbers, you can find out how many meters per gram of yarn. Suppose you look at the label on the yarn ball and see that it weighs 275 grams and contains 590 yards of yarn. This tells us 590/275 = 2.15 yards per gram of yarn
Since our pattern now weighs 25 grams and is 2.15 yards per gram, our pattern uses 25 * 2.15 = 53.75 yards of yarn
With that in mind, let's count how many of these 10" x 10" patterns will make up our entire quilt. Let's say the blanket you want is 40" x 60". 40"x60" = 2400. Our pattern is: 10"x10" = 100.
By dividing the size of the blanket by the size of the pattern, we get the number we need: 2400/100 = 24.
Now we can calculate the meters of yarn needed to make the blanket:
Since 1 pattern requires 53.75 yards of yarn and the entire blanket has 24 patterns, the total length of yarn we need is: 53.75 * 24 = 1290 yards.
Knowing that each bundle is 590 yards long, we will need 1290/590 = 2.19 bundles of this yarn to complete the blanket, or about 3 bundles or more - two bundles will be completely used up and part of the third bundle will be mostly used rest .
Well, I know math isn't for everyone, so I created a simple calculator that just needs yarn label info and pattern info and will do the rest for you.
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