Homespun Pinwheel Afghan Blanket Knitting Pattern

Homespun Pinwheel Afghan Blanket Knitting Pattern

Project Overview

This Lion Brand Homespun Knitted Pinwheel Afghan is a beginner-friendly knitting pattern designed to create an approximately 60-inch square blanket. The afghan features a striking pinwheel design created through the strategic arrangement of colorful knitted squares in varying sizes, making it an ideal project for knitters looking to build skills while producing a substantial finished piece.

What Is Being Made

The finished afghan is a large square blanket constructed from multiple knitted squares of different dimensions. The design incorporates an Afghan Center Star composed of smaller squares, surrounded by larger outside squares, and finished with a decorative border on all four sides. This modular construction method allows knitters to work on manageable pieces before assembling them into the complete blanket.

Construction and Assembly Method

The afghan is built using a modular square construction technique, where individual squares are knitted separately and then sewn together according to an assembly diagram. This approach breaks down the large project into smaller, more manageable components, making it accessible for beginner knitters. The pattern includes specific instructions for proper alignment, noting that solid main color squares must all face the same direction during assembly.

Outside Squares

The afghan features 24 outside squares, each measuring 7 inches by 7 inches. These squares are worked using stockinette stitch over 34 rows from a cast-on of 25 stitches. The outside squares are created in various color combinations according to provided charts: 6 squares in color A with main color, 6 squares in color B with main color, 4 squares in color C with main color, 4 squares in color D with main color, and 4 solid main color squares. Each square is bound off according to Row 35 of its corresponding chart.

Center Star Squares

The afghan center features Center Star Squares, each measuring 5 inches by 5 inches. These squares are worked from a cast-on of 18 stitches and completed over 24 rows following their designated charts. These smaller squares form the focal point of the design and are incorporated into the overall assembly according to the provided diagram.

Border Construction

The afghan is finished with an outside border worked in garter stitch, applied separately to each of the four sides. The border is created by picking up and knitting 161 stitches evenly along one side of the assembled squares. Working in garter stitch with increases of one stitch at each end every other row, the border features a coordinated stripe pattern: 4 rows in color C, 4 rows in main color, 4 rows in color A, 4 rows in main color, 6 rows in color D, 4 rows in main color, and 6 rows in color B. All stitches are bound off loosely, and the corners are sewn together to complete the blanket.

Stitches and Techniques Used

• Stockinette Stitch (St st) – The primary stitch used for all squares, created by knitting on the right side and purling on the wrong side
• Garter Stitch – Used exclusively for the inside and outside borders, created by knitting every row
• Cast-on – Foundation stitches for beginning each square
• Bind-off – Securing stitches at the completion of each square and border
• Increases – Applied at each end of border rows every other row to shape the border edges
• Chart reading – Following color pattern charts to create the pinwheel design across multiple squares
• Seaming – Sewing completed squares together and attaching borders to create the finished afghan

Yarn and Materials

This pattern uses Lion Brand Homespun yarn, a textured yarn that creates beautiful dimension in the finished blanket. The color palette includes 4 skeins of #309 Deco (main color), 2 skeins of #303 Mission (color A), 4 skeins of #307 Antique (color B), 1 skein of #302 Colonial (color C), and 2 skeins of #304 Country (color D), with a note that alternative colors may be substituted according to personal preference.

Needles and Gauge

The pattern calls for Size 8 (5 mm) knitting needles, or the size