Back in January I started a giant stash busting garter stitch strip afghan (man, that’s a lot of adjectives!) that’s still not finished because I only pick it up when I’m not working on anything else and I’m pretty much always working on something else. But it’s like the comfort food of knitting because I don’t have to think about what I’m doing at all. Just knit, join as you go, change colors when you run out of yarn. Repeat and repeat and repeat.
A stash-busting afghan, whether on regular or giant needles, is a great way to start if you’re resolved to use more of your stash in 2014. This ripple chevron pattern from Mosier Farms is another great choice for stash-busting, or you can choose colors consciously and change them regularly, whichever you prefer. Or check out the Psychedelic Squares Afghan from Knitting-and, which makes crazy stash busting look really cool.
Or, if you’d rather, here are some afghan patterns with a more traditional look.
I have a moss stitch lap afghan over at About that I knit ages ago but is a really nice, easy project for keeping one person warm.
This easy striped garter stitch afghan from JoAnn is a great choice for using team colors or whatever colors you like.
Speaking of chevrons, the Farmhouse Afghan from Classic Elite Yarns uses contrasting stripes to make a mostly solid project a lot more interesting and beautiful.
The Block Afghan from Coats & Clark uses two yarns held together for lots of texture and a quick knitting sort of basketweave pattern.
Bernat’s Textured Afghan uses two colors in blocks and box stitch for a bold afghan with lots of texture.
Lion Brand has a beautiful Slip Stitch Afghan that shows beautifully the cool things you can do with slipped stitches and multicolored yarn.
Lois S. Young’s Guernsey Afghan is mostly a really simple ridged pattern with columns of easy cables. It would be a great first cable project.
Do you have a favorite afghan pattern? Please share!
