Easy Steps to Knitting Your Own Afghan

With the winter month's right around the corner, you're probably already starting to think about cuddling on the couch with a nice warm blanket wrapped around you with your favorite book while watching the snow fall. However, if you don't already have a nice winter blanket, you might be thinking about getting one. With today's economy, lots of people are making things themselves to save lots of money. So, knitting one yourself will definitely help out your wallet. Not only is knitting a relaxing hobby, but it's quite rewarding once you see your finished product, and every time you pick up your hand made blanket to use, for years to come. Afghans are the most popular type of blankets for throws over a living room couch. It's always there for you when you need it.

If you're in the mood to knit a great simple afghan, here are some easy steps to follow:

You're blanket should end up being around 33 to 39 inches, and you'll want to start by buying (if you don't already have it) 6 hanks of Cotton yarn, whichever colors you prefer. Your needles should be 40 inch US 9 circular. The gauge will be 16 stitches, which equals 4 inches in stockinet stitch, but gauge isn't necessary to follow by for this particular afghan.

For Row 1 - Starting on the right side, you'll want to just knit across

For Row 2 - Purl

For Row 3 - Knit the next 2 stitches together as one stitch, and do this 3 times. Yarn over the top and knit once, and repeat that 6 times. Again, knit the next 2 stitches together as one stitch and repeat that 3 times.

Repeat Row 3 to the end, and move on to Row 4.

For Row 4 - You'll want to do a regular knit stitch for the entire row.

Once you've made it through Row 4, you can then repeat rows 1-4 to the end of the blanket. Once you reach your last row, you should bind of loosely and weave in the ends to finish.

The blanket pattern consists of 144 stitches and if you are going for a multi colored look, you'll want to switch colors after each row 4.

These afghan blankets make great gifts as well, so if you have friends who are expecting, getting married, having a birthday or even just looking for some holiday gifts, these blankets are truly not only a sentimental gift from the heart, but they will last forever because of the handmade quality.