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| Zig Zag Crocheted Afghan, c. 1970 |
Am I crazy? Or is there something really great about vintage crocheted afghans? I didn't always like afghans. I guess I had this idea about them. Kind of dated, kitschy, at home with shag carpet and velvet landscape paintings. About a year ago, I started noticing afghans, and actually considered buying one, but chickened out.
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| Granny Square Crocheted Afghan, c. 1970 |
Today I dropped off a couple more boxes of donations for Goodwill, and since I got lucky with the four-patch quilt last week in McMinnville, I thought I'd go in and see if there were any quilts. There weren't any, but right around the corner was a whole rack full of them. There must've been 50 afghans, so I started looking at them.
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| Patriotic Striped Crocheted Afghan, c. 1975 |
Before I knew what was going on, I was marching toward the cash register with four afghans in my arms, and I could've sworn the clerk at the register gave me a funny look. I didn't really care. These afghans seem connected to the double-knit polyester quilts of the 60s and 70s because they are undervalued, kitschy, but strangely beautiful - and all handmade. Those who didn't quilt in the second half of the 20th century may have been crocheting.
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| Zig Zag Crocheted Afghan, c. 1970 |
These are the four afghans I came home with, and I spent less than $25 total. They had to be worth more than $4.99 or $7.99 apiece! So I went home and checked eBay to see what afghans are selling for these days. The best ones go for considerably more, and so do the comparable examples. I may sell them at some point, but I think I'll hold on to them for now. They seem to go well with the 70s quilts I've been collecting lately.
I love the graphicness of most afghans, very fun choices you made.
ReplyDeletelove the last one, the colors and design speak to me
Kathie
They are, but we seldom see them displayed as they are in the pictures. I think quilts have an advantage when it comes to display as wall art. Afghans are too stretchy a lot of the time, and they resist being parallelograms. :)
DeleteSome of it may be down to me. I taught quite a few Americans how to crochet them when I lived on a Greek Island in 1970. If you see them with stars in the middle of each square, they might have been taught by me. I was in my mid teens at the time.
ReplyDeleteI'll keep my eye out for the ones with stars in the centers!
DeleteYou are bringing back memories of my life BQ (before quilting). Between 1968 and 1975, I made 6 granny square afghans as wedding presents for sisters, sisters-in-law and brothers-in-law. The last 2 were "labors of need" because I really would have rather been quilting by then, but a tradition had been started. I also made the #4 zigzag afghan from a Herrshner's kit in browns and harvest gold.
ReplyDeleteI remember people making them, too. When I was browsing eBay, I saw some that were made to look like daisies, and I'm pretty sure I remember seeing that on the cover of Better Homes and Gardens or McCalls...
DeleteI have afghans made by my grandmother in the 1970's, one of which is a varigated yellow zigzag design. I remember picking out the yarn for it at a yarn store I worked at when I was in highschool. Your post makes me feel very nostalgic.
ReplyDeleteThat's cool. I don't have family afghans, but do have a fair amount of needlepoint and crewel. I'm still playing with the pillows on my sofas, and found two crewel pillows Mom had done in the 70s. One has dandelions and the other has thistles. I thought I'd bring those out because they grow like crazy here, especially in my garden!
DeleteThese beautiful afghans bring back such wonderful memories of my mother and my aunts! I come from a family of quilters, crocheters, knitters...you name it - they did it! The Zig Zag afghans bring back especially poignant memories.... thanks so much for sharing.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad. They are nostalgic. I guess my idea about them has evolved a lot. Since I never received afghans from family members, I saw them purely as kitsch. But when I was looking yesterday, I thought, "These are handmade! and nicely done!"
Deletemy mom crochet's x mas stockings all the time... and i've been thikning of getting her some yarn for her to crochet-- lately. thanks for the kick!
ReplyDeleteI was just at the Goodwill store few days back and saw a beautiful Afghan. Stood there for a while thinking what would I do with it and did not buy it. Wish I knew you were so interested in them.
ReplyDeleteThey always get my attention. Love their texture, brightness and organized look. I will keep my eyes open from now on.
Thanks for stopping yesterday. Hope to continue making those little quilts for AAQI.
I loved to crochet when I was a teenager! I still have a few tucked away somewhere....
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