Yarn yardage calculator
Pick a project and a yarn weight to get a likely yardage, a realistic range and an amount to buy. It is all worked out in your browser; nothing you type is sent anywhere.
Enter a size above to see the estimate.
How the estimate works
Yarn use depends on your stitch, your tension and your yarn, so any calculator can only be a guide. Published yardage figures for the same blanket vary a lot from one source to the next, which is why this tool shows a range and not a single number.
The model is simple. It works out the area of fabric in square inches, then multiplies by the yarn used per square inch. Our starting point is 0.75 yd per square inch for single crochet in worsted weight (#4 Medium). Taller stitches leave more space and use less yarn per square inch: half double crochet is 0.85 of that, double crochet 0.74, treble 0.63 and open or lacy stitches 0.58. Other yarn weights are scaled by the Craft Yarn Council single crochet gauge for the weight, so finer yarn uses more yards per square inch and bulkier yarn fewer.
These factors are our own working numbers, not an industry standard. We show a range of 0.8 to 1.3 times the likely amount for flat pieces and hats and 0.7 to 1.4 times for amigurumi, which is worked tighter and uses more yarn per square inch than flat fabric. A hat is treated as a tube plus a flat top, sized 2 in (5 cm) smaller than the head. Amigurumi uses the height of the finished toy and your choice of how detailed the shape is.
The "extra to buy" percentage is added to the likely amount. If you cannot easily buy more of the same dye lot later, buy toward the top of the range.
Getting a more accurate answer with a weighed swatch
If the answer matters (an expensive yarn or a large project), crochet a swatch in the exact yarn and stitch, measure it, and weigh it. Dividing the swatch weight by the ball weight and multiplying by the yards per ball gives the yarn in the swatch; dividing by its area gives yards per square inch for your own tension. The calculator above then scales that to your project. Textured stitches such as bobbles, puffs and cables use noticeably more yarn than plain stitches, and this method is the way to measure that.
Examples for common sizes
These figures come from the same calculation as the tool, using double crochet. The line under each number is the plausible range.
| Flat piece | #3 Light | #4 Medium | #5 Bulky |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lovey (security blanket) (14 x 14 in) | 125 yd 100 to 165 | 110 yd 85 to 145 | 85 yd 65 to 110 |
| Baby blanket (30 x 35 in) | 675 yd 525 to 900 | 575 yd 465 to 775 | 445 yd 350 to 600 |
| Throw (50 x 60 in) | 1,925 yd 1,525 to 2,550 | 1,675 yd 1,325 to 2,200 | 1,275 yd 1,000 to 1,650 |
| Twin bed (66 x 90 in) | 3,800 yd 3,050 to 5,000 | 3,300 yd 2,600 to 4,300 | 2,500 yd 2,000 to 3,300 |
| Queen bed (90 x 95 in) | 5,500 yd 4,400 to 7,200 | 4,750 yd 3,750 to 6,200 | 3,600 yd 2,850 to 4,700 |
| Hat size | Likely | Range |
|---|---|---|
| Baby hat (head 14 to 16 in) | 45 yd | 35 to 65 yd |
| Child hat (head 18 to 20 in) | 80 yd | 60 to 105 yd |
| Woman hat (head 21 to 23 in) | 105 yd | 80 to 140 yd |
Questions
Should I buy extra yarn?
Yes. The default of 15 percent covers swatching and ends, and it is cheap compared with finding that a later ball is from a different dye lot.
Does it work for a pattern that lists its own yardage?
Use the yardage in the pattern when it gives one. This tool is for planning a project that does not, or for working out a substitution. If your gauge differs from the pattern's, use the gauge calculator as well.
Why are the hook and yarn weight linked?
Each yarn weight has a recommended hook range; the hook size converter shows it.
Our pattern pages list an example yarn and the amount each pattern needs. For example, the cozy ripple baby blanket ($0.99) and the simple beanie in all sizes ($0.99) are good places to see how pattern yardage compares with an estimate.
Sources
These are the references the tables and ranges on this page were compared against. They are guidelines, and makers differ slightly, so your pattern's own hook and gauge always win.
