Head to head
Knit or Crochet a Blanket?
Crochet gets there faster and costs more yarn. Knitting drapes better and needs a needle most people do not own.
By Sawyer V. · Published September 12, 2026
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The short answer
Crochet a blanket if you want it finished sooner, want to work in squares you can carry around, and do not mind a firmer, heavier fabric. Knit it if you want the softest drape and the most fluid fabric, and you own or will buy a 29in or longer circular needle. Crochet uses noticeably more yarn for the same finished area, which matters most on the biggest project either craft produces.
The general comparison is in knitting vs crochet. This page is only about blankets, because a blanket exaggerates almost every difference between the two crafts - it is the largest thing most people make, the most yarn-hungry, and the one where portability and finishing time bite hardest.
The comparison, for this project
| Knitting | Crochet | |
|---|---|---|
| Speed per row | Slower | Faster - taller stitches cover more ground |
| Yarn for the same area | Less | More - stitches wrap the yarn more times |
| Fabric | Fluid, drapes, stretches | Firmer, denser, more structured |
| Weight of the finished piece | Lighter | Heavier for the same size |
| Equipment needed | A long circular needle | One hook |
| Portable while large? | No - the whole thing is on the needle | Yes, if worked in squares |
| Easy to work in pieces? | Possible | Very - granny squares are the default |
| Fixing a mistake | Harder - stitches are live | Easier - one live stitch |
| Edging | Usually added afterwards | Built in, or crocheted directly on |
Yarn consumption is the one that surprises people
For the same finished area, crochet generally uses more yarn than knitting, because crochet stitches wrap the yarn around the hook more times per stitch.
On a scarf that is a rounding error. On a 50 x 60in throw it is a meaningful number of extra skeins, and on a king coverlet at more than three times that area it is a substantial cost difference. If you are choosing partly on materials cost, this is the factor - and it points to knitting.
The needle problem
This is the practical thing that decides it for a lot of people. A blanket has hundreds of stitches on the needle at once, and they physically do not fit on a straight needle.
- Knitting a blanket requires a circular needle of 29in or longer. There is no way around this.
- Crochet requires one hook, which you probably already own.
- A knitted blanket cannot be worked in the round unless you are making a tube, so the whole width is on the cable throughout.
- A crocheted blanket can be worked in squares and joined at the end, so you are never carrying the whole thing.
Best needles for blankets covers the length by width, and hook size for a blanket is the crochet-side sizing.
Fabric, which is what you actually live with
A knitted blanket is more fluid. It folds softly, conforms to a shape, and hangs over the arm of a sofa rather than standing away from it. It also stretches, which is fine on a blanket and means a knitted blanket grows slightly in use.
A crocheted blanket is firmer and more structured. It holds its shape, it has more body, and for the same yarn it is heavier - the extra yarn has to go somewhere. Granny square fabric in particular has a characteristic openness that knitting does not produce.
Neither is better. A firm crocheted afghan and a fluid knitted throw are different objects, and knowing which one you want is the actual decision.
Working in pieces
Crochet's biggest practical advantage on a blanket is that it breaks into portable units naturally.
- Squares go in a bag. A blanket-in-progress does not.
- Squares finish. Each one is a small win, which matters on a project measured in months.
- Squares can be joined as you go or all at the end - see how to seam knitting and crochet.
- Against them: every square has ends. A hundred squares is several hundred ends to weave in, and that is a real evening or three.
Knitting can be worked in strips or squares too, and it is less natural - the joins show more and picking up stitches along a knitted edge is fiddlier than crocheting into one.
Which to choose
| If you want... | Choose |
|---|---|
| It finished sooner | Crochet |
| The softest drape | Knitting |
| To use less yarn | Knitting |
| To work on it away from home | Crochet, in squares |
| A structured, weighty afghan | Crochet |
| A light throw that folds small | Knitting |
| To use a hook you already own | Crochet |
| To use up scraps in squares | Crochet |
| A cabled or textured heirloom | Knitting |
The yarn is the same either way
Both crafts use the same yarn, and the blanket-specific choices are identical: super bulky for speed, worsted for a lighter finished piece, chenille for softness at the cost of worming.
The one adjustment is that a crocheted piece in chenille is somewhat less prone to worming than a knitted one, because crochet stitches lock more. That is a genuine but small factor. Best yarn for a blanket covers the choice itself, and best blanket knitting kits covers the kit route.
What each route needs
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Clover Takumi Bamboo Circular Needles
The knitting route: a 29in or 36in circular is not optional for a blanket. Sizes to 15.00mm, cable lengths to 36in.
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Clover Amour Crochet Hook Set
The crochet route: ten hooks, 2.25mm to 6.0mm, elastomer grip. A blanket is a long session and the grip earns its keep.
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Lion Brand Wool-Ease Thick & Quick
Works for either. Super bulky, 106yd per 170g, 80% acrylic and 20% wool so the fabric keeps its shape.
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Bernat Blanket
The crochet-leaning option. Chenille at 108yd per 150g - soft, and it worms badly if your tension is loose.
Questions people actually ask
Is it faster to knit or crochet a blanket?
Crochet, usually. The stitches are taller so each row covers more ground, and covering area is the whole job on a blanket. Knitting is faster per stitch but there are many more stitches to make.
Does crochet use more yarn than knitting for a blanket?
Yes. Crochet stitches wrap the yarn more times, so the same finished area takes noticeably more yarn. On a throw that is several extra skeins, and on a king-size piece it is a substantial cost difference.
Do I need special needles to knit a blanket?
You need a circular needle of 29in or longer. Hundreds of stitches physically do not fit on a straight needle, and there is no way around it. Crochet needs only the hook you already own.
Which makes a softer blanket, knitting or crochet?
Knitting. Knitted fabric is more fluid, drapes more softly and is lighter for the same size. Crocheted fabric is firmer and more structured, which some people prefer for an afghan.
Can you knit a blanket in squares like granny squares?
You can, and it is less natural than in crochet. The joins show more and picking up stitches along a knitted edge is fiddlier than crocheting into one - which is why working in portable pieces is a crochet advantage.