My favorite possession in the whole wide world? The granny square afghan that my grandmother made for me when I was about 12. Honestly, the thing is my #1 decorative influence — it’s full of color and most importantly, homemade love. Of course, I collect vintage afghans a bit… I have a few wonderful ones. The afghan above: $20 from JunqueInTheTrunque, on Etsy.
There are a gazillion possibilities for color combinations. This blue granny square afghan, $26 from VintageEye, Etsy. It’s really big, too — a great price!
This is just like my Lur Lur made!!!! Learn how to crochet your own afghan with these vintage instructions, $3.95 from AntiquesGaloreGal.
I didn’t know that they also made barkcloth that looks like Granny Squares: $35 from GiftsnCrafts, Etsy.
Oh yes, the girls in my family all had crocheted poncho’s too – I had white, Jenni had blue, and Sara had pink. I still have mine. It even has pom poms on the tie-ends. Make your own with these instructions from 1975, Granny Square Magazine, a Woman’s Day Special Edition, $5 at LoveElizabeth, Etsy.
Did your grannies and moms and aunties crochet you afghans, readers? Do you make, or collect them still?
Jeanne says
I love my afghans! I come from a family of needlecrafters, starting with my grandmother, who did all kinds of crochet and embroidery. My mother does everything (knit, crochet, sew, quilt, needlepoint, etc) and taught knitting classes for years. I don’t have a granny square afghan, but I have a variety of other style, the “zig-zag” being my favorite. My mother has given me multiple ones over the years and also many quilts. She’s made each of my boys a quilt, as well. Afghans are my favorite, as they keep me warm in the winter watching TV on the couch. 🙂 They wash and dry very nicely.
My two favorite zig-zag pattern afghans are made with multiple colors (my mom used her scraps) with one using black as the main alternate color and another one uses white as the main alternate color. I use the white one in my bedroom and the black one in the living room (although I rotate with other quilts/afghans regularly).
pam kueber says
All Afghan Owners: This would make such a lovely slide show. If you want to contribute — send me a pic or two at retrorenovation [at] gmail [dot] com. Note: They MUST have a person or a kitty or a dog in them! 🙂
Mattenylou says
I love the old granny afghans. I’ve made a bunch of them over the years, and still use them everyday. Don’t be afraid to use them, they are pretty rugged… some of mine get washed weekly, others monthly. I used to hand wash them carefully and lay them flat to dry.. no more! Now they just get tossed in the washer and dryer, no need to pamper them.
If you notice some unraveling or long threads showing, borrow or buy a crochet hook, probably a size f or g, Carefully weave the loose threads back thru some of the sturdy parts around it… just use the hook to draw those loose ends back so they’re hidden.
When I give a multi color afghan as a gift, I include the hook with it. I always tell that person they will probably find some ends popping out here and there, once in a while, and show them how to work them back thru the piece, so they won’t show.
Use and enjoy them, that’s what they were made for!
Missouri Michael says
My Grandma made me a granny square afghan when I was little, Mom stored it in her cedar chest. It’s still there, I’m just too afraid to put it out with my dogs. I do have two other afghans that Grandma made that I do use, both are in a zig-zag pattern – don’t know what it’s called. I use them all the time in the winter, they’re great, and they look great folded up on the foot of the bed, ready for the next night! I also have my baby blanket in the same pattern, using greens and off-white with tassels. I love it! I have 4 other afghans that I use regularly around my dogs. I went to an estate auction this past spring and there were 4 afghans there, the auctioneer couldn’t get a bid on any of them so they tried to sell them all together. I couldn’t help myself when I thought about all the work and time that the woman spent on them, so I bought them. I got all four of them for $5! I don’t think a couple of them had ever been used even.
pam kueber says
oh my goodness, michael, you are the best, just the best, for saving those afghans.
Jen8 says
Sitting with one on now. Two cats on it with me. Black with multi-colored squares. Plus the multi-colored cat hair, of course.
MrsErinD says
Pam you would be surprised, crocheting is not hard to do and it’s not tedious it’s actually fun!
I taught myself to crochet ( so far I just know the basic stitches, single, double, etc. ) from an old book from my Mom, it had instructions and a few pics of how to do basic things and what was great for me is that it had the left hand crochet since I am a lefty!
I did my first (and only so far) afghan by reading that book, It’s just a simple double crochet the whole way through, but I did 3 rows of double in multiple colors so it’s striped and not just one color. It’s actually fun and very relaxing.
Wendy says
I always loved the granny square afghan on Roseanne. It was such an authentic detail of a working class home–or maybe it just seemed like it ’cause we had one on the back of our couch!
Making one is on my long, long list of things to do.
amy says
i have been trying to find everything to make the roseanne blanket. do you happen to know all the colors and or the pattern. if you can please get back to me thank you.
nancy says
I couldn’t stand it! I have been looking for an afghan for our bedroom & the blue one was perfect! Also, the orange & green one will look so good on the back of our 50’s sofa. You can never have too many of these treasures! Can’t wait until they get here!
pam kueber says
Nancy, you bought them?! Good for you!
Thom Watson says
Both my paternal grandmother and maternal great-grandmother used to make afghans for us. I had my sofa, office chair and futon draped with them, and had stacks of many more lining the top shelf in my closet back in Arlington. When we moved to California, though, I left them all behind with my mom and sister in Virginia rather than paying to have all that heavy wool shipped west.
sumac sue says
I have a granny squares afghan, black background with multicolored squares, that was a gift over two decades ago. At first, I didn’t like it because the yarn is synthetic and it felt sticky. But, over the years kids and pets have broken it in, and it seems softer and more comfortable.
Thanks for featuring quilts and afghans over the past couple of days. We have several quilts and a couple of afghans made by our grandmas, and we are so impressed with the work and love that went into them. I’m attempting to make my first quilt. I’m delighted to find I can make neat little stitches by hand, but I’m dismayed to find I am pretty bored with the process. I want to do so many of the things our grandmas have done, like canning veggies, gardening, and sewing. The first two I love, but sewing seems so tedious. But, I’ll stick with it so that a potential grandchild will have a quilt that their grandma made.
pam kueber says
Sumac Sue, I made a quilt that is all pieced together (by machine). That was 15 years ago. Then I decided I *must* hand quilt the top or whatever you call it. 15 years later… the quilt is well protected in a closet, but not one more stitch has been made. I need to find a good place to outsource the hand-quilting to. I swear I would do it if the price were *reasonable* enough. Hey, the grandkids won’t … err … know the difference.
pam kueber says
This also reminds me, I read a story a few years about about bona-fide grannies who will fix your crochet quilts for you, of you don’t know how to crochet. I need to find them, as mine is raveling in one spot. Anyone know? This sounds like a good little home-based business, considering how much we all seem to treasure our grannies’ crocheting.
Carol B. says
Check with yarn shops in your area. They’ll know someone who can help.
Eucritta says
If all I need to do is get pet hair off a blanket or afghan, I toss them in the dryer with an anti-static sheet, and give them a whirl for an hour or so on gentle/low heat. It can take a few whirls to get them reasonably clear if they’re very furry, but overall, it does cause less wear-and-tear and it’s fine for wool.