Garment quantities
How much yarn for a granny square cardigan? Size by size
A size M granny square cardigan in worsted or aran-weight yarn takes about 1,585 metres, which is 9 balls of Stylecraft Special Aran. That is the median of six patterns; in DK we found only three sized patterns, which put size M at 1,080 to 1,875 metres, or 4 to 7 balls of Special DK. The figures come from 10 published patterns that give a quantity for each size, and five of those are from one publisher, Yarnspirations, so treat them as a guide rather than a rule. They run higher than our general crochet cardigan figures. Here’s what the patterns show about why, and how the number of squares sets the size.
The quick answer, by size
Find your bust measurement, then read across. The bust ranges are the Craft Yarn Council’s women’s chart, matched to each pattern by size letter only, as in our crochet cardigan guide. Where a pattern groups sizes, such as XS/S/M, we counted its figure for each of those letters.
Ball counts are the median rounded up to whole 100g balls of Stylecraft Special Aran (196m) or Special DK (295m). The brackets run from the leanest pattern to the hungriest. If your pattern gives a quantity for your size, buy that instead.
The DK column rests on only three patterns, and two at 3XL, so treat it as a rough guide. With so few, one design moves the figures a lot. At XL the DK median is Mama in a Stitch’s Wildflower at 2,420m, and the Patons Granny Cardigan, with a 178cm finished bust from XL up, tops the range at 3,125m. The worsted column is firmer but still small: six patterns from XS to L and seven from XL up.
| Size | To fit bust (cm), CYC chart | Worsted or aran metres, median (range) | Special Aran balls (196m) | DK or light metres, median (range), 3 patterns only | Special DK balls (295m) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| XS | 71–76 | 1,405 (935–1,970) | 8 (5–11) | 1,100 (1,080–1,875) | 4 (4–7) |
| S | 81–86 | 1,525 (935–1,970) | 8 (5–11) | 1,100 (1,080–1,875) | 4 (4–7) |
| M | 91.5–96.5 | 1,585 (1,090–1,970) | 9 (6–11) | 1,540 (1,080–1,875) | 6 (4–7) |
| L | 101.5–106.5 | 1,900 (1,090–2,315) | 10 (6–12) | 1,620 (1,540–1,875) | 6 (6–7) |
| XL | 111.5–117 | 2,105 (1,250–2,815) | 11 (7–15) | 2,420 (1,620–3,125) | 9 (6–11) |
| 2XL | 122–127 | 2,330 (1,405–2,890) | 12 (8–15) | 2,420 (1,620–3,125) | 9 (6–11) |
| 3XL | 132–137 | 2,470 (1,405–2,890) | 13 (8–15) | 2,640 (2,160–3,125), two patterns | 9 (8–11) |
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Where the numbers come from
We opened 18 granny-square and granny-hexagon cardigans, jackets and coatigans whose pattern pages list the yarn. Ten give quantities for a stated size range, and those ten feed the size table: seven in worsted or aran weight and three in DK or light yarn. Seven of the 18, and five of the ten, are Yarnspirations patterns for Red Heart, Caron and Patons yarns, so one publisher’s house style weighs heavily here. The rest come from independent designers: Briana K, Colour Ceilidh Crochet, Fiber Flux, Jera’s Jamboree, Mama in a Stitch, My Poppet in Australia, Sarah Maker, The Crochet Crowd and TL Yarn Crafts.
Where a designer gives metres or yards, we used them. Otherwise we multiplied the balls or skeins by the length on the label the pattern quotes, and converted yards at 0.9144. That means two patterns, Caron’s Bright and Bold and The Crochet Crowd’s Mikey’s Granny Cardigan, are counted at the length they state rather than the whole balls they list. US worsted (medium, 4) yarns go in the aran column, as in our cardigan guide. Mama in a Stitch also gives grams used, but we counted the skeins to buy, to match the other patterns.
We kept long coatigans, the calf-length Dutchess, the other one-size patterns and Jera’s short-sleeved Ella out of the size table, and list them in the pattern table instead. We left out a fine-weight cropped cardigan and patterns where most of the garment is granny stitch rather than squares. Red Heart patterns that repeat another design’s square layout were counted once.
We haven’t made these cardigans. The quantities are the designers’ own, checked on 2 October 2026, and every pattern is linked at the bottom of this page.
| Pattern | Garment | Yarn | Squares or motifs | Stated quantity | Metres, smallest to largest size |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Granny Square Cardigan (Briana K) | Cardigan, XS to 5X | Upcycle Alpaca Blend Worsted, 219yd per 100g | 9cm or 9.5cm squares, alternating by size | 1,450 to 3,000yd in total | 1,326–2,743 |
| One Color Granny Square Cardigan (Colour Ceilidh Crochet) | Cardigan, XS to 5X | Lion Brand Vanna’s Choice, 156m per 100g | 22 (XS–2X) or 26 (3X–5X), about 14cm | 6, 6, 7, 7, 8, 9, 9, 9, 10 skeins | 936–1,560 |
| Two Color Granny Square Jacket (Red Heart) | Jacket, XS/S to 4/5XL | Red Heart Super Saver O’Go, 333m | 25, 25, 34, 34, 34, 46 squares of 16cm, plus 6 or 8 half squares in three sizes | 4, 4, 5, 5, 6, 6 O’Gos in total | 1,332–1,998 |
| Bright and Bold Granny Square Cardigan (Caron) | Cardigan, XS/S/M to 2/3XL | Caron Simply Soft, 288m per 170g | 42 in all sizes, 15cm, 16.5cm or 19cm | Yards given for each of 4 colours (8, 9, 11 balls listed) | 1,907–2,892 |
| Cozy Crochet Granny Cardigan (Red Heart) | Cardigan, XS/S/M/L and XL/2/3XL | Red Heart All in One Granny Square, 381m per 250g, plus Super Saver | 42 or 54, 15cm | 4 or 6 balls, plus 445m or 528m of black | 1,969–2,814 |
| Granny Square Crochet Cardigan (Marly Bird for Red Heart) | Cardigan, XS/M to 2/3XL | Red Heart Unforgettable, 247m per 100g | 66, 91 or 120 motifs of 9cm | 6, 9, 11 balls | 1,482–2,717 |
| Mikey’s Granny Cardigan (The Crochet Crowd) | Open cardigan, one size for XL to 3XL | Lily Sugar’n Cream cotton, 184m per 113g | 54 squares of 6in (15cm); 42 for the smaller layout | 2,080yd in total (16 balls listed in 10 colours) | 1,902 |
| Granny Hexagon Cardigan (Sarah Maker) | Cardigan, XS to 5XL | Lion Brand Mandala Baby, DK, 540m per 150g | 2 hexagons | 2, 2, 2, 3, 3, 3, 4, 4, 4 skeins | 1,080–2,160 |
| Granny Cardigan (Patons) | Cardigan, XS/S/M/L and XL to 5XL | Patons Grace cotton, light, 125m per 50g | 44 or 60 motifs of 12.5cm | 15 or 25 balls in 4 colours | 1,875–3,125 |
| Wildflower Granny Square Cardigan (Mama in a Stitch) | Cardigan, XS/S, M/L, XL/XXL | Lion Brand Truboo, light, 220m per 100g | 45, 60 or 91 squares of 3¾in (9.5cm) | 5, 7, 11 skeins (uses about 460g, 612g, 930g) | 1,100–2,420 |
| Dutchess Cardigan (TL Yarn Crafts) | Calf-length cardigan, XS to 5XL | Lion Brand Scarfie Lite, 320m per 100g | One granny square for the back, 16in to 29in, then granny-stripe panels | 4, 4, 5, 6, 6, 6, 7, 7, 8 skeins | 1,280–2,560 |
| Ella Hexagon Cardigan (Jera’s Jamboree) | Short-sleeved cardigan, S to 3X | Any DK | 2 hexagons, optional granny-square pockets | 1,018 to 1,744yd in two colours | 931–1,595 |
| Coatigan in Grannies (Red Heart) | Long coat, S/M to 2X/3X | Red Heart Super Saver, 333m per 198g | 62 in all sizes, 15cm, 16.5cm or 18cm | 10, 13, 15 skeins in 6 colours | 3,330–4,995 |
| Crochet Granny Square Coatigan (Red Heart) | Long coat, two sizes | Red Heart All in One Granny Square, 381m, plus Super Saver | 63 or 81, 15cm | 7 balls, plus 619m or 683m of white | 3,286–3,350 |
| Everyday Granny Square Cardigan (My Poppet) | Cropped-sleeve cardigan, one size (medium) | Premier Anti-Pilling Everyday Worsted, 165m per 100g | 42 squares of 14cm plus 2 half squares | 7 balls | 1,155 |
| Arlo Granny Square Cardigan (Mama in a Stitch) | Long cardigan, one size (XS to M) | Lion Brand Wool-Ease, 180m per 85g | 24 squares of 7.5in (19cm) | 6 skeins (about 510g used) | 1,080 |
| Easy Crochet Hexagon Cardigan (Fiber Flux) | Cardigan, one size | Any medium (4) weight | 2 hexagons, 26in across | 688yd | 629 |
| Rose Cardigan (TL Yarn Crafts) | Oversized cardigan, one size (60in bust) | DK | 65 squares of 6in (15cm) | 670g for squares, 425g for joining and ribbing | Not stated in metres |
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How many squares? It depends how the pattern grows
Patterns get bigger in one of three ways. Most add squares. Red Heart’s Two Color Granny Square Jacket uses 25 squares of 16cm for XS/S and M, 34 for L to 2/3XL and 46 for 4/5XL. Its finished bust jumps from 101cm to 132.5cm, then to 164.5cm. Each jump is 31.5 to 32cm, about the width of two squares.
Others keep the count and change the square. Caron’s Bright and Bold Cardigan uses 42 squares in every size, but the square grows from 15cm to 16.5cm to 19cm with a bigger hook. The finished chest goes from 122cm to 132cm to 142cm. Red Heart’s Coatigan in Grannies does the same with 62 squares.
The third way is rows. Colour Ceilidh’s one-colour cardigan uses 22 squares of about 14cm in sizes XS to 2X, and 26 from 3X up. The extra width comes from rows of granny stitch (clusters of three trebles, US double crochet) worked along the edges of the joined squares. The four extra squares from 3X up add length: the pattern gives 23in for XS to 2X and 29in from 3X.
Smaller squares mean more of them. Marly Bird’s cardigan uses 9cm motifs, 66 to 120 of them. TL Yarn Crafts’ Rose Cardigan gives a rule of thumb: it is 10 squares around, so the finished bust divided by 10 gives the square size. She wanted 60in, so her squares are 6in, and she made 65.
| Pattern | How it grows | Squares by size | Square size | Finished bust |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Two Color Granny Square Jacket (Red Heart) | More squares | 25, 25, 34, 34, 34, 46 | 16cm | 101, 101, 132.5, 132.5, 132.5, 164.5cm |
| Wildflower (Mama in a Stitch) | More squares | 45, 60, 91 (the pattern labels the last count L/XL; its panel layouts give 91 for XL/XXL) | 9.5cm | 95, 114, 133cm |
| Granny Cardigan (Patons) | More motifs | 44, 60 | 12.5cm | 127, 178cm |
| Cozy Crochet Granny Cardigan (Red Heart) | More squares | 42, 54 | 15cm | 127, 157.5cm |
| Granny Square Crochet Cardigan (Marly Bird) | More motifs | 66, 91, 120 | 9cm | Not stated |
| Bright and Bold (Caron) | Bigger squares | 42 in all sizes | 15, 16.5, 19cm | 122, 132, 142cm |
| Coatigan in Grannies (Red Heart) | Bigger squares | 62 in all sizes | 15, 16.5, 18cm | 122, 132, 142cm |
| One Color Granny Square Cardigan (Colour Ceilidh) | Extra granny rows (extra squares add length) | 22 (XS–2X), 26 (3X–5X) | About 14cm | Not stated |
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Why these figures run above our cardigan guide
At size M, the worsted median here is 1,585m. Our crochet cardigan guide puts aran cardigans at 1,275m, so the granny square patterns ask for about 24% more. In DK the gap is smaller, 1,540m against 1,420m, but that rests on three patterns. The patterns themselves point to three things that push the figure up, though with six patterns we can’t say how much of the gap each one explains.
Grouped sizes. Half the worsted figures at M are shared with other sizes. Caron’s Bright and Bold covers XS/S/M, for a 71–96.5cm chest, Marly Bird’s cardigan covers XS/M for the same range, and Red Heart’s Cozy Crochet Granny Cardigan covers XS to L, up to 106.5cm. A shared quantity has to cover the biggest body in the group.
Fit. Several of these patterns are cut roomy. The finished chest is 122cm in Bright and Bold’s XS/S/M and 127cm in Red Heart’s Cozy cardigan. In the cardigan guide, the Drops diagrams at size M ran from 92cm to 120cm.
Whole balls. Most granny patterns list balls or skeins to buy, and multicolour ones round every colour up. Bright and Bold gives 2,085 yards (1,907m) across four colours for XS/S/M, but its ball list comes to 8 balls, or 2,304m, about 21% more. Mikey’s Granny Cardigan needs 2,080 yards but lists 16 balls across 10 colours. Our cardigan guide left out multicolour patterns for this reason. The leanest pattern here, Colour Ceilidh’s one-colour design, needs 1,092m at M, which is below the cardigan guide’s aran median.
Picking a size: measure, then check the finished bust
Measure round the fullest part of your bust, then compare it with the pattern’s finished bust, not just the size letter. The difference is the ease. Designers ask for very different amounts. Briana K’s cardigan is fitted, with 1 to 3in (2.5 to 7.5cm) of ease. TL Yarn Crafts’ Dutchess has 4 to 8in (10 to 20cm), and she says her Rose Cardigan has about 12in (30cm) on her 48in bust.
Grouped sizes can surprise you. Red Heart’s two-colour jacket is the same 101cm for XS/S, which fits a 71–86.5cm bust, and for M, which fits 91.5–96.5cm. So a 71cm bust gets 30cm of ease and a 96.5cm bust only 4.5cm. Mama in a Stitch says her boxy Wildflower Cardigan covers two sizes each, and suggests going up one for a roomier fit.
If you’re unsure, TL Yarn Crafts suggests measuring a cardigan you like from armpit to armpit, lying flat, and adjusting from there. Whatever you choose, make one square and check it against the pattern’s square size before you buy all the yarn, because the square sets the size.
Yarn per square
Red Heart’s Crochet Patchwork Jacket pattern says one 381m ball of its All in One Granny Square yarn makes 14 granny squares, and its squares are about 15cm. That is about 27m a square in worsted. TL Yarn Crafts got 10 five-round squares from each 100g skein of DK for her Rose Cardigan, and added a sixth round in the joining colour as she joined them into 6in (15cm) squares.
The squares aren’t the whole story. The Rose Cardigan took 670g of yarn for the squares and another 425g for joining and ribbing. If you design your own, plan the squares with the granny square designer, then add the joining and bands as a separate figure. Our guide to yarn per granny square shows how to weigh a few squares and multiply.
Before you order
Use your pattern’s figure for your size wherever it gives one. If you’re changing yarn, turn the pattern quantity into metres first, then into balls of the yarn you’re buying.
Round each colour up separately. Buy the joining colour in one order, because it runs right through the cardigan and a dye-lot change would show. Then put each colour into the budget calculator as its own row.
Check before you move on
- Bust measured and compared with the pattern’s finished bust, not the size letter
- One square made and measured against the pattern’s square size
- Square count for your size noted, plus any half squares
- Joining, bands and edging counted on top of the squares
- Pattern quantity turned into metres if you’re changing yarn
- Each colour rounded up to whole balls on its own
Ready to buy?
For sizing and planning your cardigan
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Our pick
Four of the nine blankets in our blanket guide use Stylecraft Special DK, so our tables convert straight to its 295m balls.
Stylecraft Special DK, Charcoal (1128)
One 100g / 295m ball, 100% acrylic, sold by The Great British Yarn Company.
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Flexible dual-sided sewing tape measure
150cm on one side, 60 inches on the other; soft tape for measuring squares and fabric.
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Our pick
Weighs whole balls and finished squares (5kg capacity) and shows 0.1g, enough for our grams-to-metres converter.
Etekcity EK9000 digital kitchen scale
Tare function, 5kg capacity, 0.1g resolution as stated by the listing (minimum 0.3g).
View on Amazon (paid link) ↗Paid links: we may earn a commission from qualifying purchases. Nothing you type into our tools is added to these links. Check price, seller and delivery at Amazon. Colour swatches are approximate.
Try it with your own numbers.
Lay out the grid, colour each round in Stylecraft Special DK shades and get balls per colour.
Design my blanket ↗Common questions
How many granny squares do I need for a cardigan?
In the patterns we checked, the smallest size uses 22 to 66 squares, depending on square size. Red Heart’s jacket uses 25 squares of 16cm, Caron’s Bright and Bold 42 of 15cm, and Marly Bird’s cardigan 66 motifs of 9cm. Larger sizes add squares, make each square bigger or add rows of granny stitch. Several of these are Yarnspirations patterns, so other designers may differ.
How many balls of Stylecraft Special DK for a granny square cardigan?
At size M, the three DK and light patterns we found work out at 4 to 7 balls, with 6 as the median. Three patterns is a thin sample, so use your own pattern’s quantity if it gives one. Every count uses 295m per 100g ball.
How much yarn does one granny square take for a cardigan?
Red Heart’s Crochet Patchwork Jacket pattern says one 381m ball of its All in One Granny Square yarn makes 14 granny squares of about 15cm, so about 27m each in worsted. TL Yarn Crafts got 10 five-round DK squares from each 100g for her Rose Cardigan, with a sixth round added in the joining colour. Joining and bands come on top.
Does a granny square cardigan take more yarn than a normal crochet cardigan?
In our sample, yes. The worsted median at size M is 1,585m, about 24% above the 1,275m aran median in our crochet cardigan guide, though it rests on six patterns. The patterns show three likely reasons: sizes grouped so one quantity covers several busts, roomy finished chests of 122cm or more, and colours rounded up to whole balls.
What size should granny squares be for a cardigan?
Apart from the Dutchess, built round one large square, the patterns here use squares from 9cm to 19cm. TL Yarn Crafts’ Rose Cardigan is 10 squares around, so she divides the finished bust she wants by 10: a 60in bust needs 6in squares.
Sources and scope
- brianakdesigns.com/crochet-granny-square-cardigan/
- colourceilidhcrochet.com/one-color-granny-square-cardigan-crochet-pattern/
- www.yarnspirations.com/en-row/products/red-heart-crochet-two-color-granny-square-jacket
- cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0711/5132/1403/files/RHC0133-032528M.pdf
- www.yarnspirations.com/products/caron-bright-bold-crochet-granny-square-cardigan
- cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0711/5132/1403/files/CAC0129-035200M.pdf
- www.yarnspirations.com/products/red-heart-cozy-crochet-granny-cardigan
- cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0711/5132/1403/files/RHC0129-035809M.pdf
- www.yarnspirations.com/products/red-heart-marlys-granny-square-crochet-cardigan
- cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0711/5132/1403/files/RHC0129-016344M.pdf
- thecrochetcrowd.com/mikeys-free-crochet-granny-cardigan-pattern-for-xl-to-3-xl/
- sarahmaker.com/crochet-granny-hexagon-cardigan/
- www.yarnspirations.com/products/patons-crochet-granny-cardigan
- cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0711/5132/1403/files/PAC0129-032544M.pdf
- www.mamainastitch.com/wildflower-granny-square-cardigan-pattern/
- tlycblog.com/dutchess-cardigan-a-free-crochet-granny-square-cardigan-pattern-tutorial/
- www.jerasjamboree.co.uk/hexagon-cardigan-pattern-with-optional-pockets/
- www.yarnspirations.com/products/red-heart-coatigan-in-grannies
- cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0711/5132/1403/files/RHC0133-017179M.pdf
- www.yarnspirations.com/products/red-heart-crochet-granny-square-coatigan
- cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0711/5132/1403/files/RHC0829-37675M.pdf
- www.yarnspirations.com/products/red-heart-crochet-patchwork-jacket
- cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0711/5132/1403/files/RHC0829-38186M.pdf
- mypoppet.com.au/makes/everyday-granny-square-cardigan-crochet-pattern/
- www.mamainastitch.com/arlo-granny-square-crocheted-cardigan-pattern/
- fiberfluxblog.com/2023/11/easy-crochet-hexagon-cardigan-free-pattern-video.html
- tlycblog.com/how-to-crochet-a-colorful-granny-square-cardigan-rose-cardigan/
- www.lionbrand.com/products/scarfie-lite-yarn
- www.lionbrand.com/products/truboo-yarn
- www.lionbrand.com/products/wool-ease-yarn
- www.lionbrand.com/products/mandala-baby
- www.craftyarncouncil.com/standards/woman-size
- www.stylecraft-yarns.co.uk/yarns/special-dk/
- www.stylecraft-yarns.co.uk/yarns/special-aran/
Sources checked 2 October 2026. Label facts come from the linked references; worked purchase examples and arithmetic are our own illustrations.
Keep planning
- How much yarn for a crochet hat? Baby to adult, from 12 patterns
- Crochet baby hat sizes: head, hat and yarn by age
- Crochet dishcloth yarn: how much, and which cotton?
- Does crochet use more yarn than knitting? Pattern pairs
- How much yarn for amigurumi? Grams by finished size
- How much yarn for a crochet tote or market bag?
- Stylecraft Special DK: metres, quantities and planner
- Stylecraft Special Aran: metres, quantities and planner
These are planning methods, not physically tested crochet patterns. Read our method and editorial approach.