Good size for a nap-ghan?

[nightowl]

Hello everyone

 

I want to make an afghan/blanket for a good friend who's confined to the house. His illness makes him very tired and he dozes on the sofa a lot. I'd like the afghan to be big enough for him to take a nap under it, and cuddle up with it when watching TV. Could anyone please give me an idea of a good size?

 

I've looked at all the online references I could find, but the size recommended for an "adult" blankie seems to be about 48 x 78. This seems awfully big to me for a sofa blanket. . . any help and advice gratefully received!

 

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Nowl

[MamaHooks]

A good size in my opinion (not knowing how tall he is) is 44' x 52' for a couch-ghan. Just my two cents . I hope this helps.

[schcrochet]

People tend to make them too large to be comfortably handled for older people. I like them to cover me and the width of the chair I'm sitting in. Neck to toes so thats about 3 x 5 ft ( 36 ish by 60). Agree the size often in pattersn is too large. All those requested by someone I know, they've asked them to be smaller. When you drape them on the sofa they look sloopy if they're too large.

[dhaunae]

I think Gran is right; you may want to ask him. While I know some folks prefer the smaller 'lapghan' size, nobody in my family and none of my friends likes those at all; we all like full-sized 'ghans and throws that we can stretch out under if we lie down on the couch while reading or watching a movie. Even my daughter, who's the shortest person in the family at 5'6", requested that the afghan I made for her family room sofa be at least 6' (72") long, and you don't even WANT to know what size I had to make for my 6'6" son! Why not ask what size your friend prefers, so it can be perfect? If you want it to be a surprise, you could always bring it up casually when you're chatting; just tell him you're making a blanket for a friend and wonder what size he thinks would be good

[Empress Busy Bee]

I have one that someone made for me. I love love the size. It's just perfect for a couch nap. It's not too long or too short. I have no idea where she got the pattern or if she made it up. I just measured it and it's just under 69 inches long and just under 56 inches wide. More than 68 and half by 55 and half. LOL

Both my husband and I are on the short side though but unless your friend is 6 foot or more, I'd say that's the perfect size.

 

[schcrochet]

I think Gran is right; you may want to ask him. While I know some folks prefer the smaller 'lapghan' size, nobody in my family and none of my friends likes those at all; we all like full-sized 'ghans and throws that we can stretch out under if we lie down on the couch while reading or watching a movie. Even my daughter, who's the shortest person in the family at 5'6", requested that the afghan I made for her family room sofa be at least 6' (72") long, and you don't even WANT to know what size I had to make for my 6'6" son! Why not ask what size your friend prefers, so it can be perfect? If you want it to be a surprise, you could always bring it up casually when you're chatting; just tell him you're making a blanket for a friend and wonder what size he thinks would be good

 

WOW 6'6"....that must have taken a ton and half of yarn. Good idea though on asking in a way to keep it surprise....I like your plan

 

The other reason I think smaller is better is because seniors often trip on things that hang down, getting up forgetting it's there. Head nurse at a nursing facilty told me she always folded things in half when they were big for safety reasons.

[nightowl]

Thanks everyone for all the suggestions and opinions; it's really interesting to see how different people's preferences are.

 

I didn't really envisage a totally-wrap-round-and-tuck-in blankie like Gran's, and I think MamaHooks' 52-inch ghan would be too short. . . what I had in mind was more something that would cover Gene when he naps on the sofa but not hang down too much over the side. I agree with schcrochet that a big ghan can be awkward to handle or even dangerous if it spills down over the floor. Plus he's quite a small guy, 5ft 9in and very narrowly built.

 

Empress Busy Bee's blanket is exactly the right length (same as his height) and would ensure his toes are covered (he always has cold feet), but I think 56in wide would be way too much. Maybe schcrochet's 36in or MamaHooks' 44in; or even twice the depth of the sofa? Hmm. . . I need to do some measuring and experimenting but I'm really grateful for the ideas. Thank you, everyone.

 

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Nowl

[Empress Busy Bee]

Trust me mine is not too wide, it's just over double the depth of the couch. But maybe going down to 44 inches might be okay. I wouldn't go any smaller though if it were me.