How To Crochet A Blanket - 4 Easy Ways

Now you have mastered the basic stitches of crochet, now is the time to create a charming blanket! Learning how to crochet a blanket is easier than garments, as you simply need to work in squares or rectangles, with no shaping required! The easiest blankets are often made using only one stitch, so absolute beginners can give them a go!

How to Crochet a Blanket

All you need to crochet a blanket is to know at least one stitch! If you can do single or double crochet then you can make a blanket. Just crochet a large square or rectangle. You don't even need a pattern.

Materials

• Yarn
• Crochet hook of a suitable size for your yarn
• Yarn needle
• Scissors

Yarns for Crochet Blankets

It may be a good idea to start with a nice thick yarn and a large crochet hook, as this means fewer stitches, and it works up quickly. If you want to make a color-coordinated blanket, be sure to buy enough yarn of the same color and dye lot, or you may run out and not be able to get exactly the same shade.

How Much Yarn do I Need for a Crochet Blanket?

Here is a very rough guide to how much yarn you will need for an average size Afghan depending on the thickness of your yarn.

	Super Fine(1)	Fine (2)	Light (3)	Medium (4)	Bulky (5)	Super Bulky(6)	Jumbo (7)
Yards	3750-   4125	3500-3750	3000-3500	2250-3125	2000-2250	1625-2000	1375-1625
Meters	3430-3772	3200-3430	2473-3200	2058- 2858	1830-2058	1486-1830	1258-1486

The yardage or meterage can be found on the ball band of your skein of yarn. Rather buy a little extra, and be sure you have enough! Of course, if you are making a scrap blanket out of leftover bits of yarn, this will not apply.

What Type of Yarn to Use for a Crochet Blanket

The type of yarn you choose for your blanket may depend on your budget. Wool and wool blends are more expensive than acrylic yarns. Considering you will need a large number of balls this is important to factor in. Wool, of course, will be warmer than acrylic so if you live in a cold climate this is a better option.

What Hook Should I use to Crochet a Blanket?

Once you have chosen your yarn, match a crochet hook size to its thickness. Your yarn will have a label with a recommended hook size and here is a chart of basic sizes. You may choose a larger or smaller needle depending on how tightly or loosely you crochet.

How to Crochet a Blanket - Abbreviations

We will be working with US terms for these samples.

• st -stitch
• ch - chain stitch
• dc – double crochet
• sl st – slip stitch
• sc- single crochet
• sp-space

How to Crochet a Blanket Instructions

For making a side-to-side style blanket are as follows:

1. FOUNDATION: Make a slip knot and crochet a row of chain stitches. This row should be as long as the width you require for your blanket.
2. FIRST ROW: Crochet your first row into the foundation chain row. You can choose any stitch with which you are comfortable. A single crochet blanket will be very thick, firm and warm. A double crochet blanket will be looser and more airy.
3. REPEAT: Keep crocheting until your blanket is as big as you would like.
4. CHANGING COLORS: You can choose to work in a single color or stripes.
5. FINISHING: End off your yarn to finish. Weave in any ends you may have left if working in multiple colors.
6. BORDERS: Work a crochet border around the edges of your blanket.

Best Stitch to Crochet a Blanket

You can choose to follow one of the many patterns available on the internet, or you can simply create a rectangle in any stitch or combination of stitches that you desire! Single crochet or double crochet is the easiest stitch if you are a beginner. Use treble crochet if you want a more open weave style of blanket.

More stitches you can use for easy blankets:

• Basic Crochet Stitches - This article will give you a rundown on all the basic stitches. Every one is suitable for making a blanket. It just depends on your skill level and the time you have to crochet this blanket.
• Half Double Crochet(hdc) - This stitch falls in between double crochet and treble crochet and is an easy, fast stitch.

How to Crochet a Blanket Border

A crochet border hides any mistakes or imperfections at the sides of your blanket. It adds a lovely, clean finished look to your blanket. It can also add a contrasting color to the blanket. The linked article will show you 5 easy borders you can add to your blankets. The easiest border you can do is simply a couple of rows of single crochet.

Hints and Tips For Crocheting Blankets

• COUNTING: Keep counting your stitches. It is remarkably easy to skip or add stitches by mistake! This will result in the blanket being a wobbly, uneven shape instead of a neat square or rectangle. Because blankets usually have so many stitches, it is a good idea to use a stitch marker every 20 stitches or so, so that you can keep track of your stitch count easily.
• HOOK SIZE: Use a larger hook for your starting chain. It is very easy to make that foundation ch too tight, in which case the bottom of your blanket will have a curved, bow shape. To avoid this, use a hook 1 or 2 sizes bigger for the starting ch, then change to your normal hook once you start crocheting the rows.

Standard Sizes For Crochet Blankets

  Here is a guideline for the standard sizes for blankets.

Baby Blankets	Inches	Cm
Lovey/Security	12x12	30x30
Stroller	30x36	76x91
Receiving	40x40	102x102
Toddler	36x48	91x122
Crib	40x60	102x150

Adult Blankets	Inches	Cm
Lapghan/Wheelchair	40x48	102x122
Small Throw	52x60	132x150
Large Throw	60x72	150x180
Twin/Single bed	66x90	165x225
Double	80x90	200x225
Queen	90x100	225x250
King	100x108	250x270

How to Crochet a Blanket FAQS

Is Crocheting a Blanket Easy?

This is a commonly asked question by beginner crocheters. The answer is yes! Crocheting a blanket is extremely easy. In fact, it is one of the easiest crochet projects you can do. A blanket is just a square or rectangle, so once you know how to do one stitch, you can crochet a blanket.

How Many Chains Do I Need for Crochet Blankets?

It is difficult to give a precise table of exactly how many stitches you will need for each type of blanket. The finished size depends upon a number of things, such as yarn weight, hook size, type of fiber, stitch pattern you have chosen, and of course your personal gauge. Some people crochet more loosely than others!

You can crochet a gauge swatch to see how many stitches per inch (or cm) your chosen yarn and pattern will work out to be, then multiply that by the number of inches (or cm) you require.

So, for example, if you want to make a lap blanket that measures 40” wide. Make a tension swatch of about 5-6“ (12.5 – 15.25 cm) in your chosen stitch. If that works out to say, 4 stitches per inch, to make your lap blanket you will need to start with 4x40”=160 sts.

You need to multiply your tension measurement per inch (or cm ) by the size you require.

With a blanket, however, it is not essential to stick to an exact size. You can just measure your starting chain to the width you require, and then keep crocheting in your chosen stitch to the length you require. Super easy!

How to Crochet a Blanket in 3 Hours

You may have read about these blankets, which are super quick to make. The secret to these is to use a super bulky yarn or jumbo chenille type yarn (category 6 or 7) and a P (10 mm)(English size3/0) hook.

Also, don’t expect to make a king-size blanket in this amount of time! To make an Afghan or baby blanket, measuring about 36x37“ (91x93.5 cm) you could start with a foundation chain of 57 stitches. Then proceed with a simple granny stripe pattern until your work measures 37”(93.5 cm.) You should be able to do this in one afternoon or evening!

How Long Does it Take to Crochet a Blanket?

There is no easy answer to this as it depends on your yarn thickness and skill level. If you are looking to complete a crochet blanket in the fastest time, choose the thickest or a bulky weight yarn you can and an appropriate-sized stitch. The other factor that will affect your speed is the stitch type you choose. More open stitches will crochet faster. Double or treble crochet stitches are simple and faster than single crochet. Keep in mind that treble will have larger holes.

How to Crochet a Blanket - Easy Crochet Blanket Patterns

How Crochet a Blanket with Granny Squares

Everything I have explained so far refers to working a side-to-side type blanket. A lot of crocheters prefer to work with small motifs and then stitch these all together. A good example of this would be a granny square blanket.

The trick to getting a cohesive look for your blanket is to have the last row in each of the squares the same color. You can see that in the photo below all the squares were finished in cream.

Here is how to crochet granny square motifs: For the full tutorial with photos go to how to crochet a granny square.

Foundation:

• Chain stitch foundation ring. This method is my personal favorite.
• Start with a slip knot
• Chain 4 stitches
• Use a slip stitch to join them into a circle

This is the quickest and easiest method to start your granny square, but it does leave a small visible hole in the center of your square. Alternatively, you can use a magic ring.

Round 1:

• Chain 3. (This acts as one dc.)
• Into the foundation ring, work 2 dc, then 3 ch.
• Now work 3 dc, 3 ch into the ring 3 more times.
• Join with a sl st into the 3^rd chain of your starting chain. (There are 4 clusters of dc, with 3 ch between each cluster.)

Round 2:

• Ch 4. This counts as 1 dc +1 ch.
• Into this same corner space (made up of 3ch), work another 2 dc.
• 1 ch
• 3 dc into next corner space.
• 3 ch
• Another 3 dc into same space. (This forms the next corner.)
• Repeat last 3 steps 2 more times.
• In the last corner space, work 3 dc and 3 ch.
• Join with a sl st into the 3^rd chain of your starting stitches. This forms the last corner. (Round 2 is now complete.)

Round 3:

• Ch 3 (counts as 1 dc.)
• Into same space, work 2 dc 1 ch. This makes the first cluster of round 3.
• Into the next ch1  space, work 3 dc.
• 1 ch.
• Into next 3ch space, work 3 dc, 3 ch 3 dc. This forms a corner again.
• 1 ch
• Repeat these steps all the way around to your starting ch. End with 3 ch and join with a sl st into 3^rd ch of the starting ch.

Round 4:

• Ch 3. This acts as 1 dc.
• Into same ch space, work 2 dc.
• 1 ch
• Into next ch space work 3 dc.
• 1 ch
• Into next ch space work 3 dc.
• 1 ch
• Make a corner cluster of 3 dc, 3 ch, 3 dc.
• Repeat these steps all the way around.
• In the last 1 ch space, work 2 dc.
• Join with a sl st into the 3^rd chain.

Rounds 5 to End:

Repeat rows - Continue working around your square until you have reached the desired size for your granny square.

As you work, you will see how the pattern forms and repeats. You have 1 granny cluster worked into each 1 chain space. The corners have 2 granny clusters in each corner, with 3 chains in between them. Those 3 chains used for the corner form a sharper, more defined corner than if you only worked 1 chain in between the clusters. Be certain that all your corners are lined up perfectly. If you work a corner too early or too late, your square will not be square!

Finishing a Granny Square

When your granny square is large enough, complete that round, finish with your slip stitch, then cut your yarn leaving a tail of about 3“(8 cm). Pull the yarn through your last stitch to tie it off and prevent your square from unraveling.

How to Join Granny Squares into a Blanket

Once you have made enough motifs to create your blanket, and have woven in and trimmed all your loose ends, you will need to put them all together. You can choose to do this with a simple whip stitch (top photo), or you can simple crochet slip stitches (bottom photo) into each stitch while holding 2 squares together. This is a neat way to join squares.

Solid Granny Square Blankets

You can also make more solid granny squares in a single color to join together. These could have textural elements such as bobble stitch to give them more interest. They can be joined together in the same way.

Blankets Made from Other Shapes

Your motifs do not have to be squares! If you want to create something different and unusual, make hexagons, triangles, or even interlocking lantern shapes.

Crochet Sampler Blankets

There are also ‘sampler blankets’. These are made from a series of different motifs. You will crochet squares of a similar size, but a different pattern for each one. These are usually made in just one or two colors, as the interest is in the texture and design of each square, rather than in multiple colors. These are actually a lot of fun to make, as your interest is kept piqued by all the different squares and stitches, and you can’t possibly get bored with doing the same square over and over!

How to Crochet a Large Granny Square

If you are not keen on all that joining together, you could make one huge granny stripe square for your entire blanket. Simply keep going in rounds as per the granny square instructions until your single square is large enough to be a blanket. Using lots of rows of different colors makes your blanket interesting.

How to Crochet a Blanket from Granny Rectangles

Or make a granny crochet rectangle if you want a more rectangular-shaped blanket. This is made in the same way as a granny square, only working around a strip of foundation chains instead of around a ring.

• So start with a ch of 20 sts.
• Then work your granny clusters around both sides of this ch, remembering to add extra clusters in the corners.
• Continue working in rounds like this until your blanket is large enough.

How to Crochet a Blanket - In Conclusion

You can now be inspired to make a lovely crochet blanket whatever your expertise level of crochet may be! Choose a side-to-side pattern or a motif that you like, and which is suitable for your skill level. Stock up on yarn supplies and a suitable hook, and get busy. A crochet blanket is a comforting treat to make for yourself, or to make as a delightful gift for someone special!