How to Make a Hand-Knitted Chunky Chenille Blanket

Making a chunky chenille hand-knitted blanket is easy, quick, and SO much fun! This post and the corresponding YouTube video will teach you each step in the process of making this chunky knit blanket, including the materials you need, where to purchase chunky chenille yarn, and how much yarn you need for the perfect-sized blanket!

My mom first taught me how to make a chunky chenille blanket during Christmas 2023 after she had learned by watching some TikTok videos. We had so much fun making the blanket together, and the video of my mom’s chaotic tutorial is still one of my most viral Instagram videos to date!

How to Hand-Knit a Chunky Chenille Blanket

Chunky chenille blankets are incredibly easy to make and can be done in just a few hours time. I’ve made small blankets for babies, medium-sized blankets for my dog, and a larger throw blanket that is the perfect size for my partner and I to use while cuddling and watching TV. These blankets make great homemade gifts, and there are so many beautiful colors of chunky chenille yarn to use.

Where can I buy chunky chenille yarn?

Most craft and hobby stores, like Michael’s, sell chunky chenille yarn. You can also purchase very affordable skeins from Amazon. However, I find that the colors offered at these craft stores or on Amazon are very neutral and muted tones, and if you know anything about me, you know how much I LOVE bright colors.

My #1 recommendation is to purchase your chunky chenille yarn from a retailer called BeCozi (and be sure to use my discount code, DKITCHEN10, for 10% off your order). BeCozi has dozens of gorgeous colors that fit any taste, from more muted neutrals to bold and bright yarns.

How many skeins of yarn do I need to make a chunky chenille blanket?

The amount of yarn you need to make a chunky chenille hand-knit blanket will vary depending on your desired size, and the number of yards in each skein of yarn. The following is based on the assumption that each skein is 25-27 yards.

• Small throw blanket: Perfect lap-size throw blanket, about 30″ x 50″ – 5-6 skeins, start with 20 stitches
• Medium throw blanket: Great throw for one person, about 40″ x 60″ – 7-8 skeins, start with 25 stitches
• Large blanket: Perfect for two people, about 40″ x 80″ – 9-10 skeins, start with 30 stitches
• Extra large blanket: Great for a bed runner, about 50″ x 80″ – 12+ skeins, start with 30-35 stitches

A good rule of thumb is to multiple your desired blanket width by the desired length, then divide by 350 to get the approximate number of skeins you may need. For example, if you want a blanket that is 80″ x 80″ you’d calculate 80*80=6400, then take 6400/350=18.26, so you’d need approximately 19 skeins (and that’s a HUGE blanket!).

What materials do I need to make a chunky chenille blanket?

You really don’t need much to make a chunky chenille blanket, since you are using your hands to do the majority of the work! However, I recommend you have a pair of craft scissors and a lighter. I’ll explain the purpose of the lighter in the tutorial.

How long does it take to knit a chunky chenille blanket?

If it’s your first time making a chunky chenille hand-knit blanket, you might want to go slowly at first so you can follow a tutorial closely. Once you get the hang of it, the process starts to move very quickly because it’s very repetitive. The first blanket I ever made used 8 skeins and I got it done in under 4 hours. My second blanket only took me 4 hours with 9 skeins. And by the time I made my third blanket (seen in the YouTube tutorial I filmed), I felt like a pro and got this 8-skein dog blanket done in just over 3 hours. It’s the perfect activity to do on a rainy day!

Step-by-Step Guide to Hand-Knit a Chunky Chenille Blanket

Now that we’ve covered the basics of the materials and sizing, it’s time to get started and learn how to hand-knit your own blanket!

You can watch my entire video tutorial here! This blog post includes all of the written instructions with photos in case that helps you learn best.

Step 1: Gather your materials

Make sure you have your scissors, a lighter, and all of your yarn nearby. The first step is to choose which color you’d like to start with. Find the end of the yarn (if you reach through the yarn’s “butt” you can usually find the end) and pull it out.

Step 2: Start with a slipknot

With the end of the yarn in your left hand, make a loose loop with the yarn in your right hand. I like to work on a flat surface for this so it’s easier to manage as the blanket becomes larger. Put your left fingers through the loop and grab onto the working yarn (the long end of the yarn). Pull this yarn through just enough to make a slip knot that can fit about 3-4 fingers.

Step 3: Create the chain

The first row is going to be different from all of your other rows, because you are setting the foundation for the blanket and the stitch for this row follows a different pattern than the rest of the blanket.

Put your fingers through your first slip knot and grab onto the working yarn, pulling it through just enough to fit about 3-4 fingers into that loop. Repeat this procedure about 20-30 times (depending on your desired blanket width). Be sure not to make these stitches too tight. Once you move on to the next step, if you find that it’s too tight, you can easily pull the row apart and start over!

Once you’ve finished all of your stitches on your first row, you will flip the chain over so the back side is facing up. In other words, if you started by building your chain from left to right and your working yarn is now on the right side, flip it over so that the working yarn is on the left side. This will be the only time you will ever flip your blanket over throughout this process.

Make sure you keep track of the number of stitches you made at this step!

Step 4: Building your first full row

Building the first row onto the chain that you just created is, in my opinion, the hardest part of this process. But with that said, it’s still quite easy.

Now that your chain is flipped over so that the working yarn is back on the left side, you will see the last loop you created in the chain. Ignore that loop for now. You want to look for the little bumps in between each chain. Stick your finger underneath the first bump, then pull through enough of the working yarn to fit about 2 fingers through the loop. Then, move on to the next bump and do the same thing: stick your finger in the bump, then use your finger to pull through some of the working yarn to make a loop.

You also need to make sure that you are counting the number of new loops you are creating. In step 3, you created a certain number of stitches. In my YouTube video example, I made 27 stitches. So, for this step, I will end up making 26 new loops. But remember we skipped the first loop in the chain, so that counts as my 27th loop.

Step 5: Creating your second full row, and subsequent rows

From here on, you will do all of the following rows the exact same way until we get to the final row. This is where you’ll get used to the process quickly, you’ll pick up some speed, and the blanket will be done in no time!

Always, ALWAYS skip the first loop when starting a new row. This will create a beautiful braided effect along the edges of the blanket. Put your fingers through the second loop and pull through enough of the working yarn to create a new loop. The loop can be as tight or as loose as you want it, but I strongly suggest using the size of two fingers as your standard measurement. If you make your loops looser than this, your blanket might look a bit more sloppy and “hole-y.” Any tighter and it may become difficult to work with.

Continue repeating this process until you’ve run out of yarn. Remember to always skip the first loop when starting a new row. Also remember that the number of stitches you started with (in my YouTube example, it’s 27), will be one greater than the number of new loops you will create with each new row (in my example, I create 26 new loops per row, plus the skipped loop equals 27).

Step 6a: Joining two skeins of yarn of the same color

There are a few methods you can use to join two pieces of yarn together. The most basic way to join yarn is to take two ends and tie a knot, pulling it as tight as possible and then trimming the ends. The knot becomes mostly unnoticeable with chunky chenille yarn. But, this is not my favorite way to join this kind of yarn.

My favorite way to join two pieces of yarn is by lighting them on fire. Sort of… Start by cutting the tip off of each end of yarn. Then, take your lighter and light one end of the yarn until it is literally aflame. Working quickly, take the other end of yarn and press it into the burned end. Press and hold the two ends of yarn together for about 5-10 seconds, then gently tug at the two pieces to ensure they are stuck together. Be careful not to burn your fingertips using this method. Please do not let children use this method and only do this if you feel comfortable.

Once you’ve connected the next skein, you can continue the knitting process.

Step 6b: Joining two skeins of yarn of different colors

If you are making a multi-colored blanket similar to the color blocked blankets I’ve created, you’ll need to take a slightly different approach to connecting two skeins of different colors. You want to make sure you’re not starting a new color in the middle of a row so that it looks neater.

It takes about 2-2.5 times as much yarn as the width of your blanket to make a single row. So if you’re nearing the end of a skein, you can see if you can make one final row by measuring the length of yarn that you have left. If it is about 2-2.5 times the width of your blanket, you can probably squeeze in another row before switching colors. If you have less yarn, then stop here.

You’ll need to cut your current yarn right at the base of your last loop. If you are using the lighter method from Step 6a, then cut just the tip of your new yarn. Use your lighter to light one end of the yarn, then press the end of the new yarn into the lit yarn and hold for about 10 seconds. Give it a gentle tug to make sure it is securely attached. Then you can continue kitting as usual.

If you prefer to join the two skeins of yarn with a knot, before you cut the current yarn at the base of your last loop, tie a knot close to the base with the new yarn, then cut the excess. Then process with knitting your next row.

Step 7: Finishing the Hand Knitted Blanket

Before you reach the end of your blanket, you want to make sure you have at least three times as much leftover yarn as the width of your blanket. To measure, simply drape your yarn across the width of your blanket three times to make sure you have enough. If you don’t have enough, you can take out a row.

Finishing your blanket it actually quite easy! Instead of just pulling the yarn through one loop, you’ll pull through two. You’ll do this by taking your first loop and attaching it to the next loop. Then, pull the working yarn through both loops to create a new loop. Then take your new loop and attach it to the next loop, and pull the working yarn through to create another new loop. Repeat the process until you reach the end of the row.

When you make your final loop, pull the rest of the yarn through. Cut some of the excess yarn (leaving about 6 inches of yarn) and weave the excess yarn through the row you just completed. You can tie the excess in a knot with part of your final row. Or you can light the end of the excess yarn and press it into any part of the last row. Tug at it gently to make sure it is secure.

You’ll need to go back and do the same for the loose end at the beginning of the blanket. Just weave the loose end through the first row. Cut just the tip of the yarn. Light the end, then quickly tuck it into any spot in the first row. Press and hold for about 10 seconds. Give it a gently tug to make sure it is secure. And that’s it! You’re done!

What if I make a mistake?

If you make a mistake while hand-knitting your chunky chenille blanket, there is nothing to worry about! Whether you accidentally missed a loop or realized you want to make the blanket wider, you can gently pull the blanket apart by the working end of the yarn. The loops will unravel row by row, so go slowly and pull the yarn to the point where you feel ready to start over.

If you some of your yarn falls out of the loop while you knit and you don’t notice it, it’s not a big deal! Once you come upon the missed stitch, just tuck the loose yarn through the loop that it’s supposed to be in. You’ll catch this mistake quickly, because you can’t move on to subsequent rows unless all of your loops are made in the previous row.

I hope you enjoyed this video and tutorial! Tag me on Instagram, TikTok, or any other platform where you follow me so I can see your finished results! Happy knitting!