The World Wide Web is loaded with craft style blogs like ours and free afghan knitting patterns from all over the globe. Five fun knitting blogs we found include:

Knitting to Stay Sane, is a blog written by Glenna, who lives in Ontario. She became a knitter, while studying for her PhD, as a form of stress relief and distraction. She “finished the PhD and kept on knitting anyway.”

Studio Chic Knits by Bonnie Marie Burns from Oregon is a blog devoted to the “growing number of new millennium knitters.” If she doesn’t wear it, she won’t make it.

Wendy Knits is a blog created by Wendy, “a life-long knitter obsessed with all sorts of knitting techniques and traditions.”

Never Not Knitting, Alana has been blogging since 2007. She does trunk shows and has a podcast, too.

Knit and Tonic was started in 2005 by Wendy Bernard, who has authored several books about knitting.

All of these blogs are whimsically titled and creatively written and include knitting crafts and tips for every type of stitching project you can think of.  Compiled here are some of the best bits of advice from these blog writers. We like their insights on knitting throws and afghans, or any project for that matter.

• Respect your mistakes, celebrate your accomplishments, and knit with colors that you love. It’s all a learning process.
• When stopping your project, get in the habit of completing the row being worked on so as not to inadvertently drop a stitch when you pick it back up again.
•  Try to find patterns that capture an emotion or even a memory. The above Climbing Roses pattern features a gorgeous 3-dimensional look that is sure to do that.
•  Sometimes the simplest pattern, such as the elegant afghan, can be the most satisfying of all.
• Knit at the level you are at. Attempting patterns that are beyond your skill yet will create frustration and the temptation to quit altogether.

Free afghan knitting patterns are available for download to get you started on your next exciting afghan craft project.