Yarn Yardage Calculator
The most accurate way to estimate yarn is to measure your own stitches: crochet a small swatch in the pattern’s stitch, note how much yarn it used, and scale it to the size of your project.
How to measure your swatch
- Crochet a square at least 5 × 5 in (13 × 13 cm) in the stitch pattern of your project, with the yarn and hook you will use.
- By length: before you start, measure out a known length of yarn (for example 20 yards), crochet the swatch, then measure what is left. The difference is the yarn used.
- By weight: weigh the finished swatch on a kitchen scale that reads single grams. Enter the grams and the skein’s grams and yardage from the label.
- Measure the swatch’s width and height, then enter the finished size of your project.
Why the margin?
Tension changes over a long project, borders and joining use extra yarn, and dye lots can differ between shops. Buying 10–15% more yarn from the same dye lot is cheaper than running out with three rows to go.
What the estimate does not include
- Borders and edgings that use a different stitch — swatch them separately.
- Fringe and tassels: measure one, multiply by the number you need.
- Seaming yarn for joined squares (add about 5%).
Questions
How much yarn do I need for a blanket?
It depends on the stitch and yarn: dense stitches like single crochet use much more yarn than open stitches. Swatching and using this calculator gives a far better estimate than a general table.
Is it better to measure the swatch by weight or length?
Weight is easier and accurate if your scale reads single grams and your swatch is at least 5 inches square. Length is more accurate for tiny swatches.
Should I buy all my yarn at once?
Yes, from one dye lot. Colors can differ slightly between dye lots, and the change shows in a blanket.