🧶 Crochet Calories Burned Calculator
Estimate energy expenditure while crocheting • Track fitness activity
Crochet Calories Burned Calculator
Crochet Activity Guide & Information
| Intensity Level | Calories/Hour (150 lbs) | Description | Examples | Duration Tip |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Light (Relaxed) | 80-100 cal/hr | Loose tension, simple stitches, slow pace, watching TV | Single crochet, double crochet chains, granny squares | Can do for 2-3+ hours |
| Moderate (Normal) | 120-150 cal/hr | Medium tension, varied stitches, steady pace, focused | Mixed stitches, simple patterns, blankets, scarves | Typical 1-2 hour sessions |
| Vigorous (Intense) | 180-220 cal/hr | Tight tension, complex stitches, fast pace, concentrating hard | Lacy patterns, amigurumi, intricate designs, colorwork | Tiring after 45-90 minutes |
🔥 Factors Affecting Calories Burned
Body Weight: Heavier people burn more calories (25-30% more at 200 lbs vs 150 lbs)
Tension Level: Tighter tension = more muscle effort = higher calorie burn (15-25% increase)
Yarn Weight: Finer yarn (fingering, lace) requires more stitches = higher intensity (20-40% more)
Stitch Complexity: Complex stitches (cables, lace) burn more than basic stitches (10-20% increase)
Pace/Speed: Faster crochet = more arm/hand movement = higher burn (15-30% increase)
Posture: Active posture burns more than slouching (up to 30% difference)
📊 Typical Crochet Calorie Burns (150 lb person)
30 minutes light crochet: 40-50 calories
1 hour moderate crochet: 120-150 calories
1 hour vigorous crochet: 180-220 calories
2 hours moderate crochet: 240-300 calories
3 hours light crochet (movie night): 240-300 calories
💡 Tips to Maximize Calorie Burn While Crocheting
Use Finer Yarn: Fingering or sport weight requires more stitches and movement
Tighten Your Tension: Intentionally use slightly tighter tension for more effort
Choose Complex Patterns: Lace, cables, intricate designs require more focus and effort
Work Faster: Increase your pace = more arm movement = higher burn
Good Posture: Sit upright with good arm position (burns 20-30% more than slouching)
Take Active Breaks: Stand and stretch every 30-60 minutes
Avoid Food While Crocheting: Easy to mindlessly eat; focus on the craft
⏱️ Average Crochet Sessions by Type
Relaxing/TV Crochet: 1-3 hours light intensity (80-300 calories)
Focused Project Time: 1-2 hours moderate intensity (120-300 calories)
Intensive Work (Lace/Amigurumi): 30-60 minutes vigorous (90-220 calories)
Craft Retreat/Marathon: 4-6 hours varied intensity (500-900 calories)
📈 Calorie Burn by Weight (per hour moderate intensity)
120 lbs: ~100 calories/hour
150 lbs: ~125 calories/hour
180 lbs: ~150 calories/hour
200 lbs: ~165 calories/hour
220 lbs: ~180 calories/hour
Health Benefits of Crocheting as Exercise
💪 Physical Benefits
Calorie Burning: 80-220+ calories per hour (depending on intensity)
Upper Body Toning: Strengthens forearms, wrists, shoulders, hands
Hand Dexterity: Improves fine motor skills and coordination
Posture Improvement: Good crochet posture strengthens core and back
Circulation: Hand and arm movement improves blood circulation
Flexibility: Finger and wrist movements maintain joint flexibility
🧠 Mental & Cognitive Benefits
Stress Relief: Meditative, repetitive motion reduces anxiety
Mental Focus: Pattern concentration improves focus and attention
Mindfulness: Present-moment awareness (similar to meditation)
Cognitive Stimulation: Problem-solving with patterns and color choices
Mood Boost: Creative accomplishment releases endorphins
Memory Enhancement: Remembering patterns strengthens memory
❤️ Cardiovascular & Health Benefits
Heart Health: Light cardio activity improves circulation (similar to slow walking)
Blood Pressure: Stress relief from crochet can lower blood pressure
Weight Management: Regular sessions contribute to calorie expenditure
Arthritis Prevention: Hand movement helps maintain joint health (in moderation)
Sleep Quality: Creative satisfaction promotes better sleep
🎯 Comparison to Other Activities (calories/hour at 150 lbs)
Sitting still: 60-70 cal/hr
Crochet (light): 80-100 cal/hr
Crochet (moderate): 120-150 cal/hr
Crochet (vigorous): 180-220 cal/hr
Knitting: 100-130 cal/hr (similar to light crochet)
Embroidery: 70-90 cal/hr (less movement)
Walking (3 mph): 240 cal/hr
Yoga: 180-250 cal/hr
✨ Holistic Health Benefits
Social Connection: Crochet circles and communities provide social engagement
Sense of Purpose: Creating gifts and items boosts self-esteem
Longevity: Combining physical activity + mental engagement + creativity = healthier aging
Pain Management: Calming effects help with chronic pain conditions
Gratification: Tangible results (finished projects) provide motivation
⚠️ Ergonomic Tips to Prevent Injury
Proper Posture: Sit upright, back against chair, feet flat on floor
Arm Position: Keep elbows close to body, forearms level
Hook Grip: Hold hook lightly (pencil grip or knife grip), not tense
Wrist Alignment: Keep wrist straight, avoid excessive bending
Take Breaks: Stretch every 30-60 minutes
Hand Exercises: Regular stretching prevents carpal tunnel and tendonitis
Good Lighting: Reduces eye strain and neck tension
🎁 Making Crochet a Sustainable Exercise
Consistency: Regular crochet sessions (3-4x weekly) provide cumulative health benefits
Mix Intensity: Alternate between light and moderate sessions to avoid repetitive strain
Combine Activities: Pair crochet with walking (crochet breaks during walks) or audiobooks
Social Events: Join crochet circles for social exercise benefits
Challenge Projects: Progressive difficulty increases calorie burn over time
Crochet Calories Burned
Calculator & Complete Guide
How Many Calories Does Crocheting Burn? · Per Hour · Per Session · By Project
The Complete Reference for Crafters — 2025 / 2026 Edition
Yes — crocheting burns calories. It may not feel like a workout, but every stitch you make involves real muscular activity, sustained focus, and a meaningful calorie burn that adds up over hours, sessions, and projects. This guide gives you the complete calculator, the science behind why crocheting burns energy, how it compares to other crafts and activities, and how to make the most of every hour you spend with a hook in hand.
1. Does Crocheting Burn Calories?
The short answer is yes — crocheting does burn calories. The question that most crafters actually want answered is how many, and whether the burn is significant enough to matter.
Crocheting is classified as a light-to-moderate sedentary activity in exercise science terms. It sits alongside other fine motor activities — typing, playing piano, drawing — in a category that burns meaningfully more energy than simply sitting still, but considerably less than walking or conventional exercise. The calorie burn comes from several sources: repetitive muscular contractions in your hands, fingers, wrists, and forearms; sustained postural work in your shoulders, neck, and upper back; and the cognitive load of following a pattern, counting stitches, and maintaining concentration.
Research on the calorie expenditure of crafts and fine motor activities consistently places crocheting in the range of 100 to 180 calories per hour, depending on body weight, stitch pace, and the complexity of the project being worked on. This is roughly comparable to light yoga, slow walking, or gentle stretching — not a high-intensity workout, but a genuinely non-trivial burn for an activity most people would not think of as physical at all.
🧶 A crocheter working on a large blanket project for two hours burns approximately the same number of calories as a 20-minute slow walk—every stitch counts.
2. Crochet Calories Burned Calculator
Use this step-by-step calculator to estimate how many calories you burn during a crocheting session. The formula uses the MET (Metabolic Equivalent of Task) value assigned to light handcraft activity by the Compendium of Physical Activities.
The Formula
📐 Calories Burned = MET Value × Body Weight (kg) × Duration (hours)
📐 MET Value for Crocheting = 1.5 (light handcraft / seated craft activity)
How to Use the Calculator
- Find your body weight in kilograms (kg). If you know your weight in pounds, divide by 2.205.
- Convert your session time to decimal hours (e.g. 30 minutes = 0.5 hours; 90 minutes = 1.5 hours).
- Multiply: 1.5 (MET) × your weight in kg × time in hours = calories burned.
Worked Examples
Body Weight | Session Length | Calculation | Calories Burned |
| 55 kg (121 lb) | 30 min (0.5 hr) | 1.5 × 55 × 0.5 | ~41 calories |
| 55 kg (121 lb) | 1 hour | 1.5 × 55 × 1.0 | ~83 calories |
| 55 kg (121 lb) | 2 hours | 1.5 × 55 × 2.0 | ~165 calories |
| 70 kg (154 lb) | 30 min (0.5 hr) | 1.5 × 70 × 0.5 | ~53 calories |
| 70 kg (154 lb) | 1 hour | 1.5 × 70 × 1.0 | ~105 calories |
| 70 kg (154 lb) | 2 hours | 1.5 × 70 × 2.0 | ~210 calories |
| 85 kg (187 lb) | 30 min (0.5 hr) | 1.5 × 85 × 0.5 | ~64 calories |
| 85 kg (187 lb) | 1 hour | 1.5 × 85 × 1.0 | ~128 calories |
| 85 kg (187 lb) | 2 hours | 1.5 × 85 × 2.0 | ~255 calories |
| 100 kg (220 lb) | 1 hour | 1.5 × 100 × 1.0 | ~150 calories |
| 100 kg (220 lb) | 2 hours | 1.5 × 100 × 2.0 | ~300 calories |
ℹ️ MET values for crocheting vary slightly between sources — some research places it at 1.3 (very light) and others at 1.8 (moderate pace with complex patterns). The value of 1.5 represents a reasonable midpoint for average-pace crocheting on a medium-complexity project.
3. How Many Calories Does Crocheting Burn Per Hour?
The calories burned per hour of crocheting depend primarily on body weight — heavier bodies require more energy to sustain any activity, including seated craft work. The table below gives a complete reference across common body weight ranges.
Crochet Calories Burned Per Hour — By Body Weight
Body Weight | Calories Burned Per Hour (Crocheting) | Approx. Calories Per 30 Min |
| 45 kg (99 lb) | ~68 cal/hr | ~34 cal |
| 50 kg (110 lb) | ~75 cal/hr | ~38 cal |
| 55 kg (121 lb) | ~83 cal/hr | ~41 cal |
| 60 kg (132 lb) | ~90 cal/hr | ~45 cal |
| 65 kg (143 lb) | ~98 cal/hr | ~49 cal |
| 70 kg (154 lb) | ~105 cal/hr | ~53 cal |
| 75 kg (165 lb) | ~113 cal/hr | ~56 cal |
| 80 kg (176 lb) | ~120 cal/hr | ~60 cal |
| 85 kg (187 lb) | ~128 cal/hr | ~64 cal |
| 90 kg (198 lb) | ~135 cal/hr | ~68 cal |
| 95 kg (209 lb) | ~143 cal/hr | ~71 cal |
| 100 kg (220 lb) | ~150 cal/hr | ~75 cal |
| 110 kg (243 lb) | ~165 cal/hr | ~83 cal |
| 120 kg (265 lb) | ~180 cal/hr | ~90 cal |
💡 A 70 kg crocheter working at a comfortable pace burns approximately 105 calories per hour — similar to light housework, gentle stretching, or slow walking on a flat surface.
How Pace and Pattern Complexity Affect Calorie Burn
Crocheting Style | MET Estimate | Calories/Hour (70 kg) | Notes |
| Very slow, watching TV, simple stitches | ~1.3 | ~91 cal/hr | Minimal active concentration |
| Comfortable pace, standard pattern | ~1.5 | ~105 cal/hr | Typical crochet session |
| Brisk pace, complex pattern / lacework | ~1.8 | ~126 cal/hr | High concentration, faster hand movement |
| Standing while crocheting | ~2.0 | ~140 cal/hr | Adding postural work increases burn |
| Crocheting with frequent position changes | ~1.7 | ~119 cal/hr | Shifting, re-tensioning, adjusting |
4. Calories Burned Crocheting — By Session Length
Whether you crochet for 30 minutes or a full weekend, the calories you burn add up in a surprisingly meaningful way over time. This section breaks down calorie expenditure by session length across popular time frames.
Calories Burned in a 30-Minute Crocheting Session
A 30-minute crocheting session is the most common casual craft window — a lunch break, an episode of a favourite show, or a brief evening wind-down. Here is what a 30-minute session burns across different body weights:
Body Weight | Calories Burned in 30 Minutes of Crocheting |
| 55 kg (121 lb) | ~41 calories |
| 65 kg (143 lb) | ~49 calories |
| 70 kg (154 lb) | ~53 calories |
| 80 kg (176 lb) | ~60 calories |
| 90 kg (198 lb) | ~68 calories |
| 100 kg (220 lb) | ~75 calories |
Cumulative Calories Burned Over Weeks of Crocheting
How many calories burned crocheting over 30 minutes per day adds up over time depends on your consistency. The table below shows cumulative calorie burn for a 70 kg crocheter doing 30 minutes of crocheting per day:
Timeframe | Sessions (30 min/day) | Total Calories Burned (70 kg) | Equivalent To |
| 1 week (7 days) | 7 sessions | ~371 calories | About 1 small chocolate bar |
| 2 weeks | 14 sessions | ~742 calories | About 1.5 hours of jogging |
| 1 month (30 days) | 30 sessions | ~1,575 calories | About a pound of body fat territory |
| 3 months | 90 sessions | ~4,725 calories | Significant cumulative burn |
| 6 months | 180 sessions | ~9,450 calories | Equivalent to ~100 miles of slow walking |
| 1 year | 365 sessions | ~19,163 calories | Meaningful long-term energy expenditure |
🧶 Crocheting every day for 30 minutes burns the equivalent of about 19,000 calories per year for a 70 kg person — comparable to the energy cost of running approximately 190 km over the same period. Every stitch adds up.
5. Calories Burned Crocheting — By Body Weight
Body weight is the single biggest variable in calorie expenditure for any activity, including crocheting. A larger body expends more energy performing the same task because it requires more energy to sustain basic metabolic function and to move and support greater mass. The tables below give a complete reference.
Full Session Calorie Reference — All Common Session Lengths
Body Weight | 30 Min | 1 Hour | 1.5 Hours | 2 Hours | 3 Hours |
| 50 kg | ~38 | ~75 | ~113 | ~150 | ~225 |
| 60 kg | ~45 | ~90 | ~135 | ~180 | ~270 |
| 70 kg | ~53 | ~105 | ~158 | ~210 | ~315 |
| 80 kg | ~60 | ~120 | ~180 | ~240 | ~360 |
| 90 kg | ~68 | ~135 | ~203 | ~270 | ~405 |
| 100 kg | ~75 | ~150 | ~225 | ~300 | ~450 |
| 110 kg | ~83 | ~165 | ~248 | ~330 | ~495 |
| 120 kg | ~90 | ~180 | ~270 | ~360 | ~540 |
ℹ️ All calorie values are estimates based on a MET of 1.5 for crocheting. Individual results vary based on metabolic rate, body composition, session intensity, and the type of project being worked on.
6. Does Crocheting Burn More Calories Than Knitting?
The question of whether crocheting or knitting burns more calories is one of the most searched comparisons in the crafting world. The answer is nuanced — and it slightly favours crocheting.
Crocheting vs Knitting — Calorie Comparison
Crocheting uses a single hook and involves a movement pattern where each stitch is worked individually and released before the next begins. This creates a slightly more repetitive, higher-frequency hand movement than standard knitting, which uses two needles and involves holding live stitches on both needles simultaneously. Crochet also typically requires more active yarn tension control per stitch than most knitting styles.
Most exercise science sources assign crocheting a MET value of approximately 1.5, while knitting is typically assigned a value of 1.3 to 1.4. This small difference translates into a meaningfully higher calorie burn per hour during sustained crocheting sessions.
Activity | MET Value | Calories/Hour (70 kg) | Calories/2 Hours (70 kg) |
| Crocheting (standard pace) | 1.5 | ~105 cal/hr | ~210 cal |
| Crocheting (complex pattern) | 1.7 – 1.8 | ~119–126 cal/hr | ~238–252 cal |
| Knitting (standard pace) | 1.3 – 1.4 | ~91–98 cal/hr | ~182–196 cal |
| Knitting (complex lace) | 1.5 – 1.6 | ~105–112 cal/hr | ~210–224 cal |
| Cross-stitch / embroidery | 1.3 | ~91 cal/hr | ~182 cal |
| Quilting (hand sewing) | 1.5 | ~105 cal/hr | ~210 cal |
| Sitting quietly (no craft) | 1.0 | ~70 cal/hr | ~140 cal |
💡 Crocheting burns approximately 10–15% more calories than knitting at equivalent paces, primarily because of the higher frequency of individual stitch movements and the greater yarn tension management involved per stitch.
7. Crochet Project Calorie Burns — Blanket, Sweater & More
One of the most satisfying ways to think about crocheting and calorie burn is by project. How many calories does it take to crochet an entire blanket? A baby cardigan? A pair of socks? The answers below are estimated for a 70 kg crocheter working at a comfortable average pace.
Estimated Calories Burned Per Crochet Project
Project | Estimated Hours | Calories Burned (70 kg) | Notes |
| Dishcloth / small square | 0.5 – 1 hr | ~53 – 105 cal | Quick, simple project |
| Beanie / hat | 2 – 4 hrs | ~210 – 420 cal | Standard adult beanie |
| Scarf (simple) | 3 – 6 hrs | ~315 – 630 cal | Long single-stitch scarf |
| Scarf (textured pattern) | 5 – 10 hrs | ~525 – 1,050 cal | Cable-style or bobble texture |
| Baby booties (pair) | 2 – 4 hrs | ~210 – 420 cal | Per pair |
| Baby blanket | 10 – 20 hrs | ~1,050 – 2,100 cal | Newborn to lap size |
| Amigurumi (small figure) | 3 – 8 hrs | ~315 – 840 cal | Higher concentration burn |
| Tote bag / market bag | 4 – 8 hrs | ~420 – 840 cal | Cotton yarn projects |
| Cardigan / sweater | 20 – 40 hrs | ~2,100 – 4,200 cal | Adult size, worsted weight |
| Full-size crochet blanket | 30 – 60 hrs | ~3,150 – 6,300 cal | Queen/double bed size |
| Afghan / throw | 15 – 30 hrs | ~1,575 – 3,150 cal | Standard throw size |
| Granny square blanket | 20 – 50 hrs | ~2,100 – 5,250 cal | Many small units assembled |
🧶 Crocheting a full-size blanket for a queen bed can burn between 3,000 and 6,300 calories for a 70 kg crocheter — that is the equivalent of running 30 to 63 kilometres, one stitch at a time.
8. How Crocheting Burns Calories — The Science
Understanding why crocheting burns calories makes the number feel more real and helps you maximise the benefit from every session.
Muscular Activity
Every crochet stitch involves the coordinated contraction of multiple small muscle groups. The primary muscles engaged during crocheting include:
- Intrinsic hand muscles: the small muscles within the hand that control finger movement and grip — these work continuously during crocheting
- Forearm flexors and extensors: control wrist movement and hook/yarn tension
- Shoulder and upper arm muscles: provide the larger arm movements that guide the work and manage the project’s weight as it grows
- Neck and upper back (postural): sustained isometric contraction to hold the head and upper body in a working position
These muscles may be small, but they fire hundreds of times per hour during active crocheting. The aggregate energy cost of this sustained muscular activity accounts for the majority of crochet’s calorie burn above baseline resting metabolic rate.
Cognitive Energy
The brain is a significant energy consumer, using approximately 20% of the body’s total energy at rest. Complex pattern following, stitch counting, spatial reasoning during shaping, and colour management all increase cognitive workload above the resting baseline. While the additional calorie burn from cognitive activity alone is modest, it contributes to the overall energy expenditure of a crocheting session — particularly when working on complex lacework, amigurumi construction, or a multi-colour tapestry project where the brain is consistently engaged.
Resting Metabolic Rate vs Active Burn
The MET value for crocheting (approximately 1.5) means that crocheting burns 1.5 times your resting metabolic rate. If your body burns 70 calories per hour at complete rest, crocheting raises that to approximately 105 calories per hour — an additional 35 calories per hour above baseline, coming purely from the physical and cognitive demands of the craft.
📐 Additional burn from crocheting = (MET − 1.0) × Resting Metabolic Rate × Hours
💡 The additional 35 calories per hour above resting rate for a 70 kg crocheter is modest on its own — but over a lifetime of crocheting, accumulated across thousands of sessions, it is genuinely meaningful.
9. Tips to Burn More Calories While Crocheting
If you enjoy crocheting and want to increase the energy you burn during your sessions, these practical approaches let you do both at once.
Physical Tips
- Crochet standing up: working at a standing desk, kitchen counter, or high table while crocheting adds postural muscle engagement and raises your MET from approximately 1.5 to 1.8–2.0 — a 20–35% increase in calorie burn without any change to your project.
- Use an exercise or stability ball as your seat: replaces passive sitting with active core engagement; your stabilising muscles work continuously to maintain balance, adding to overall energy expenditure.
- Take movement breaks every 30–45 minutes: standing, stretching, or walking briefly between crocheting intervals also improves hand and wrist health — two benefits from one habit.
- Crochet while walking (treadmill at very low speed): some experienced crafters crochet on a treadmill at 1–1.5 mph — a combined burn that can reach 200+ calories per hour for a 70 kg person
- Choose larger projects: heavier yarn and a larger project in your lap adds a very small physical load to arm and wrist muscles; the difference is minor but real over multi-hour sessions.
Session Tips
- Work on complex patterns rather than simple repetitive stitches: the additional cognitive and fine-motor demands of lacework, textured stitches, and multi-colour designs elevate your MET slightly above the baseline estimate.
- Crochet for longer, more consistent sessions: the cumulative benefit of crocheting for 2 hours rather than stopping at 45 minutes compounds significantly, particularly important if crocheting is your primary leisure-time movement
- Maintain good posture: a crocheter sitting upright with a supported back engages more postural muscles than one who is slumped; good posture also reduces fatigue that shortens sessions.
- Keep your sessions consistent across the week: the cumulative calorie burn of daily 30-minute sessions over a year is genuinely significant and is maximised by regularity rather than occasional long sessions.
10. Health Benefits of Crocheting Beyond Calorie Burn
Calorie burn is just one of many health benefits associated with regular crocheting. Research into the health effects of repetitive craft activities has expanded significantly over the past decade, and the findings are consistently positive.
Mental Health and Stress Reduction
- Multiple studies have shown that crocheting reduces cortisol levels — the primary stress hormone — during and after craft sessions. The rhythmic, repetitive nature of stitching activates the same parasympathetic nervous system response as meditation.
- Regular crafting is associated with reduced anxiety symptoms in several clinical and community studies. The combination of focused attention and physical engagement in a low-stakes, rewarding activity creates a uniquely effective mental reset.
- Crocheters report significantly higher levels of happiness, calm, and a sense of purpose than non-crafting peers in survey data collected across multiple countries.
Cognitive Benefits
- Pattern following, stitch counting, and spatial reasoning during shaping engage multiple cognitive domains simultaneously — working memory, attention, sequential processing, and spatial awareness.
- Regular engagement in complex craft activities is associated with a reduced risk of age-related cognitive decline in longitudinal studies. Crocheting complex patterns is cognitively demanding enough to provide meaningful brain training across a lifetime of practice.
- Learning new stitches and techniques stimulates neuroplasticity — the brain’s capacity to form new connections — making crocheting one of the more cognitively stimulating leisure activities available.
Physical Health Benefits
- Regular crocheting maintains and improves fine motor dexterity and hand-eye coordination — particularly valuable as a preventive measure against age-related decline in hand function.
- The structured hand movements of crocheting help maintain joint mobility in the hands and wrists when practised with good ergonomic habits and regular breaks.
- The repetitive physical activity of crocheting, while light, contributes to daily non-exercise activity thermogenesis (NEAT) — the cumulative calorie burn from all movement that is not formal exercise, which plays a significant role in long-term weight management
- Crocheting can be adapted to a wide range of physical abilities, making it one of the most accessible long-term physical activities available — requiring no equipment beyond a hook and yarn and no specific physical fitness level to begin.
Social and Emotional Benefits
- Crocheting circles, craft groups, and online communities provide meaningful social connection — a factor consistently identified as one of the most important predictors of long-term health and wellbeing.
- Completing projects provides a tangible sense of achievement and contributes to self-efficacy — the belief in one’s own ability to accomplish goals — which is protective against depression and anxiety.
- Gift-giving through handmade items creates social bonds and provides the psychological benefit of prosocial behaviour — giving to others has measurable positive effects on the giver’s wellbeing.
11. Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Does crocheting burn calories?
Yes — crocheting burns approximately 75 to 150 calories per hour, depending on your body weight, working at a comfortable pace. It is classified as a light activity, with a MET value of approximately 1.5, meaning it burns 1.5 times your resting metabolic rate. While it does not replace conventional exercise for fitness goals, it is a genuinely non-trivial calorie burn for a seated leisure activity.
Q: How many calories does crocheting burn per hour?
For a 70 kg (154 lb) person crocheting at a comfortable pace, the burn is approximately 100-105 calories per hour. For lighter individuals (around 55 kg), the figure is closer to 80-85 calories per hour. For heavier individuals (around 100 kg), it rises to approximately 145-150 calories per hour. Complex patterns and faster working paces increase the burn slightly.
Q: How many calories do you burn crocheting for 30 minutes?
A 70 kg person burns approximately 50-53 calories during a 30-minute crocheting session. A 55 kg person burns roughly 40 to 42 calories, and a 100 kg person burns approximately 73 to 75 calories in the same 30-minute window. These figures are based on a MET value of 1.5 for standard crocheting.
Q: Does crocheting or knitting burn more calories?
Crocheting burns slightly more calories than knitting at equivalent paces — approximately 10 to 15% more per hour. Crocheting is assigned a MET of approximately 1.5 in most exercise science references, while knitting typically receives a MET of 1.3 to 1.4. The difference comes from the higher frequency of individual stitch movements in crochet and the greater per-stitch yarn tension management required.
Q: Can you burn calories crocheting a blanket?
Yes — and the total burn across a full project is significant. A full-size crochet blanket for a double bed typically takes 30 to 60 hours of work for a 70 kg crocheter, which translates to approximately 3,150 to 6,300 calories burned over the course of the project. A smaller baby blanket (10 to 20 hours) burns roughly 1,050 to 2,100 calories from start to finish.
Q: How does crocheting burn calories if you are sitting still?
Even sedentary-looking activities involve real muscular and cognitive effort. During crocheting, the small muscles of the hands, fingers, wrists, and forearms contract hundreds of times per hour. The shoulders and neck maintain postural position continuously. The brain engages working memory, attention, and spatial reasoning to follow patterns and count stitches. All of this activity costs energy above your resting metabolic baseline, which is where the calorie burn comes from.
Q: Does crocheting more complex patterns burn more calories?
Yes, slightly. Complex lacework, textured stitches, colour-work tapestry, and amigurumi construction involve faster, more varied hand movements and significantly higher cognitive demand than simple repetitive stitches. This elevates the MET estimate for the session from around 1.5 toward 1.7 to 1.8, adding approximately 15 to 25% more calories per hour compared to plain single or double crochet worked at the same speed.
Q: How many calories are burned crocheting for a week of 30-minute sessions?
A 70 kg person who crochets for 30 minutes per day for 7 days burns approximately 370-375 calories over the week. This is comparable to the calorie cost of a gentle 45-minute walk. Over a full month of daily 30-minute sessions, the cumulative burn reaches approximately 1,575 calories for a 70 kg person.
Q: Is crocheting good for weight management?
Crocheting contributes to daily non-exercise activity thermogenesis (NEAT) — the total energy your body burns from all movement that is not formal exercise. NEAT has been identified as a significant factor in long-term weight management. While crocheting alone is unlikely to produce significant weight loss, it replaces fully sedentary activities with a calorie-burning alternative, and the mental health and stress-reduction benefits of regular crafting also support healthy habits more broadly.
Q: What is the crochet calories hooker connection?
Crocheting is performed with a tool called a crochet hook — sometimes playfully referred to by crafters as a ‘hooker’s tool’, leading to the affectionate self-description among crocheters as a ‘hooker’. The term has no other meaning in this context. The calorie burn associated with using a crochet hook at a standard pace is the 1.5 MET figure described throughout this guide — approximately 100-150 calories per hour, depending on body weight.
Q: Does the type of yarn or hook size affect how many calories you burn crocheting?
Marginally. Working with heavier-weight yarn (bulky or super bulky) and a large hook requires slightly more arm movement per stitch due to the work’s larger scale, which may marginally increase calorie burn. Conversely, fine lacework yarn on a very small hook (1 to 2 mm) requires more precise, controlled movement and greater cognitive effort, which also slightly elevates the burn. The differences are small — a few calories per hour at most — but working at a larger scale or on more complex work is not calorie-neutral.
12. Disclaimer
The calorie burn estimates in this guide are for general informational and educational purposes only. All figures are approximations based on published MET (Metabolic Equivalent of Task) values from the Compendium of Physical Activities and standard calorie expenditure formulas.
Individual calorie burn varies significantly based on metabolic rate, body composition, age, fitness level, the specific movements involved in a particular crocheting session, and many other individual factors. The figures in this guide are averages and estimates — they should not be used for precise medical, nutritional, or clinical calorie tracking.
This guide does not constitute medical, nutritional, physiotherapy, or weight management advice. If you have concerns about your health, calorie requirements, or the suitability of any physical activity, including crocheting, given an existing health condition, please consult a qualified healthcare professional.
Crocheting provides health benefits, including stress reduction, cognitive engagement, and fine motor activity — but it is a light-intensity activity. It should be understood as a complement, not a replacement, for regular moderate-intensity physical activity as recommended by national health guidelines.
For personalised calorie and fitness advice, consult a registered dietitian, certified personal trainer, or your healthcare provider.