What yarn weight should I use for a blanket?

Question

I'm knitting my boyfriend a blanket for Christmas. I'm trying to save some money, so would it be better to use a bulky, but more expensive, yarn like this:

http://www.knitpicks.com/Swish+Bulky+Yarn_YD5420176.html

or a cheaper DK weight yarn like this:

http://www.knitpicks.com/Crayon+Boucle+Yarn_YD5420121.html

On one hand, the DK weight yarn is a lot cheaper. But since it's thinner than the bulky yarn, I'll have to do many more stitches to compensate for the gauge...and I'm not sure if that means I'll wind up using more of the DK weight yarn in the end.

Is it more cost-effective to knit the blanket with a "fewer stitches to the inch" bulky yarn?

Answer 1

The bulky yarn is nice because it's a superwash wool and would knit fast. (FYI-knitting takes up LESS yarn than crochet.) If you want the speed of the bulky but the cost of the DK weight, why not just double the DK yarn, i.e. hold two yarns at the same time. With the boucle texture no one will know or you could choose two colors and make it look really cool! Boucle yarn would be slightly harder to knit but more forgiving with little knitting mistakes and possible stains.

Answer 2

Bulky yarn has fewer stitches per inch but also comes with less yardage on the skein. I would suggest picking a worsted weight yarn. It's not as time consuming as DK weight which could get intimidating because the work is slower but lays nicer than bulky yarn does. Good Luck

Answer 3

My favorite bulky yarn is 'boucle.  It is easy to work with and so soft and luxurious when it's finished. especially for blankets.  The boucle is available in larger skeins at micheals, wal mart, hobby lobby, etc.  For a blanket about 48 - 50" sq. the cost was about $40/  That's crochet, I guess knitting uses about the same amount of yarn.