Blanket yarn has been all the rage lately and this particular brand from Bernat has been really popular, especially for oversized amigurumi! I’ve used this yarn recently to design a pillow and I’ve also made a few blankets with it, so now I’m here to tell you all about my experience.
As a general rule, Bernat Blanket Yarn is the most cost efficient blanket yarn out there. It is very soft to the touch, and has the largest color palette for blanket yarns. It is inelastic, making it ideal for blankets and throws. It is a category 6 yarn with 220 yards in a ball.
For more detailed thoughts and photos of the project I made, read on!
Table of Contents
Bernat Blanket Yarn Breakdown
| Price | $11.99 |
| Yardage | 220 |
| Price/yard | $0.05 |
| Number of Colorways | 40 colorways – solids and variegated |
| Weight | Super Bulky (6) |
| Fiber Content | Polyester |
| How does it feel? | Soft, not stretchy at all |
Bernat Blanket Yarn is a super bulky chenille style yarn, and is extremely popular because of its huge color palette and relative accessibility. If you’ve ever walked into a Michael’s, you’ve probably seen a whole shelf of this yarn staring you in the face, in every shade under the sun and tons of variegated colorways.
Let’s be real — although super bulky blanket yarn is extremely thick and you might be tempted to whip up an entire blanket, sometimes it can get costly. This yarn offers an incredible bang for your buck because of how much yardage you get for it and the relative high quality.
One of my favorite things about Bernat Blanket is that it comes in a ton of variegated colorways which can add interest to your blanket without you having to use a complex stitch pattern. In the heart pillow I made above, I used a super sweet colorway called Raspberry Kisses and I absolutely love how it turned out!
This yarn comes in at a little over ten dollars for a 220 yard skein, which is about 5 cents a yard. This is much cheaper than most competitors out there, especially Sweet Snuggles yarn, which is 9 cents a yard.
However, one of my negatives of using this yarn is in its construction. Bernat Blanket has a strong central tube with fuzzy threads coming from the center, and looks a little like a towel texture when viewed up close.
The yarn is extremely strong and durable because of the central tube, but my main complaint is that it’s extremely inelastic. This means that similar to cotton yarn, there’s little to no give when you pull on it with a crochet hook, and that can make it less forgiving to work with.
Also, it’s rougher on your hands to work with yarn that doesn’t stretch, especially when it’s a super bulky weight yarn.
Although I don’t love how non-stretchy Bernat Blanket is, a huge plus is that it doesn’t shed! Victory!!! I’ve spent a lot of time using velvet blanket yarns like Sweet Snuggles, and it sheds a lot.
But because of Bernat Blanket’s construction, it stays together very well and you don’t have to worry about shedding!
For my full review on Sweet Snuggles, see this blog post here!
What should you use this yarn for?
It says it all in the title, folks! Bernat Blanket Yarn is great for blankets!
Given the inelasticity that I mentioned earlier, Bernat Blanket Yarn is extremely durable and works very well for blankets that don’t need a lot of stretch to them. They would also be excellent as rugs, scarves, and other accessories that don’t need to stretch with you.
I’ve linked some great blanket patterns above that you can whip up super easily!
If you’re interested in blanket yarn for the amigurumi potential (like I am), there are a few pros and cons here.
Honestly, I don’t love Bernat Blanket yarn for amigurumi just because it’s so not stretchy. It takes a lot of extra tugging to get the stitches to all look perfectly even since the yarn doesn’t stretch with you.
But (and this is a big but), Bernat Blanket doesn’t shed. This is huge for amigurumi because you’ll probably have quite a few ends at the end of your amigurumi project, and not having those ends shed all over the place is a huge bonus, not to mention leave less of a mess while you’re working on the project.
In addition, Bernat Blanket is extremely inexpensive. Blanket yarn is generally a lot more expensive than lighter weights, and you also tend to need more of it because one skein doesn’t go as far.
Bernat Blanket has significantly more yardage than other blanket yarns, so it’s a much better bang for your buck.
To me, the lack of shedding and low cost is worth it, but you’ll need to do your own math after you work with it.
More blog posts like this:
- Ultimate List of Free Chunky Blanket Yarn Amigurumi Patterns
- Jumbo Strawberry Free Velvet Crochet Pattern
- My Foolproof Guide to Resizing Amigurumi (no math required!)
- My Foolproof Guide to Crocheting Amigurumi for Beginners
Bernat Blanket Yarn vs. Sweet Snuggles Yarn
Ah… the ultimate showdown. Here’s a quick chart comparison between these two extremely popular yarns. I also have a review of Sweet Snuggles Yarn that you can check out at this link!
| Metric | Bernat Blanket Yarn | Sweet Snuggles Yarn |
|---|---|---|
| Price (at time of writing) | $11.99 | $9.99 |
| Yardage | 220 | 109 |
| Price/yard | 5 cents/ yard | 9 cents/yard |
| Number of Colorways | 30 colors, both solid and variegated | 23 solid colors in pastels and neutrals |
| Weight | Super Bulky (6) | Jumbo (7) |
| Fiber Content | Polyester | Polyester |
| How does it feel? | Insanely soft and squishy, very elastic | Soft, towel-like texture, inelastic |
As you can see in the chart above, Sweet Snuggles and Bernat Blanket are comparable in price, but Bernat Blanket includes twice as much yardage and also has more color options.
However, it is a category 6 yarn, compared to Sweet Snuggles, a category 7 yarn, which means you’ll need slightly more of it to complete a given project.
What’s not shown in the chart is my personal experience with both. I find Bernat Blanket to be perfectly suitable for blankets and feels pretty much like a fuzzy towel in yarn form, but it is very ropey in texture and extremely inelastic.
This means that it’s less than ideal for creating amigurumi, which requires a lot of tugging to make sure that stitches are tight and neat. With Bernat Blanket, it can be very difficult and tiring to create neat looking amigurumi.
On paper, Bernat Blanket is the better deal by far, but my experience working with Sweet Snuggles has convinced me that the softness and squishiness makes it by far my favorite, so I would choose Sweet Snuggles for small projects and Bernat Blanket for larger ones that needed more yardage.
My experience using this yarn!
When I was making my heart pillow pattern, I really liked that the variegation for this colorway specifically was evenly distributed and didn’t result in any color pooling. The finished result was very soft, and I had no issues with shedding.
However, I did have some trouble with making my tension even. Bernat Blanket yarn is very inelastic and because it’s also an extremely textured yarn, that meant that sometimes when I pulled yarn through the loops, I would encounter a lot of resistance.
Too much resistance meant that I would tug and the yarn and accidentally get a huge loop, which I then had to readjust through more (you guessed it), tugging. That meant that working with the yarn could be a little tiring and frustrating at times since it didn’t just glide through smoothly.
In addition, because working with super bulky or jumbo yarns is more work on your hands in general, I took breaks more frequently when working with this yarn than I normally do when crocheting.
That being said, it all comes as part of the terrain, and Bernat Blanket is definitely a great workhorse yarn for blankets and other items that need to be durable and also soft.
The lack of shedding is a huge plus and makes it so that you won’t have to worry about the items being thrown around or dragged all over the place and making a mess.
Bernat Blanket is also easy to work with in terms of being able to see the stitches clearly. As you can see in all the images I’ve provided, it’s not a yarn where you won’t be able to tell where to insert the hook or how many stitches you’ve worked.
If you get into velvet yarns or faux fur, this becomes more and more of an issue, but Bernat Blanket hits the sweet spot between being hard to see and still fluffy. This means it’s also great as an entryway to those more advanced novelty yarns, if you have an eye on being able to work with faux fur in the future.
4 gorgeous blanket patterns!
Stripes Crochet Chevron Blanket
This gorgeous chevron blanket by Repeat Crafter Me is customizable to any size and works up so quickly! This project uses Bernat Blanket Stripes which come in larger cakes and are self striping. Of course, you can also substitute that yarn with separate balls of regular Bernat Blanket Yarn, or just go with a monochrome look!
Crochet Cluster Stitch Afghan
This is another amazingly textured blanket pattern that you can work with either with Bernat Blanket Stripes or just your favorite combination of Bernat Blanket. If you’re into a more variegated or speckled look rather than stripes, there are tons of fun colorways in the Bernat Blanket collection that would work great.
Granite Crochet Throw Blanket Pattern
This gorgeous colorblocked pattern is insanely easy — the granite stitch is a simple variation of the single crochet stitch but produces some great feeling texture!
Use two contrasting colors of Bernat Blanket to make this pattern, or just a couple balls of your favorite color.
Herringbone Crochet Blanket
I’ve already mentioned this pattern above, but I have to give it a bigger highlight here because it’s just so beautiful! The pattern can be worked as a large blanket or an oversized shawl as pictured above.
This is an intermediate level pattern, but still goes by super quickly because Bernat Blanket yarn is so thick.
I just love the amazing texture and fringe!!!
4 adorable amigurumi patterns!
Heart Pillow
Of course, I have to give a shoutout to the amigurumi design I created for this yarn! My Heart Pillow pattern works up with just one ball of Bernat Blanket and is the cutest, coziest accent pillow that you could ever wish for.
I designed it to be extra chubby so that it has that perfect squish factor, and I just know you’ll love it as much as I do!
Plush Owl
This adorable owl only uses half a skein of Bernat Blanket so it’s perfect as a stashbuster! On top of that, it’s absolutely adorable and has a simple body shape that even beginners can work up.
This project is perfect for those with kids (don’t use safety eyes though!) because it’s big enough to be hugged and the material can handle rough playing.
Mushroom Stuffie
Speaking of huggable, this amazing oversized mushroom by Moogly is the perfect size for your little ones to play with. The giant stem and cap are just so cute and kids will absolutely love it!
You can make the top of the mushroom any color you like, and the entire project only uses two skeins of Bernat Blanket.
Giant Crochet Jellyfish
Finally, this incredible oversized jellyfish is an amazing gift to give for a baby shower or a child’s birthday! (Again, don’t use safety eyes — substitute them with glued on felt circles or embroidery.)
This giant jellyfish has a huge squishable head and so many fun tentacles that you can make whatever length and color you want. And, you’ll only need one skein of the main color! Win-win!
More amigurumi roundups:
More like this:
- 20 Cutest FREE Crochet Baby Toy Patterns (for beginners!)
- 14 Quick and Easy Crochet Keychains for Bags (Stashbuster!)
- 12 Cutest Free Crochet Gnome Patterns (beginner friendly!)
- 9 Cutest Totoro Crochet Patterns (from Studio Ghibli!)
- 9 Fun Crochet Jellyfish Patterns!
What yarns can I substitute for Bernat Blanket?
Bernat Blanket Yarn can be substituted with Lion Brand I Wanna Make a Blankie Yarn, which has a similar texture and the same weight (super bulky). Other blanket yarns, like Sweet Snuggles from Loops and Threads is also a good option, although it is a higher weight (jumbo).
Lion Brand Yarn has a very similar yarn to Bernat Blanket — it’s called I Wanna Make a Blankie Yarn and comes in a whopping 439 yard skein. That’s enough to make an entire blanket (as the name suggests)!
Stephanie at All About Ami made a simple crochet and knit pattern from this yarn, and look how big her blanket is!
She made a crochet and knit version and wrote down her experience here! This yarn is also a category 6 super bulky yarn and similar texture, but since it has almost twice as much yardage as Bernat Blanket, you can finish your project with fewer ends to weave in. That’s a huge victory in my book!
Commonly Asked Questions
How much Bernat Blanket yarn do I need for a blanket?
You’ll need 9 balls (about 2,000 yards) of Bernat Blanket Yarn for a twin size blanket in single crochet, and only 5 balls (about 900 yards) for a baby blanket. A lovey can be made with just one skein of yarn, while a king size blanket will need up to 15-20 balls.
How thick is Bernat Blanket yarn?
Bernat Blanket yarn is a category 6, super bulky yarn. This means that it is much thicker than normal, works up quickly, and most commonly used for scarves, blankets, rugs, and other accessories.
What hook do I use for Bernat blanket yarn?
You should use an 8mm or size L hook for Bernat Blanket yarn. If you don’t have this exact hook, you can go up or down by one size and it won’t make a huge difference unless you’re creating a sized garment.
How many balls of Bernat yarn do you need for a baby blanket?
As a general rule, you should use 5 balls of Bernat Blanket yarn (around 900 yards) for a baby blanket. If you’re using a complicated stitch, you’ll need more yarn to accommodate it. If you want to make a larger blanket with the same amount of yarn, use a larger hook.
Thanks so much for the article! Have you had any experience with washing Bernat blanket yarn, specifically red? I want to make a red and white blanket but am afraid the red will bleed into the white the first time it is washed. Thank you.
Hi Sharon! I’m glad this article was helpful. I personally have not had any experience in washing Bernat blanket yarn, and while I don’t think it’s technically supposed to bleed in the wash it seems like for red yarns in general bleeding is a problem, so I probably wouldn’t risk it :/ The best solution would probably be to do a test run with a smaller swatch and see what happens, to avoid a really sad tragedy with an entire blanket! Best of luck, and if you try it out, please let me know!
With love,
Julia
If you need 9 balls (about 2000 yards) of Bernat Blanket Yarn for a twin size blanket in single crochet, how many balls do I need if I use double crochet? What are the dimensions for twin size?
Hi Janina, a standard twin blanket size is 60”x84”. Since double crochet stitches use slightly less yarn for how tall they are, I would guess that you would need about 8 balls of Bernat Blanket to be safe. If you’re worried about length, it’s always a good idea to get slightly more yarn than you think you’ll need because dye lots vary and if you have to go back and get one more ball, the color might be slightly different. Hope this helps!
I would like hand knit blanket designs. My hands are messed up &that is the best thing for me If you have any other ideas Let me know. My email is lmartinquilts@yahoo.com Thank you, Linda
Hi Linda, thanks for reaching out! I found this great tutorial here for hand knit blankets: https://www.itsalwaysautumn.com/chunky-hand-knit-blanket.html. I hope this helps!!
With love,
Julia
Hi… I Love bernat baby blanket yarn for all the reasons you stated. I’ve made multiple king, queen, twin and throw sizes. I’ve made rugs also. it’s super soft and washes and dries very well. King and queen blankets wash fine in a front loader but drying is a nightmare. I use bernat baby extra for dog beds car seat covers and couch covers because it protects from dogs and is super absorbent and it washes and dries wonderfully.
I want to touch base on something that I’m still upset about. Bernat baby blanket tiny! same as the big stuff but lighter and a smaller gauge. It was a 4 thickness and a 5mm crochet hook. Even if you doubled it it was still smaller than the normal baby blanket. I have found that most chenille type baby yarn is not machine wash and dry! About a year ago I found Lion Brand yarn Let’s get cozy chenille appeal! comes in a few great colors and is also a 5mm and a medium 4 yarn size. it’s also machine wash and dry. It doesn’t have the weight that regular bernat has and it works up really nice.
thank you for your honest review and I enjoyed reading it!
Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts and experiences! That’s great to know about Bernat Baby Tiny – I’ve never used it but that sounds so frustrating. Yes, I don’t love using chenille yarn, but I’m glad to hear that you found a solution. Thanks for chiming in!
I strongly dislike this yarn. I was going to crochet a baby blanket but it is hard to count stitches. I gave up. Not worth my time being frustrated!
Thanks for letting me know! This is a totally valid opinion 🙂 Blanket yarns (and all fluffy yarns) can be really annoying!