Free Crochet Instructions for a Baby Afghan
Handmade baby afghans can become heirlooms that are cherished for years. A crocheted baby afghan makes a heartfelt homemade gift for a baby shower or baby's first birthday. Customize the afghan with colors, types and textures of yarn. Opt for traditional blue for boys or pink for girls, or create a striped multicolor look. Choose yarns made of soft fibers, such as soft acrylic, bamboo or alpaca. Look for yarns labeled "baby" for soft, lightweight yarns that suit afghans for infants.
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Instructions
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1
Make a foundation chain of 132 stitches. To make a foundation chain, slide a slip knot onto the crochet hook, wrap the yarn around the hook from the back to the front (always wrap yarn from back to front unless otherwise specified), and draw a new loop through the knot. Continue this process until 132 stitches are on the chain, not counting the original slip knot.
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2
Make one double crochet stitch in the fourth chain stitch from the hook. To make a double crochet stitch, wrap the yarn around the hook, insert the hook through the fourth stitch from the hook, wrap the yarn around the hook again, and draw a new loop through the stitch. Wrap the yarn around the hook again, drawing it through two of the loops on the hook. Wrap the yarn around once more, and draw it through the last two loops on the hook.
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3
Continue across the entire foundation chain, making one double crochet stitch in each chain stitch across the row.
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4
When you reach the end of the row, turn the work so that the last stitch worked is facing as the first stitch to be worked for the next row. Make three chain stitches.
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5
Make one double crochet stitch in each double crochet stitch across the row. Turn the work. Make three chain stitches.
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6
Continue crocheting the afghan by repeating Step 5 until have less than a foot of yarn remaining. If you'd like to make a striped afghan, use more than one color of yarn, joining the new color when you begin a new row. To join a new color, work the last double crochet of the row as normal up to the last drawing of the yarn around the hook. Draw the new color of yarn around the hook and pull it through the remaining two stitches on the hook.
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7
To finish the afghan, cut the yarn to a 6-inch tail once you've finished the last row of double crochet. Thread the yarn tail through the yarn needle, and pull the tail through the last loop on the crochet hook. Weave the loose ends in by sewing a few stitches with the yarn needle and then clipping them with scissors.
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