What is an Afghan?
An afghan is the knitted or crocheted blanket everyone has seen thrown over the back of a rocking chair or folded at the foot of Grandmother’s bed. Afghans are often given as gifts and may become family heirlooms. Many people use an afghan as a throw on a chilly day, as a bedspread, or as decoration for the back of a chair. An afghan also makes a good three-season blanket, adding warmth without a lot of weight. An afghan derives its name, in all likelihood, from its resemblance to Afghan Oriental rugs. Many afghans have geometric stripes and patterns, worked in bright colors, just as Afghan rugs have. No one is positive that this is where the name comes from, but it is a pretty good guess. Many people who are learning to crochet or knit make an afghan as their first “big” project. This is because the construction is usually straightforward and requires only basic stitches. More elaborate patterns exist, of course, but making a simple afghan is a good way to master the basic stitches an
