An Afghan is a blanket, wrap, or shawl of colored wool, knitted or crocheted in geometric shapes. 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.
In terms of etymology, it is likely that the wraps or shawls that came to be called afghans were originally patterned after textiles from the Afghanistan region. According to the Oxford English Dictionary, afghan "wrap, shawl" dates from 1833.
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