Knitted Afghan Patterns: What's the Difference Between Afghans, Blankets, and Throws?

You probably hear the terms "afghan," "blanket," and "throw" all thrown (excuse the pun) around in the knitting world, and probably interchangeably. The truth is that the distinction between these three covers has been muddied with time, but there are still important differences between the three. Before you hunker down to complete any knitted afghan patterns and throws, it's best to understand what makes one type of covering different from another, so you don't get started on an afghan when you meant to knit a throw blanket.

The blanket is most typically made from a single piece of fabric and is made to match any standard bed size, such as a twin, queen, king, etc. You'll most often find blankets made from fabric such as cotton or fleece, but many knitting pattern designers are moving towards calling their yarn-constructed creations "blankets," as well.

A throw's construction doesn't really matter—it can be made from fabric or yarn—but they're much less standardized than the blanket. Like their name suggests, they're typically intended to be "thrown" over something, such as the arm of a sofa or the end of a bed, as additional, spontaneous source of warmth. Throws are additionally smaller than blankets, and quicker to knit up.

Finally, the afghan is almost always a crocheted or knitted item, and got its start through the technique of joining granny squares or other types of motifs together. However, it is not at all uncommon to see afghans made in one large piece. As you probably could have guessed, afghans originated in Afghanistan, but can now be used to describe just about any knit blanket.

To summarize: blankets aren't typically knit (but can be) and are bed-sized, throws are knit or sewn and are smaller, and afghans are typically knit or crocheted coverings of any size. If you're ever unsure of what to call your knitted cover, an "afghan" is a safe term for anything, a "throw" is even better for a smaller-sized item, and "blanket" is probably the least accurate, but still widely accepted, especially by the layman.

For some visual examples, check out some knit blankets, throws, and afghans below!