Crochet Blanket Yardage Calculator & Terminology Converter

In standard single-color crochet, stitches distribute yarn evenly across rows. In overlay mosaic crochet, every row is worked across the entire width in a single color without changing yarns mid-row. Colors alternate every single row (Row 1: Color A, Row 2: Color B).

Because both colors travel across the entire width on their respective turns, the yarn consumption for the vast majority of symmetrical or balanced mosaic patterns is virtually a 50/50 split. For example, a 2,000-yard throw blanket will require approximately 1,000 yards of Color A (background) and 1,000 yards of Color B (motif).

The fundamental split between American and British crochet terms originates in how the stitches were historically described in early 19th-century needlework manuals:

• British (UK) terminology counts the number of loops on the hook after inserting it into the stitch. Inserting your hook and drawing up a loop leaves 2 loops on your hook — hence called a Double Crochet (dc).
• American (US) terminology counts the number of yarn overs completed to pull through those loops. Drawing up a loop and pulling through both in one single motion is therefore called a Single Crochet (sc).

If a British pattern calls for a "Treble Crochet (tr)", an American maker should work a "Double Crochet (dc)".