Purlgrid editorial team
How many bobbins do I need for C2C crochet?
A four-colour picture can need more than four bobbins because one colour may appear in several disconnected places. The bobbin identifiers tell you which strand continues and when it finishes.
The short answer
Count the separate colour areas in the working diagonals, not just the colours in the picture. Total bobbins and the maximum hanging at once are different numbers. Use a plan from the actual graph, and arrange the active strands in their working order.
Read the two bobbin counts correctly
Total bobbins means all the separately started strands in the plan. Maximum hanging at once means the greatest number active on a single diagonal. One does not replace the other when you prepare materials.
The example below compiles our whale drawing with the same engine used by the editable bobbin calculator. Its counts depend on the actual grid and carrying setting; a different drawing can need a very different arrangement.
Treat carrying as an option, not a compulsory action
A short gap between matching colours may be carried through intervening tiles within the chosen limit. That can join colour areas, but the way those areas connect on later diagonals still matters.
Our planner also checks a no-carry plan and keeps it if it needs fewer bobbins. The carrying setting is an upper limit, not an instruction to carry yarn at every possible gap.
Set up the active row before you crochet
Label the strands so their identifiers match the written rows. Put the active bobbins in the order they appear, and check the new and finishing strands at each diagonal before turning the panel.
Keep only the strands that are still needed in the next part of the plan. Pause to separate crossing yarn rather than tightening a tangled bundle into the work. The plan checks tile ownership and pickup positions; it cannot untangle the physical yarn for you.
A worked example from our engines
| Graph tiles | 576 |
|---|---|
| Diagonal rows | 47 |
| Tile side (cm) | 1.9 |
| Total bobbins | 16 |
| Maximum hanging at once | 8 |
The example values are generated when this page is built. They demonstrate the stated model and inputs; they are not physical sample measurements.
Before you continue
- Check tile size separately from the bobbin count.
- Prepare for the maximum hanging number as well as the total.
- Follow the new-strand and cut instructions on each diagonal.
- Recalculate after redrawing the graph or changing the carry setting.
More questions, answered
Why do two areas of the same colour use different bobbins?
They may not connect through a permitted pickup or carry. Reusing one strand across a large separate area could create a long unwanted strand instead of the intended fabric.
Does every chart square mean one single crochet?
Not in C2C. Here it is one tile. The single-crochet version of the same picture is a different construction with different physical dimensions.
Does more carrying always mean fewer bobbins?
Not always. Connections across later diagonals matter too. Our engine keeps the valid no-carry alternative when it needs fewer starts. Review the generated plan instead of assuming a higher setting must help.
Does the yarn estimate include a border?
The picture-panel estimate covers the stated graph and allowances. Decorative borders, hanging cords and other finishing are separate unless explicitly included.