Cozy to snuggle under in the winter, comfortable to picnic on in the summer, a handmade knit or crochet afghan is a blanket for all seasons. Making afghans is a happy place for those of us who are fine with counting stitches but have no desire to increase and decrease. You don’t have to worry about if they fit or not, every afghan is a perfect fit. That’s one of the reasons you can find gorgeous new afghans at every church fair and equally gorgeous vintage handmade afghans at thrift stores.
Vintage handmade afghans sometimes need TLC. There might be a pulled stitch that needs to be worked back in. And if it’s made with acrylic yarn, there’s a good chance it will have some pilling. Pills are those little fuzz balls you find on sweaters, t-shirts and other garments. You might have noticed that your sweaters pill more on the sides where the sleeve rubs against the body. That’s because pilling is caused by friction. In the case of an afghan, pilling mostly occurs while it’s being laundered.
How do you fix pilling? There’s a lot of ways. On a nice chunky afghan, you can pull the pills off by hand. It’s a good way to burn off fidget energy. You can also drape the afghan over an ironing board and use a shaving razor being extra careful not to cut the yarn. Or go at it with a battery operated defuzzer. One of the safest ways to do de-pill is with a D-Fuzz-It fabric comb. There is zero chance you will inadvertently knick the yarn. There are lots of fabric combs by lots of makers, they probably all work about the same.
When thrifting or prowling estate sales for afghans, let your fingers be your guide to try and suss out the fiber. Acrylic afghans are washable. Wool afghans are washable too, providing you want to felt them down to the size of potholders. Also, wool afghans can possibly harbor moths, so have them dry cleaned before bringing them into your home.
Buying a vintage afghan from a vintage seller means you don’t have to rely on the gods of thrifting chance to find the colors or pattern you want, you can shop online and find an afghan that’s exactly right. Here’s a few vintage afghans that caught our eye.
Chevron Pattern Crocheted Afghan
Why this is awesome: It’s a classic pattern. It’s a mystery to me how the chevron shape happens, it must be magic. You can find chevron afghans in any color way you can imagine.
How I would use this: It’s a nice dense warm crochet that would be perfect on the couch with a cup of tea and a good book to accompany it in January.
Vintage Birdhouse Crocheted Afghan
Why this is awesome: A clever twist on the classic granny square, this birdhouse beauty is a showstopper. It also has enough colors to make itself at home in any room.
How I would use this: In the family room, perhaps hidden so only I know where it is so I don’t have to share.
Vintage Colorful Crochet Afghan
Why it’s awesome: It’s not a rainbow, it’s better. It’s like a carnival of color and texture.
How I would use this: On the bed. Absolutely perfect for nap time.
Vintage Handmade Afghans Available at NextStage Vintage:
If you knit or crochet, you might enjoy one of our vintage patterns: knit a vintage headband or crochet a 1960s shag area rug.
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