Happy July!

Hopefully those sparklers are already glowing and the barbecues are getting heated up! I know that I’ve been staring at everything red, white, and blue for about the last month and a half—partially because that’s when Michaels started throwing up the décor!—but it’s been on my mind as I’ve been compiling my own projects! I have a blanket that I started on a year ago, literally, and just couldn’t bring myself to finish it. I’d set myself the goal of making 50 stars for an American flag afghan, but I had to taper it back to 13 for a mix of reasons.

…well.

Laziness, mostly.

But as I’m putting the touches on my own blanket, I wanted to share with you some different patterns that I have run across on Pinterest that I found really wonderful! They inspired me to pick my long cast-aside project. I appreciate variation in the pieces, and the different styles that other crafters have used to complete things for a beautiful Americana look. Some of these have used single crochet, others have created a series of either granny squares or hexagons! And one, I’m including because it just impressed me SO MUCH is a loom knit blanket! It really blew me away, and I have to include it because a) it was just too rad and b) I love loom knitting, it was my first yarn craft! So kudos to all of these lovely creators, please marvel at their lovely work and, if you’re so inclined, think about hopping into these projects for yourself! [I’ve hypertexted the names of the pieces, but have added the links just in case!]

Happy digging!
Gilliane

• Let Freedom Ring Blanket—by Carolyn Pfeifer
  Available as a FREE pattern (links to Ravelry), this is not your typical flag blanket, it’s composed of granny squares! I really love the difference in texture that these granny squares make in the project and I can only imagine the amount of time spent joining in all of those pieces! It’s well worth it, I’d say, just looking at this beautiful blanket!
  http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/let-freedom-ring

• Americana Afghan—by the Lion Brand Design TeamAvailable via All Free Crochet, this blanket is super cozy looking! I love the giant granny squares it uses to create the body, and they have a series of crocheted squares that line the perimeter that can be sewn on rather than joined! I see this blanket also being used for baby showers. Because of the delightful simplicity, it appears to be a very versatile blanket.
  https://www.allfreecrochet.com/Granny-Square-Afghans/Americana-Afghan-Lion-Brand

• Stars and Stripes Corner to Corner Afghan—by Sarah of Sarah’s Bits and Pieces CrochetIf you love Corner to Corner crochet, then you are going to absolutely love this pattern! I had to instantly stop scrolling when I stumbled across this piece on Pinterest! It’s an IMMENSE blanket—queen sized, in fact—and it looks stunning. Her design, derived from the Red Heart Yarns C2C pattern is simply beautiful. Sarah takes the time to take photos of all the elements of her blanket and directs the reader both to the influencing pattern for the body of the blanket, as well as for her choice of stars! It’s both helpful and beautiful!
  http://sarahsbitsandpiecescrochet.blogspot.com/2013/11/stars-and-stripes-corner-to-corner.html

• Old Glory Blanket—by Kathy UnderwoodWHOA! I really enjoy what Kathy is able to create with the knitting loom! It’s such a great piece of work, and the beauty of it is that it is worked in panels, which makes it much easier for transportation—that’s incredibly helpful when you’re working with a loom! The stars are made from felt, which gives the project a different and fun look!
  http://kniftyknitterweekly.blogspot.com/2014/02/old-glory-blanket.html

• Folk Art Throw—by Willow YarnsI love the folk/antique twist on the American flag! I think it makes a perfect piece for the summertime or for an Americana-themed living space! The interesting design created by the zig zag patterning of the granny squares is fantastic, and I think the blue edging on the border is a very nice touch. The four-point stars make for a different look which is really cool!
  https://www.willowyarns.com/product/folk+art+throw+free+download.do

• Americana Pillow—by Rebecca of Little Monkeys Crochet
  I love the boutique-y quality of this little pillow! Sized to fit a 12” standard decorative throw pillow, this is a really cute idea! And, a bonus: it’s double-sided! I looove designs that don’t limit your options! I also love the usage of a variety of cream-spectrum buttons in place of stars, it makes it more rustic looking which is very cute!
  http://littlemonkeyscrochet.com/americana-pillow/

• Americana Pillow—by Anita Elmore of ASE Keep’n CreativeI love throw pillows because they can really turn around the look of your couch and can be that extra touch that your blanket needed to look complete on the divan! Sized to fit pillow foam, this piece is 7”x11”, this pillow adds some different dimensions in sizing for your pillow needs! I appreciate the simplicity of the design and think that it’s lovely.
  http://aseknc.blogspot.com/2011/12/americana-pillow-free-crochet-pattern.html

• USA Afghan—by Lion Brand YarnsWho doesn’t love stripes? (I don’t think you’d be looking at a post about stars and stripes if you didn’t, right??) This afghan’s got the stripes you’re looking for in all the right places—everywhere! Made from their Hometown USA yarns and using a size P crochet hook, this is a nice and squishy blanket! This ingenious blanket takes the red, white, and blue, and transforms them into a different fresh design that still resonates with traditional Americana quality.
  http://www.lionbrand.com/crochet-kit-usa-afghan.html

• Flag Afghan—by Lion Brand YarnsLion Brand just gets it with these great designs on these afghans! Made from their Heartland variety, it gives you a finer texture to the blanket. I have to say I’m in love with the ripple stitch they decided to use in this pattern! Also, I’m a sucker for simplicity in the stars! All 50 states are great, but I love the dressed-down appearance of blankets with a variance in the number of stars.
  http://www.lionbrand.com/crochet-kit-flag-afghan.html

• American Waves Throw—by Marianne Forrestal for Red Heart YarnsI love the kind of zany quality of this pattern! If you haven’t seen the Americana colorway for their Super Saver line, then you’re missing out! (Americana is a self-striping yarn and, if you pace out your stitches right, small American flags show themselves in the fabric!) This self-striping yarn makes for a really fun burst of design in a very soft ripple stitching.
  http://www.redheart.com/free-patterns/american-waves-throw