 |
|
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
 |
 |
 |
Create your own afghan, baby blanket or throw.
It's easy!
For Printer-friendly instructions click here
You can make a warm, cuddly blanket or afghan of your own, using any stitch
pattern you like, by following the simple instructions found on this page.
If you are a beginning knitter, follow this link to learn how to cast
on, knit, and purl. When you have that information, come back and procede
to the first step.
Learn to knit
Blanket / Afghan Pattern
The blanket is divided into 3 sections so that it won't become too heavy
to hold while knitting. It also has an edge treatment on the bottom and
top. By using my gauge charts, you can use any stitch pattern you like
to make the blanket. You also will have several choices of edging.
Please read all the instructions before you begin!
1.Print out my handy row and stitch gauge charts. These will be very useful in determining how many stitches to cast on for all your knitting projects, without doing a lot of math!
Chart
1 / Chart
2 / Chart
3
2. Determine the size of your blanket. Here are some approximate sizes,
but you can make it any size you want:
A baby or child's blanket is generally 38" wide and 52" long.
An adult sized afghan is generally 60" wide and 70" long.
3. Choose a stitch pattern, edging (see below), yarn, and needles (if
you are hand knitting your blanket). If this is your first knitting project,
there are a few important hints I would like to share with you. First,
choose a thick yarn. A large project like this will take a lot of work
to complete, but it will require fewer stitches and rows (and less work)
if you use bulky or chunky yarn. Second, use large needles, preferably
circular needles. Third, choose a simple stitch pattern that will be easy
to remember. Finally, don't pull the yarn too tightly around the needles;
it will make the blanket too stiff and will be tiring for your hands.
Aim for loose, even knitting.
Here are some patterns you might like:
****************
4. Knit a swatch. Cast on 60 stitches and knit in the pattern you have
chosen until the swatch is 6 inches long without being stretched. Cast
off. Wash and dry the swatch in the way you plan to wash and dry the finished
project. Put a pin at the edge of a stitch on the left side (never the
first stitch) and measure across 4 inches. Mark this point with a pin.
Count the stitches between the pins. Mark this number on the chart with
an "S" in the "Number of stitches/ 4 inches" row.
Place a pin near the bottom of the swatch (never on the first row). Measure
up 4 inches and mark it with a pin. Count the rows between the two pins.
Mark this number on the chart with an "R" in the "Number
of stitches/ 4 inches" row.
5. Since you will be knitting the blanket in three sections,divide the inches of the width of the blanket by 3 . Add 1 to this number. This is the Section number. Find the row marked "S" on the chart and follow it across the columns of "Desired inches" until you reach the column with the same number as the Section number. The number you find here tells you how many stitches to cast on.
6. Find the row marked with "R" ,follow it across until it meets the column of "Desired inches" that matches the length you wish the blanket to be. (You may have to do some adding since the chart only goes up to 32 inches.) This tells you how many rows to knit.
Here is an example of how to do this:
I want to make an afghan 60" wide and 70" long.
60/3= 20
20+1= 21
21 is my Section number
I found that I had 21 stitches/ 4 inches and 24 rows/4 inchesin my swatch.
I marked 21 with an "S" and 24 with an "R". Now I
go across the chart at 21 until I get to 21 desired inches.The number
I find there is 110.25. I round down to 110.
I will cast on 110 stitches for each of the three sections.
Now I look on the chart at row 24. I want to knit 70 inches, so I look up and add together twice the number I found at 30 desired inches, and then the number at 10 desired inches.
180+180+60=420
I will knit 420 rows for each of the three sections.
7. Once the three sections are knit, you will connect them together. There are different ways you can join them.
A. You can lay them together two at a time, right sides together, and sew the edges together.
B. You can crochet the edges together using slip stitch.
C. You can create a decorative join by placing the sections right sides up, edges touching, and diagonally stitching the edge stitches together with double-stranded yarn. Be sure to anchor the tops and bottoms of the sections together first so that the diagonal effect will be preserved and the blanket won't look skewed.
(If anyone knows another easy way to join sections, email and describe it to me!)
8. Add an edging at the top and bottom. It can be any length you choose, but try to make it at least 2" or longer.
A. Add a fringe by cutting even lengths of yarn, placing several(you decide how many) lengths together in sections. Fold each section in half, making a loop. Insert a large crochet hook through the edge of the blanket and slip the loop of yarn onto the hook. Draw the loop back through the blanket a short way and slip the yarn ends through the loop. Tighten. Space the fringes about 3/4 inches apart.
B. Use ribbing for your edging. Any combination of stiches will probably work, but 2 knit, 2 purl (2x2) or 3 knit 3 purl(3x3) will probably work best. If you choose this option, you should start and end your sections this way, rather than adding it after you have joined the sections together.
C. A nice, stable edging can be made by alternating rows of knitting and purling. To do this when hand knitting, knit every row. Do not reverse to purling like you normally would. This will result in alternate rows of knit and purl. If you have a garter carriage for your knitting machine, you can also produce this pattern very easily. Use the punchcard that has a full row of punched holes followed by a full row that isn't punched, followed by a punched row, etc. Again, you will want to do this when you start and end you blanket sections, rather tan adding it when after they are joined.
D. If you know how to crochet, a lace edge would look very nice.