Easy Hand Knitted Afghan Pattern for Beginning Knitters

Here is an easy knitting pattern for a beginning level knitter. This afghan, a small throw blanket, is easy to knit for a beginner because no shaping is involved. The challenge in knitting an afghan, especially for a beginning knitter, comes with having to manage a large quantity of yarn and material. This afghan is knitted in small squares in moss stitch, and then pieced together to create a patchwork effect, making it more beginner-friendly. This is an easy to transport and manage knitting project that can be worked on in short spurts, making it ideal for the beginner. The final knitted afghan measures about 51" x 60'.

The basis of this afghan is small knitted squares in seed stitch, an easy stitch for a beginner to master. Depending on how tightly you knit, the squares will be between 8 and 10 inches per side. As this is not a fitted garment the scale is not terribly important. However, try to knit at a constant tension so all the squares are the same size.

Supplies

6 skeins Lion Brand Homespun yarn: Colonial (dark blue); Antique (dark red); Edwardian (dark grey); Barrington (blue-violet); Olive (dark green); and Grape (dark purple)

Size 10 ½ knitting needles

Large darning needle

Prepare the yarn by unwinding the skeins into loose balls. This yarn is beginner-friendly as it's chunky enough to knit quickly, and textured to hide mistakes.

Square Pattern

To start a square, loosely cast on 20 stitches. Knit one row, very loosely.

Second row (and all even rows): Knit 1, purl 1 to end of row

Third row (and all odd rows): Purl 1, knit 1 to end of row

Continue alternating, knitting until you have created a square, approximately 34 rows.

Loosely cast off.

Each skein should make seven knitted squares with yarn left over.

Piecing

Steam all squares with low heat to set the stitches. Lay out the squares in the pattern shown: a six by seven square rectangle. Using a large darning needle and the leftover yarn, stitch the individual knitted squares together. Work first from top to bottom, then side to side. Steam again gently to flatten the seams. The afghan is complete.

Variations

For a checkerboard pattern on your afghan, use only two colors of yarn while knitting, and alternate the square colors. Note some Homespun yarns are "painterly" and have some color variation. Avoid these colors for your afghan.

For a sampler effect in the afghan, use different knitting stitches: create two squares with stockinette stitch, two with garter stitch, and three with moss stitch in each color.

Rather than sewing, crochet the knitted squares together using a contrasting color of yarn.

Add fringe to the edges of the afghan.

Add pom-poms to the corners of the afghan.

Homespun by Lion Brand Yarn