How to Make a DIY Chunky Knit Blanket in a Few Hours

Learn which yarn to buy, how to tie on new skeins, & other tips

Co-authored by Blythe Nudelman and Elaine Heredia, BA

Last Updated: February 18, 2026 Fact Checked

Chunky knit blankets are cozy and chic, but also expensive! But why spend $80+ for a name-brand blanket when you can knit one in an afternoon? All you need is yarn, your fingers, and our handy tutorial! Keep reading for simple step-by-step instructions on finger-knitting your very own chunky knit blanket for sleeping or decoration (or both).

How do you finger-knit a chunky blanket?

Tie a slipknot and pull a loop through it to start a chain.
Keep stitching the chain until it's as wide as you want it.
Flip the chain over and pull loops through the cross stitches to make the first row.
Pull the yarn through the first row loops to make the second row loops.
Repeat until your blanket is as long as you want it.
Tie the yarn off at the end of the last row and weave the tail into the stitches.

1

Wrap the yarn twice around your hand.

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Unravel a skein of chunky yarn and wrap the end twice around your open hand. The yarn you unraveled from the skein is called the working yarn. Press the four fingers on your left hand together and hold them out with your thumb sticking up. Using your right hand, wrap the yarn twice around your four fingers and leave the end dangling about 9 in (23 cm) below your left hand.^{[1]
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- To finger-knit a blanket big enough for 2 people, you'll need about 10 skeins of chunky yarn. If you're making a bigger blanket, buy extra skeins.
- Knitting expert Blythe Nudelman highly recommends buying chunky yarn specifically labeled for hand-knitting or arm-knitting. This yarn is twisted already, so it won't come unraveled in the wash.^{[2]
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2

Tie a slipknot at the end of the yarn.

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Push the dangling yarn under the first loop on your left hand. Pull it out to form a smaller loop. Next, pull your left hand out of the wrapped yarn, then tug on the end of the yarn and the working yarn to form the slipknot. Leave the end, or the slipknot's tail, about 6 in (15 cm) long.^{[3]
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- Make the slipknot big enough to fit your index finger and thumb inside it and spread them about 1–2 in (2.5–5.1 cm) apart. This will let you create a tight stitch, but not so tight that it's hard to pull yarn through it.
- Expand the slipknot if you want looser stitches and bigger gaps in your blanket. Make it smaller if you want tighter stitches and the smallest gaps possible.
  - Keep in mind that the tighter the stitches are, the harder it will be to finger-knit them!

3

Pull a loop through the slipknot.

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Pinch the working yarn between your index finger and thumb and pull it through the slipknot to form a loop. Tug on the yarn to make the loop about the same size as the slipknot you started with.^{[4]
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4

Build a chain with loops.

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The number of chain loops determines the blanket's size when it's finished. For example, if you want to craft a 2-person throw blanket, make the chain 45 stitches long.^{[5]
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5

Pull loops through the cross stitches.

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When you reach the end of the chain, reverse directions. Flip the chain over so you can see the horizontal cross stitches on the underside. Put your index finger and thumb through the cross stitch closest to the last loop in the chain, then pull your working yarn through to form a loop. Repeat with all the remaining cross stitches in the chain until you get to the other end of it.^{[6]
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- When you're done, you'll have finger-knit a chain and the first row, which will look like a long line of individual loops.
- Make all the loops roughly the same size by adjusting them as you go.

6

Pull the working yarn through the first row loops.

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Pull the working yarn through the loop from front to back (as it's facing you) to form another loop. Next, position the working yarn under the second loop and push it up and through, back to front. Alternate between pushing the yarn front to back through a loop and then back to front through the next loop, until you reach the end of the row.^{[7]
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7

Finger-knit as many rows as you want.

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Decide how long you want your blanket to be. Consider the width and what you plan to use the blanket for. For example, a standard throw blanket is about 50 in (130 cm) by 60 in (150 cm).^{[8]
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Research source} Using the same ratio, if your blanket is 45 stitches wide, you would need to finger-knit 55 rows. You can also check the length as you go and decide for yourself when you want to stop.
- When you run out of working yarn in a skein, simply unravel another skein and knot one end to the end of your first skein. Then keep finger-knitting as usual.
- To alternate colors in your blanket, knit to the end of a row, then cut the end of the working yarn off and tie on a new skein in a different color. Repeat as often and with as many colors of yarn as you want until you knit the last row.

8

Pull the yarn through 2 loops at a time on the last row.

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While still holding the loop you just made with the working yarn, grasp the next loop in the row with the same fingers. Then push a loop of the working yarn through these 2 loops, as well. Repeat these steps until you reach the other end of the row. By the end, you should have only one loop and the working yarn.^{[9]
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9

Tie the yarn off and weave the end through the rows.

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Cut the working yarn with scissors, leaving a 1 ft (0.30 m) tail. Push the tail all the way through the last loop on the end of the last row and pull it tight out the other side to make a knot. Next, weave the tail through the stitches on the side of the blanket. When you only have about 2–3 in (5.1–7.6 cm) of the tail left, tie it in a knot around a stitch. Then cut the remaining tail off near the knot with scissors.^{[10]
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- This project can take anywhere from 1-6 hours, depending on the size of your blanket and how fast you can finger-knit. The more you practice, the faster you'll get!