Blankets eat more yarn than any other everyday project, and they're the project where running out hurts most — a replacement skein from a different dye lot can leave a visible stripe. This chart gives you knitting yardage by blanket size and yarn weight; the numbers match the estimator inside the SkeinSense app.
Knitting yardage by blanket size
| Blanket | Size | W3 · DK | W4 · Worsted | W5 · Bulky | W6 · Super Bulky |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baby blanket | 30" × 36" | 900 yds | 1,000 yds | 1,100 yds | 1,200 yds |
| Lapghan | 36" × 48" | 1,400 yds | 1,600 yds | 1,800 yds | 2,000 yds |
| Throw | 50" × 60" | 2,400 yds | 2,700 yds | 3,000 yds | 3,300 yds |
| Queen | 90" × 90" | 6,500 yds | 7,200 yds | 8,000 yds | 9,000 yds |
Turning yards into skeins
Divide the total yardage by the yards printed on your skein's label, round up, then add a buffer. Example: a worsted throw needs 2,700 yds. With 220-yd skeins, 2,700 ÷ 220 = 12.3 → 13 skeins. Add a 15% dye-lot buffer for a large single-color project and buy 15.
The dye-lot rule
Every skein label carries a dye-lot number. Skeins from different lots can differ subtly in shade — invisible in the store, obvious across a blanket. Buy every skein in one trip, from one lot, and check the lot numbers at the register.
Get an exact, explained skein count — free in SkeinSense →