Choosing a blanket size
Think about where the blanket will be used. A throw only needs to cover a person sitting down, so it can be much smaller than the bed it might end up on. A bed blanket should cover the mattress and hang down the sides, so it depends on the mattress size and how much drop you like. Published charts vary, but common sizes match: Sigoni Macaroni's blanket guide also gives a 50 × 60 inch throw and a 36 × 48 inch lapghan.
Baby blankets are best kept small and light. A stroller or receiving blanket is easy to carry around, and a crib blanket grows with the child into a toddler bed.
Bed blanket sizes compared across charts
Published blanket size charts agree on the 50 × 60 inch throw but differ a lot on bed sizes. The table puts this chart next to two others and works out how far each blanket hangs past the mattress. Side drop is the blanket width minus the mattress width, halved. Foot is the extra length beyond the mattress, which covers the foot and any tuck at the pillows. Mattress sizes are the standard US sizes from the quilt size chart, which match the mattress sizes in Sigoni Macaroni's guide.
| Bed | Mattress | This chart | Sigoni Macaroni | I Can Crochet That |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Twin | 38 × 75 | 66 × 90 (14 in side drop, 15 in foot) | 67 × 87 (14.5 in side drop, 12 in foot) | 66 × 90 (14 in side drop, 15 in foot) |
| Full | 54 × 75 | 80 × 90 (13 in side drop, 15 in foot) | 82 × 87 (14 in side drop, 12 in foot) | Not listed |
| Queen | 60 × 80 | 90 × 100 (15 in side drop, 20 in foot) | 87 × 98 (13.5 in side drop, 18 in foot) | 90 × 100 (15 in side drop, 20 in foot) |
| King | 76 × 80 | 108 × 100 (16 in side drop, 20 in foot) | 102 × 88 (13 in side drop, 8 in foot) | 108 × 108 (16 in side drop, 28 in foot) |
This chart's bed sizes give a side drop of 13 to 16 inches on every bed. Sigoni Macaroni lists smaller blankets for the larger beds, so its king hangs only 13 inches at the sides and 8 inches at the foot. I Can Crochet That gives a square 108 × 108 inch king, which is 8 inches longer than the king here. None of these is wrong. They assume different drops, so pick the drop you want first. Every inch of drop adds two inches to the width, and every extra inch means more yarn.
For your own mattress and drop, the calculator on the quilt size chart works out the finished size. The same math applies to a crocheted or knitted blanket.
Other sizes you will see in patterns
Baby sizes vary even more than bed sizes. Charts list sizes this one leaves out:
- Security blanket: 14 × 16 inches, per Sigoni Macaroni, often kept as a family keepsake.
- Cradle blanket: 14 × 30 inches, per Sigoni Macaroni.
- Baby blanket: 36 × 36 inches, per I Can Crochet That.
- Lovey: 12 inches square here and in Sigoni Macaroni's chart. I Can Crochet That gives a range of 12 to 24 inches.
Small differences matter less here. Sigoni Macaroni lists a 30 × 36 inch stroller blanket, an inch longer than the one in this chart, and gives the same 40 × 40 inch receiving blanket, 36 × 48 inch lapghan and 50 × 60 inch throw.
How to measure a blanket
I Can Crochet That suggests laying the blanket flat on the floor and measuring edge to edge with a soft tape measure. Count the border in the size only if your pattern does. Measure as you go too, so you can change the plan early if the blanket is coming out bigger or smaller than expected. If it is, the same source points to the yarn weight, hook size and your tension as the first things to check.
From size to supplies
Once you've picked a size, the blanket yarn calculator works out the yarn, and the granny square calculator tells you how many squares to make for any size here.