afghan vs blanket

[AH1OZ]

is one term more correct than the other?

I always say blanket... whether it be knitted, crocheted, sewn (even quilts I sometimes call blankets).

to me, blanket sounds more comfy than afghan... but thats just personal opinion

[Jan in CA]

I think they are often used interchangeably. In my mind I think of a blanket as something that goes on a bed and can be made of any fabric or something you use for a baby. I think of an afghan as knitted or crocheted only and they are generally smaller like to put over you on the couch.

[mathwizard]

Now this is very interesting. I call a blanket something made by a manufacturer. To me a quilt is a form of blanket but it is made by hand. Afghans are made by hand whether they are knitted or crocheted. When I was younger blankets weren't made by hand and used synthetic materials and the top was a two to three in strip of a satiny finishing ribbon. They weren't usually made with fabric(quilts) but other materials.

[OffJumpsJack]

I have always though of an Afghan as a blanket crocheted using the Afghan stitch (which is now called Tunisian crochet). My mom used a zig-zaging double crochet TBL pattern to make some thick blankets that she called Afghans and which we used like quilts or comforters (the top bed covering that is warmer and more ornate in pattern, design, color or construction).

Lap-ghans are a blanket made smaller for covering your lap and or legs while you sit in a chair or on a couch. But I think construction method (knit or crochet stitch) was non-specific.

Like Jan said, common usage of "Afghan" in publications has slipped away from meaning the specific construction that first determined the name Afghan (especially since the stitch once called by that name is now call Tunisian).

The Afghan (Tunisian simple stitch) was thicker than common crochet stitches and made for a warmer blanket.

Quilts are named for their construction technique; they are quilted layers of fabric and batting.

To my mind, in in my opinion, blankets are thinner than Afghans and do not indicate their method of construction unless an adjective form is used such as in "a Granny Square blanket."

Baby blankets are made with baby weight yarn, so would a blanket made with sport weight be a Sport Blanket?

How about one made with Aran weight yarn?

I can here my younger children saying, "I don't want a chunky blanket! I want a warm, soft one like you made for ----!"

[Woodi]

I got this off Wikipedia, and it's my opinion as well.

An Afghan is a blanket, wrap, or shawl of colored yarn, knitted or crocheted in geometric shapes, also referred to as "throw blankets" or simply "throws". Afghans throw blankets and throw rugs, originally named because the materials used would decay and the items would be thrown away, were first made in Afghanistan and commonly included geometric designs and many holes in the pattern. The most common defining detail about afghans is that they are made from yarn and hand-stitched or knitted. In North American craft tradition, Afghans are handcrafted blankets of various sizes to be draped over sofas or large chairs for decoration, and sometimes used for napping or warmth. Afghan blankets are normally homemade or gifted items and are rarely sold commercially.