The Complete Guide for Crochet Blanket Sizes for Beginners
Hello maker! You found your way to the one stop guide for all the common crochet blanket sizes. Quality blankets live on for years and become family heirlooms, making them the perfect handmade gift! With all the different sizes of blankets, how would you determine what size you should make your crochet blanket? I have put together all the things you should know in this jam packed post all about crochet blankets. Skip the guess work and get to making. Let’s jump right in!
Why are crochet blankets so popular?
Blankets are “mindless” projects that do not require the maker to think much. For this fact, you can do multiple things like read of binge watch Netflix shows while they make the blanket. It’s often the first project any beginner can start with because of the simple rectangular (sometimes square) shape.
Crochet blankets for gifts become heirloom pieces. They become a cherished part of a families home because they are a labor of love. They bring history and charm to a home, especially when used decoratively in living rooms like throws.
Blankets use one, two, or 100 different stitches! The creative boundaries of crochet blankets are endless. The maker can play around with as little or many stitches they please. Another plus, you could be sure that you are making a 100% unique gift.
Naturally, blankets are just really practical and functional to have around in a home. Like, you can never go wrong if you gift a blanket to someone for this reason, right? Crochet blankets have various uses depending on their sizes.
Customizing and Adjusting Blanket Sizes
Depending on the blanket construction, crochet blankets can easily be resized. The two common types of blanket constructions are:
- Blankets made by rows – to adjust, you would simply add or decrease the number of stitches on the foundation chain and the number of rows.
- Hook Size – you can use a larger or smaller crochet hook and yarn to adjust the size of the blanket easily without making any changes to a pattern. Here is everything you need to know about crochet hooks sizes.
- Motifs/squares – small crochet pieces attached together to make a blanket. To adjust the sizes of these kind of blankets, add or decrease the number of motifs or squares you seam together.
Made a mistake? You might find this post about fixing crochet handy. You might also want to read this post to figure out why you have uneven crochet blanket edges.
Common Crochet Blanket Sizes
Baby blankets and receiving blankets size
The typical crochet baby blanket size is 24″ x 30-36″. These blankets are very common gifts for newborns and babies and become such a beautiful part of a person’s life story. Many mommies keep their babies handmade blankets for years to come and eventually gift the blankets to their adult children later in life.
Crochet blanket wrap size
This is a trendy – and hugely useful – type of scarf/wrap that is large enough to be a mini blanket. These usually measure from 26″ x 66″. Blanket wraps are as wide as a throw blanket’s length to wrap around you and keep you cozy. I made the Natu Blanket Wrap (image below) and use it on all road trips as a convenient little blanket while I am outdoors.
Crochet throw afghan/blanket size
Throws are generally 60″ x 48″ in size. These are especially beautiful in living rooms and often used as accent pieces to complete a rooms look. These are smaller than regular bed blankets that are used on chairs or sofas, usually for one person. A crochet throw is a great conversation started in a home and commonly gifted as an heirloom piece.
Crochet lapghan size
A lapghan is an afghan that is mainly positioned over the lap. These are usually sized around 36″ x 48″ and just enough to accommodate persons in wheelchairs. Lapghans should be small enough to not touch the floor when a person is sitting down as it may get rolled over by the wheelchair.
My Traveling Afghans Square 8 design was inspired by the classic granny square that I used to make my grandmother’s lapghan! Read about the design here (warning: bring some tissues because this post was a sentimental one!)
Crochet Blanket Sizes Based on Mattress
These measurements are slightly bigger than the base to account for drape over the mattress.
- Crib – 36″‘ x 54″
- Twin – 69″ x 90″
- Full/Double – 84″ x 90″
- Queen – 90″ x 95″
- King – 106″ x 95″
- California King – 102″x 99″
Crochet Blanket Edging
Many blankets include some sort of edging to complete it’s look. Common edgings include regular single crochet boarders, picot stitches, and shell stitches. Edging goes around all sides of the blanket. If you are very particular with the size of the blanket, go over the pattern you are following and see if the edging is included in the final measurements.
Do you have wonky, slanted, curvy, or just plain out uneven crochet blanket edges? Do not worry! This article about Uneven Crochet Blanket Edges helps you understand why your crochet blanket sides are uneven, how to fix blanket sides, and how to prevent them from happening again.
Crochet Blanket Care
In order for blankets to truly become an heirloom piece and withstand the test of time, care is a very important factor.
Every type of yarn has different handling instructions. Most blankets use acrylic yarn for cost efficiency. Acrylic yarn is usually washer and dryer safe. Read the labels on your yarn to know how to clean your blanket.
Although many yarns are machine washable, please remember that stitches can get caught on other things like bra hooks or buttons. Try to wash blankets together or with other crochet/knitted garments. If you are air drying blankets, avoid hanging them as they will stretch, instead, lay them flat to dry.
Repairing Crochet Blankets
Like any other things and with regular use your crochet blanket may need some repair. There are a couple ways to try to fix crochet blankets without having to make the whole thing over again. At most, you may just need to redo the edging after making the repairs.
If the blanket is made in rows, consider cutting out the damaged rows and replacing it. Here is a post about fixing crochet mistakes by cutting rows. For this method, you may need to frog the edge, do the repair, and then crochet the edge again. Still, you save tons of hours by not needing to remake the whole blanket!
If you made the blanket using crochet motifs or granny squares, you only have to replace the damaged square or motif. To do this, make a new square/motif, carefully remove the seam connecting the square/motif to its surroundings, then replace it with the new one. Make sure all of your seam ends are secured.
If all else fails, patchwork is always an option. I would suggest making a simple patch by creating a weave to close the damaged section then embroider something pretty on it. I love embroidery!
And that’s all there is to it.
Leave a comment below if you have ever gifted a crochet blanket and in what size.
Until next time maker friends!
xoxo,
Abigail
