Blankets are probably the easiest item to crochet, especially for beginners, but they are often very intimidating projects because of how long it takes to finish them.
Every crocheter has probably been tempted to crochet a blanket at one point in their crocheting career, only to be discouraged by the time commitment. If this has crossed your mind, don’t worry, you’re definitely not alone.
So, how long does it take to crochet a blanket? Assuming you are using medium weight yarn, a 5mm hook, and a plain double crochet stitch, every 5″ by 5″ square should take about 7-10 minutes. Depending on the size of the blanket, that means a whole project can take anywhere from 5-100+ hours to finish.
In this article, let’s take a look at how long it actually takes for you to crochet a finished blanket and what can help you speed up this process.
How Long Does It Take To Crochet A Blanket?
Crocheting a blanket takes not only skill but also a wise choice of blanket size, pattern, yarn, and crochet hook size. Most crocheters say that the average blanket takes about 30 – 50 hours of continuous crocheting to complete.
Of course, none of us can crochet for 15 hours straight, especially those of us with a full-time job and a household to take care of, not to mention the hand cramping and back pain that you can experience if you attempt it. So, these hours are often broken down to 1-2 hours a day.
Because of this, you can imagine that a blanket can take from two weeks to a few months to crochet, depending on how fast you can crochet.
While this answer is probably very discouraging to those who want to achieve a fast result, this number depends a lot on what we’ve mentioned, which are the size of your blanket, the pattern you’re following, the yarn, and the crochet hook size you are using.
Let’s take a look at each of these factors now.
Common Blanket Sizes
Throws, afghans, and blankets are common names for big pieces of fabric coverings for baby cribs, couches, or your bed. All of these names refer to specific sizes, of course, with baby blankets being very small, throws being medium-sized blankets used for couches, and afghans and blankets referring to big blankets for your bed.
The common size for baby blankets is usually 30” by 35” long, but you can make much smaller ones called “loveys,” which are usually just security blankets for babies.
Throws are decorative, textured pieces used to cover your couch and not meant to cover your whole body, so they are usually medium-sized pieces, commonly 52” by 60”.
Blankets that are meant for your bed usually need to cover the entire area of the bed, plus a 20” pillow tuck (an area that you can fold over your pillows). Depending on the size of your bed, you can make the proper blanket size.
Blankets are usually pretty simple to make because they are essentially just big squares or rectangles, so don’t stress out too much if your blanket doesn’t turn out with the exact measurements that you would like.
In the chart below, you can find the most common blanket sizes ranging from small baby blankets to blankets for king-sized beds.
We also provided the estimated time to crochet each size if you are using a medium-weight yarn with a 5mm crochet hook and using plain double crochet stitches. This is based on the time that it takes to crochet a 5” by 5” square with these premises, which usually takes about 7-10 minutes.
Time To Crochet A Blanket By Size – Chart
| Type Of Blanket | Size | Estimated Time |
| Lovey | 10” by 10” | 5 hours |
| Security | 14” by 17” | 12 – 14 hours |
| Baby | 30” by 35” | 30 hours |
| Stroller | 40” by 40” | 40 hours |
| Toddler | 47” by 52” | 45 hours |
| Swaddle | 47” by 47” | 40-45 hours |
| Crib | 45” by 60” | 45 – 50 hours |
| Throw | 52” by 60” | 60 hours |
| Twin | 66” by 90” | 90 hours |
| Double | 90” by 108” | 100 hours+ |
| Queen | 96” by 108” | 100 hours+ |
| King | 108” by 108” | 100 hours+ |
Don’t forget that after making the blanket, you will also need to crochet the decorative edge stitches and weave in the loose ends (if any), so it will likely take longer than the time indicated here.
As you can see, the bigger your blanket, the longer it will take to make a completed piece, with a king-sized blanket likely taking a few months to make, depending on the yarn and pattern that you’re using.
If you are making an ambitious project, there are still ways that you can fast-track this process. Let’s take a look at how your pattern and yarn can affect how fast you can crochet.
Crochet Blanket Stitches
You may think that the pattern only decides how your final blanket will look, but did you know that it can also decide how fast you can crochet?
It makes sense if you think about it: if you have a simple pattern with simple repeats, you don’t have to constantly refer to the pattern to crochet, and the process will flow much smoother and faster.
Crocheting also has the disadvantage that you have to identify where your stitches go each time you crochet a new stitch since there are no live stitches (whereas in knitting, the live stitches are always on the needles, so you don’t have to worry about where your stitches will go).
So, you will constantly have to look at your work and identify the stitches as you go. Well, you can save a lot of this time by using lacy stitches or cluster stitches where a number of stitches go into the same hole, like the moss stitch, granny stripe, or shell stitch.
That way, you don’t have to constantly take time to see where your stitches are going because most of the time, you are crocheting into a chain space or hole underneath.
Let’s take a look at some beginner-friendly stitches for blankets that are super quick to crochet. We even have a whole article dedicated to the fastest crochet stitches for you to check out as well.
1. Waffle Stitch
The waffle stitch is a super popular design for baby blankets because the end result has a lovely raised texture that resembles your breakfast waffles.
Believe it or not, the waffle stitch is actually super simple and quick to crochet, especially if you are a beginner. Although the texture looks super intimidating at first, if you look closer, you can see that it’s actually just double crochet stitches worked into the front post and 2 normal double crochets.
The foundation chain is a multiple of 3 plus 4 chains. On the first row, you can work all double crochet stitches.
On the second row, the raised waffle texture is created by repeating ‘front post double crochet, 2 double crochet’ until the end of the row.
On the third row, since you are working on the wrong side of the blanket, the pattern repeat is ‘double crochet, 2 front post double crochet’ until the end of the row.
Then, you can repeat rows 2-3 until you have achieved the desired length. Super simple!
2. Granny Stripes
The granny stripe is a cluster stitch that has very simple repeats, and the end result is a drapey, lacy throw that is also very fast to work up.
The granny stripe repeats are simple: ‘3 double crochet into the same stitch, skip 2 stitches from the row below,’ until the end of the row. Then on the second row, the 3 double crochets are worked into the space in between the two clusters on the row underneath.
This way, you don’t have to take the time to identify your stitches because the space is large enough to easily identify without looking too hard.
When creating granny stripes, you can also play around with the colors, changing colors after each row to achieve a beautiful effect for your blanket.
3. Granny Squares
Granny squares have so many beautiful designs that it would take forever for us to list them all. Granny squares refer to all crochet squares that are created by crocheting in the round.
The simplest granny square design would be to use the granny stripes pattern mentioned above, with increases created at the 4 corners to enlarge the square.
Granny squares are beloved because you can use different stitch designs and colors to craft mesmerizing, colorful blankets for your piece.
Plus, since you are working in individual squares (usually 5” by 5”) and connecting them later, the process can be broken down into stages, which makes time fly really fast when you are crocheting a granny square blanket.
Keep in mind that with this design, you will need to spend some time connecting the squares and weaving in loose ends (especially if you are changing colors a lot) at the last stage of the blanket.
4. Shell Stitch
A shell stitch is another way to use a cluster of double crochet to create a beautiful wavy pattern with a very feminine feel. The repeat for this stitch is: ‘5 double crochet into the same stitch, skip the next 2 stitches, single crochet into the 3rd stitch.’
On the second row, the shells are worked into the single crochet worked previously, so you don’t have to worry too much about where your stitches go.
With the shell stitch, you can also incorporate a different color on each row to make the result more vibrant. If you are using a single color, the texture itself is already interesting enough, and you don’t have to worry about weaving in loose ends later.
A shell stitch is also a beautiful edge stitch option, so if you are working on a blanket using other stitches, you can still use this stitch to create a shell edge for your piece.
5. Corner To Corner (C2C) Crochet
Corner to corner crochet is another beautiful crochet technique for blankets because it creates the same design on both sides, so there’s no right or wrong side for the blanket.
C2C is also known as a “connect as you go” technique, which means you can connect different colors to create patterns and even pictures with your yarn without any sewing or connecting later, which makes this technique superior to granny squares.
C2C is also quite straightforward since you are also using a series of 3 double crochet, but working diagonally in ladders to enlarge your blanket. The double crochets are worked into a large chain space, so you don’t even have to look while crocheting.
Once you get the hang of it, this technique can really speed up your crochet project!
Yarn Weight & Crochet Hook Size
Finally, let’s talk about your yarn weight and crochet hook size. The weight of your yarn usually correlates with the size of your crochet hook, which will affect the size of your stitches.
The chunkier your yarn, the bigger crochet hook you will need to use, and the bigger your stitches will be. If you have very big stitches, then it shouldn’t take too long to finish a medium-sized blanket.
So, if you want to crochet faster, the simplest way to go would be to use chunky yarn and a jumbo-sized crochet hook.
Keep in mind that if you have very chunky stitches with chunky yarn, you will need to keep a light tension for your stitches. Otherwise, your blanket may end up being very stiff.
Jumbo crochet hooks are also quite awkward to hold, which can affect the speed of your crocheting. Usually, 6-8mm crochet hooks would be the perfect size for blankets, since they are big enough to speed up your project without being too troublesome to hold.
Tips To Crochet Faster
Regardless of the yarn or pattern that you use, crocheting a blanket is a huge time commitment that will probably discourage you at times.
The last stages of the blanket will probably be the most difficult since you will be holding a big piece of work that can get very heavy, which can literally and mentally weigh you down.
Our first tip to help you crochet a blanket faster is to break it down into smaller stages so that you won’t be discouraged by how much work you have left! This is why granny squares and patchwork blankets are so popular because you can work on a small piece at a time and connect them at the last stage.
If you don’t love the patchwork look and decide to work on the entire big piece at once, you can still break your project down into smaller stages by working on smaller projects at the same time you are working on your blanket.
It may sound counter-intuitive, but it makes sense. Our brains crave instant gratification, so working on a big project that takes months to finish is super discouraging, which is why a lot of crocheters give up mid-way through a big project.
You can still reward your brain with smaller projects, like a headband or potholder, when you need to take a break from the big project. When your small project is finished, you can get all the dopamine that you need to keep going.
Our final tip to crochet faster is to take your project with you to crochet during your idle time. If you can’t work faster, you dedicate more time to the project!
A lot of the stitches we recommend above have really simple repeats that you can follow without paying too close attention to the work, so you can totally take your project with you on public transportation while you’re in the passenger seat. That way, you can crochet during your idle time and shorten the days or months that that it will take to finish a blanket!
Up Next: Types Of Crocheting
