C2C Crochet Calculator: Tiles, Finished Size, Yardage & Total Stitches
Enter the size of one C2C tile (from your gauge swatch) and your desired blanket dimensions. The calculator returns tiles wide × tall, total tile count, finished size, and total yardage including a 15% buffer.
C2C crochet is worked diagonally from corner to opposite corner. Each row adds one tile (a small square of 3 dc + 1 ch-3). Tiles wide × tiles tall = total tiles. Multiply by yards-per-tile (from your swatch) for total yardage.
What is C2C crochet?
C2C (corner-to-corner) crochet is a technique where you work diagonally from one corner of a rectangular project to the opposite corner. Each row is made of tiles — small square blocks consisting of 3 dc and a chain-3. The blanket grows in a triangle shape until you reach the widest row, then decreases to the final corner.
Because the work is pixel-like, C2C is the standard technique for graphghans — picture afghans made by colour-changing tiles according to a chart. Any image can be made by mapping each pixel to one tile.
How to use this calculator
- Make a 5×5 tile swatch in your chosen yarn and hook. Block it.
- Measure the swatch. Divide the measurement by 5 to get your tile size.
- Frog one tile from the swatch. Measure the yarn used. This is yards per tile.
- Enter desired blanket dimensions. The calculator returns total tiles and total yardage.
- For multi-colour graphghans: count tiles per colour in your chart, multiply each by yards-per-tile.
How the C2C math works
The work grows tile by tile. Total tiles for a W × H blanket = W × H. Total diagonal rows = W + H − 1. About half are the increasing phase; the rest are the stable/decreasing phase.
C2C tile size by yarn weight
| Yarn weight | Hook size | Tile size (typical) | Yards per tile |
|---|---|---|---|
| DK (#3) | 4.0 mm | 0.5 in | 2-3 yd |
| Worsted (#4) | 5.0 mm | 0.75 in | 3-4 yd |
| Worsted (#4) | 5.5 mm | 0.85 in | 4-5 yd |
| Bulky (#5) | 6.5 mm | 1.0-1.1 in | 5-7 yd |
| Super bulky (#6) | 9.0 mm | 1.4-1.6 in | 8-12 yd |
How to start a C2C blanket
- Row 1: Chain 6. Double crochet in the 4th chain from hook and the next 2 chains (1 tile made).
- Row 2: Chain 6, turn. Dc in 4th chain from hook and next 2 chains (1 new tile). Slip stitch into the chain-3 space of the previous row. Chain 3, then 3 dc in that same space (2nd tile).
- Row 3+: Always start with chain 6 to add a new tile at the increasing edge.
- At the widest row: Start decreasing on one side for rectangular blankets.
- Final corner: Slip stitch across the last tile to close.
Graphghan planning
For picture blankets:
- Pick a high-contrast image. Crisp images work best.
- Pixelate to your target tile count. Tools: StitchFiddle, Photoshop pixelate filter.
- Reduce colours to 4-12 colours for beginner-friendly graphghans.
- Calculate per-colour yardage: count tiles of each colour, multiply by yards-per-tile, add 15% buffer per colour.
Pro tips for C2C blankets
- Always swatch in the actual stitch pattern. Standard C2C uses 3 dc + chain-3; mini-C2C uses 1 dc + chain-1.
- Block individual tile swatches before measuring. Blocking can shift tile size by 5-10%.
- Buy 15-20% extra yarn for graphghans. Colour transitions consume more yarn.
- Use bobbins for small colour sections. Cut yarn for sections under 5 tiles.
- Track your row with a stitch marker. Mark the first tile of every 10th row.
Worked examples
Throw blanket (50×60 in worsted): 67 tiles wide × 80 tiles tall = 5,360 tiles. At 3.5 yards each + 15% buffer = 21,600 yards. ~10 skeins of 220-yard worsted (single colour).
Baby graphghan (30×40 in DK): 60 × 80 = 4,800 tiles at 2.5 yards each + 15% = 13,800 yards. For a 6-colour design, divide proportionally per colour.
Queen blanket (90×100 in bulky): 86 × 95 = 8,170 tiles at 6 yards each = 56,400 yards. ~340 skeins of bulky — a major year-long project.
Direct answers.
What is C2C crochet?
Corner-to-corner crochet — a technique where you work diagonally from one corner to the opposite corner. Each row adds one tile (3 dc + chain-3 block). Most popular for picture afghans (graphghans).
How many tiles do I need for a queen-size C2C blanket?
A queen blanket is 90 × 100 in. At 0.75 in per tile (worsted, 5.0 mm hook): 120 × 134 = 16,080 tiles. At 3.5 yards per tile + 15% buffer: ~65,000 yards. Plan a year for this size.
How do I figure out yards per tile?
Make a 5×5 tile swatch. Frog one tile, holding the unraveled yarn. Measure the yarn used in that single tile. For standard worsted on 5.0 mm hook, expect 3-4 yards per tile.
What's the difference between C2C and mini-C2C?
Standard C2C uses 3 dc + chain-3 per tile (~0.75 in tile in worsted). Mini-C2C uses 1 dc + chain-1 per tile (~0.4 in). Mini-C2C produces finer graphghan detail but takes 4× longer per square inch.
How do I read a C2C graph?
Diagonally from one corner. Each square in the graph = one tile. The first row is one tile; second row is two tiles; and so on. Increasing phase grows from corner to widest point; decreasing phase shrinks to opposite corner.
Can I make a non-rectangular blanket with C2C?
Yes — increase on both sides to make a square; increase then decrease equally to make a diamond. Most C2C projects are rectangular afghans, but the technique is flexible.
Sources & further reading
- Craft Yarn Council — Standard Yarn Weight System
- Crochet Guild of America (CGOA) — professional standards
- Clara Parkes, The Knitter's Book of Yarn (Potter Craft) — fibre property reference
- Edie Eckman, The Crochet Answer Book (Storey) — technique reference