How many Granny Squares do you need for a blanket?

Are you thinking about changing an existing crochet pattern for a granny square blanket, or maybe designing your own? Then it's good to spend a few minutes in advance thinking about how many squares you need.

Why is it important to think about how many squares you need beforehand?

I know planning isn't always the fun part of making a pattern, but there are a few reasons why you want to figure out roughly how many granny squares you need for a project:

• Size. This one is straightforward. More squares of the same pattern equal a larger-sized blanket. It's not the only thing that influences size, though. I'll discuss this further in the article.
• Yardage. If you are working with leftovers or a kit of skeins, it's essential to consider how much yardage you have to spend on extra squares.
• Planning layout. For some patterns or shapes, repeats aren't always straightforward. Sometimes you will need repeats of multiple squares or a group of squares. For example, for hexagon granny square blankets or blankets with differently sized motifs.
• Time spent on project. A baby blanket is quicker to crochet than a big blanket, especially if the pattern is a repeat.

As a designer, most of these considerations naturally come up during the process. But even if you work from existing patterns, it's still worth considering, as finding extra yarn (or time) halfway through your project isn't always possible.

Factors That Affect the Number of Squares

Several factors affect the number of squares. The easiest to consider is the size of each granny square. Some patterns create squares of 5 cm (2 in), some of 10 cm (4 in), and some large squares can easily be 20 cm (8 in) or larger. Keep in mind that the yarn you use also affects the size of the squares, especially if you use a yarn that differs from the recommended one.

Another factor is the desired blanket size. I've listed several sizes and their approximate square counts below as a guideline for sizing. These sizes vary across the web, so I took an estimated approximation of what I could find and what I stick to when designing.

Finally, you also need to consider the joining method and whether you want to add a border. For many granny square patterns, the join-as-you-go method is preferred. This method allows you to join squares to one another in the final round of the square, without adding extra width or height to your blanket. However, if you crochet extra rows or rounds for the joining, this will add to the size.

Borders are often worked in rounds and are easy to tweak depending on your needs, by crocheting more or fewer rounds.

Rainbow Colour Crafter Blanket

Rainbow Granny Square Blanket

Rainbow Colour Crafter Pillow

Granny Square Pillow

Stone Washed XL Shawl

XL Granny Winter Shawl

Average Granny Square Counts by Blanket Size

Let's assume the following:

• Your square measures 10 cm (4 in) square. This is fairly typical for a 4-round granny square made with DK yarn.
• You do a join-as-you-go in the last round of your square, so no additional size is needed for the joining.
• You do not add a border (usually you do add a border, but since borders can range anywhere between ~1 cm (½ in) to ~15 cm (6 in), depending on the pattern, you can't really calculate that in)

The number of squares by blanket size

How to calculate the number of squares yourself

It's easy to calculate it yourself. The first thing you need to know is the height and width of your square (or set of squares that you will repeat), and the size that you want to end up with. If the count isn't a round number, round up if you want the blanket to be slightly larger, and down if you want it to be slightly smaller.

1. Step 1: Divide the blanket width by the square width. This is the number of squares you need across.
2. Step 2: Divide the blanket height by the square height. This is the number of squares you need down.
3. Step 3: Multiply the number of squares across by the number of squares down. This is your total square count.

This should provide an accurate estimate of the number of granny squares (or sets of squares) you need.

Keep in mind that blankets usually end up slightly larger due to the stretch of the motif, blocking, and adding a border. You can keep an eye on your squares and check after making around 4 or 6, whether your calculations are still accurate.

Example

A real-life example would be as follows: My squares measure 12 cm (4½ in) in width and height, and I want to make a blanket measuring 130 x 150 cm (50 x 60 in), excluding a border. I would rather have the blanket slightly larger than smaller.

• Step 1: Divide 130 by 12 = 10.8. I round up to 11 squares.
• Step 2: Divide 150 by 12 = 12.5. I round up to 13 squares.
• Step 3: 11 x 13 = 143 squares, measuring approximately 132 x 156 cm (51½ x 61½ in), excluding the border.

I would add a small border of ~2 cm (¾ in) all around, to not exceed the size I aim for too much. I would end up with a blanket measuring 136 x 160 cm (53½ x 63 in).

Now, If I would want my blanket to be smaller, I would round down to 10 and 12 squares, which makes for a total of 120 squares and a size of 120 x 140 cm (47¼ x 55 in). If I add a border of, say, 7cm (2¾ in) all around, I would get pretty close to the 130 x 150 cm (50 x 60 in) measurements. This all depends on how close to my desired size I want to get, and how much yarn is available to me!

Tips for Planning Your Blanket Project

Do you want to make your blanket project a success? Follow these tips to plan the most efficiently:

• Make a test square. Test squares help you to estimate the size of a square much more accurately than a small gauge swatch does. It also helps you judge how you like the drape of the square (is it supple enough, or too stiff)? Testing your motifs prevents you from disappointment halfway through. If you block your test square, you also get a sense of how big the blocked blanket will end up.
• Weigh your colours. Especially if you work with a limited yardage, it's good practice to weigh your colours before and after the test square. Based on the weight you used for the test square, you can estimate whether you have enough for the whole blanket, or if you want to swap some colours out (or add some new ones). Again, good preparation is half the work!
• Think about a border. A border can make a small-sized project just-fine-sized, or a comfortable blanket extra comfortable. They're easy to adjust, as you can often crochet more or fewer rounds. My personal tip would be not to skimp on the border, especially for adult-sized blankets. They provide structure to the construction and a frame for your hard work.

Are you looking for Granny Square inspiration? Check out these roundups I made:

• 18 free patterns for Granny Squares (for beginners and advanced crocheters)
• History of the Granny Square and 9 free crochet patterns for them
• 15 small Granny Square projects
• 12 Home and living Granny Square patterns

FAQs About Granny Squares

Can you mix different sizes of granny squares?

Absolutely! You might need to do a bit more math, but if you follow the traditional square pattern, it's easy to match big and little squares with a join-as-you-go method. Simply ensure that the small squares you want to line up against a larger square have the same total number of clusters as the big one.

What’s the quickest way to join Granny Squares?

The quickest way to join granny squares is a join-as-you-go method. This means that you join the squares with a slip stitch to one another in the final round of your square. I used this method in my Rainbow Granny Square blanket (although I didn't write it down as 'join-as-you-go' at the time, but rather as a separate round). The essence is the same, though.

Also interesting

Rainbow Colour Crafter Blanket

Rainbow Granny Square Blanket

How much yarn will you need?

Great question! This depends on the yarn you choose for your granny square blanket, as well as your personal tension and the desired size of your blanket. My advice would be first to follow the steps from this article to determine how many squares you want to make, then select the type of yarn, and finally, to crochet a test square and weigh the amount of yarn used. This should provide a reasonably accurate estimate of the amount of yarn needed for a granny square.