I've been asked this question a few times, so I thought I'd create a post with the information. "Picture afghans" are blankets with charted designs (graphs) made using small (usually 2-row) crocheted granny squares. Listed below are the books / leaflets / booklets I'm aware of that have these patterns.

Go to ebay.com to buy them - I do not have these books for sale. You may have to do searches every day or so for a week or more, but you will find them eventually. The easiest book to find is "The Great Granny Crochet Book" - see #4 below for a list of the picture afghan patterns in this book.

1. Kid's Covers by Anis Duncan, published by Creative Hands in 1977. Difficult to find. Patterns include:
   • Playful Kittens (2 cats and a basket of yarn)
   • Summer Carousel (with 2 horses)
   • Jungle Friends (elephant, camel)
   • Butterflies
   • Magic Castle (castle with drawbridge down)
   • Circus Clown
   • Grandpa's Farm
2. Picture Afghans by Anis Duncan, published by American School of Needlework, Booklet 1, 1977. Difficult to find. Patterns include:
   • My Home Town
   • Wheels (cars, truck, fire truck)
   • Puddle Ducks (mama with babies)
   • The Bird Watcher (cat, birds)
   • Dutch Pinwheels
   • Party Time (teddy bear, duck, balloons)
   • Desert Sunset (cactus in desert with hills in background)
   • Summer Garden
3. Picture Afghans by various designers, published by Creative Hands, booklet #411 (but that's not clear on my copy), 1981. Difficult to find. Patterns include:
   • Spring Bunny
   • Window View
   • Village Square
   • Freight Train (8 train cars)
   • Rocket Ship
   • Silent Star
4. The Great Granny Crochet Book, published by American School of Needlework, 1979, ISBN 0-930748-10-7 (hardback book). Easy to find! I've seen it on eBay many times - for very little money! In a chapter called "Picture Afghans" are these patterns:
   • Dutch Tulips
   • My Home Town
   • Supper Time (dog, bone, dog house)
   • Wheels (cars, truck, fire truck)
   • Circus Clown
   • Playful Kittens (2 cats and a basket of yarn)
   • Summer Carousel (with 2 horses)
   • The Bird Watcher (cat, birds)
   • Puddle Ducks (mama with babies)
   • Summer Garden
5. [Just added! December 10, 2007] The Great Afghan Book, published by American School of Needlework, (no date, but certainly in the 1970s), ISBN 0-930748-19-0 (hardback book). Another easy find on eBay! In a chapter called "Picture Afghans" are these patterns:
   • Dutch Pinwheels
   • Desert Sunset (cactus in desert with hills in background)
   • Party Time (teddy bear, duck, balloons)
   • Grandpa's Farm
   • Jungle Friends (elephant, camel)
   • Magic Castle (castle with drawbridge down)
   • Butterflies
   • Ship of Dreams (sailboats)
   • Tulip Quilt

Additional charted designs made using small granny squares are in:

1. Annie's Favorite Special Occasions Crochet Projects, Annie's Attic, 2000, ISBN 0-9655269-7-6 (hardback book). Pattern: Jack 'O Lanterns.
2. Christmas Spirit Afghans by Linda Lefler-Wright, The Needlecraft Shop, unknown publish date, leaflet 971534. Patterns: Christmas Tree, Bell, Santa Claus face, Candy Cane, Snowman, Wreath.
3. Classic Quilt Afghans by Carolyn Christmas, The Needlecraft Shop, 1993, leaflet 931510. Quilt-style designs.
4. Crocheted Patchwork Granny Afghans by Lissa Amman, Leisure Arts, 1991, leaflet 2032. Quit-style designs.
5. The Crocheter's Quilt Book: Afghans with Quilt Motifs by Elyse Sommer, Segwood Press, 1987, ISBN 0-02-609179-4 (hardback book). Quilt-style designs.
6. Garden Cat Afghan by Martha Brooks Stein, Annie's Favorite Crochet Magazine, April 2002 (may also still be available on freepatterns.com)
7. Granny Square Christmas Afghans by Martha Brooks Stein, Annie's Attic, 2001. Patterns: Santa (English style), Pine Trees, Log Cabin Tree, Peppermint Delight, Bear with Wreath, Tree.
8. Granny Square Quilt Afghans by Martha Brooks Stein, Annie's Attic, 1999, leaflet 871914. Patterns: hearts, quilt-style designs.
9. Granny Square Quilt Afghans Through the Year by Martha Brooks Stein, Annie's Attic, 2001, leaflet 872841. Patterns: hearts, basket with ribbon, pot with rainbow, snowman, candy corn, july 4th motif, more!
10. Patchwork Afghans Thru The Year Afghans by the Dozen by Martha Brooks Stein, Leisure Arts, 1996, leaflet 2866. Patterns: trees, leaves, flowers (tulips?), variety of quilt-style designs.
11. Patchwork Afghans Thru The Year, Book 2 by Martha Brooks Stein, Leisure Arts, 2001, leaflet 3223. Patterns: saleboats, pumpkins(?), variety of quilt-style designs.
12. Patchwork Bear Afghan by Elizabeth Eure, published in Crochet Fancy magazine, March 1993.
13. Patchwork Grannys for Afghans, Pillows & Bedspreads by Diane Marie Goff, Leisure Arts, 1983, leaflet 267. Patterns: flower baskets, pinwheels, variety of quilt-style designs.
14. Patchwork Patterns by Judy Sajewski, Leisure Arts, 2002, leaflet 3294. Quilt-style designs.
15. Quilt Block Afghans by Vicki Blizzard, House of White Birches, 1999, leaflet 101142. Quilt-style designs.
16. Added February 2008: Perfect Patches - 5 Afghans to Crochet by Annis Clap, Leisure Arts, 2007, leaflet 3888. Patterns: Sailboats and Fish, Butterflies, Trucks, Stars, Pinwheels.

Another idea is to use graph paper to design a custom chart using squares and half squares. A do-it-yourself picture afghan!

KnitPro [http://www.microrevolt.org/knitPro/] will turn a photo, graphic, or image into a chart that can be used for crochet, cross-stitch, knitting, and needlepoint. Images with large flat color spaces work best.

I decided to play around with the Pattern Maker for Cross Stitch software I bought a few years ago. It creates a color chart from an imported photograph or graphic. It can also be used to create images from scratch - much like drawing. I bought it so I could play around with converting some of my photos to charts, but haven't yet gotten around to doing that.

I found a NASCAR logo sticker that probably came with the really cool Tony Stewart Collectible (kinda like a doll) that Bill gave me at Christmas. We don't do gift exchanges, but he saw it in an Oakland truck stop/gas station and had to buy it for me as a gag gift! I was very delighted!!

Anyway... I scanned the sticker and for the past 2 (3?) hours have been playing around with the software to fine tune the design. Looks pretty good!

The chart can be used with any craft that requires a charted design.

The NASCAR logo copyrighted by NASCAR.

This charted design is copyright © 2006 Cheryl Lambert. Free for personal use. Objects made using this design cannot be sold. The design cannot be sold without my permission.

I've had this simple design for a duck on my mind for a while... The idea came from something similar I saw months ago (but I cannot remember what or where!). I was cleaning my home office and used this project as a distraction from that task...

The charted duck design can be used to assemble granny squares for a crocheted afghan or jacket or placemat or... Or use the chart for a filet crochet project (afghan, pot holder, hot pad, doily, scrubbie, placemat...). Or a cross-stitch project... Or mosiac... The design can be a solid color, or use different colors. Use red. Or blue. Be creative!

This charted pattern was created using Adobe Photoshop, but anyone can create their own designs using graph paper and colored pencils.

Copyright © 2006 Cheryl Lambert. Free for personal use. Objects made using this design can be sold. The design cannot be sold without my permission.

Two Christmas tree charted designs. The third and fourth Christmas trees use the second layout complete with decorations, one using different color ornaments (such as granny squares with a circle motif in the center), the other in red and white. A yellow star tops these trees (crochet a star motif and sew it on the top of the tree).

Large afghans can be made by adding squares around the tree. Make the background squares at the bottom of the tree white (for snow!), make white hills (snow!), make the sky navy blue, add squares with white star motifs or a moon to the sky...

These charted patterns were created using Adobe Illustrator, but anyone can create their own designs using graph paper and colored pencils.

Copyright © 2004 Cheryl Lambert. Free for personal use. Objects made using either pattern can be sold. Patterns cannot be sold without my express permission.

This charted turtle design can be used to assemble granny squares for a crocheted afghan or jacket or placemat or... Or use the chart for a filet crochet project (afghan, pot holder, hot pad, doily, scrubbie, placemat...). Or a cross-stitch project... Or mosiac... The design can be a solid color, or use different colors. Use red. Or blue. Be creative!

This charted pattern was created using Adobe Illustrator, but anyone can create their own designs using graph paper and colored pencils.

Copyright © 2004 Cheryl Lambert. Free for personal use. Objects made using this design can be sold. The design cannot be sold without my permission.

This charted turtle design can be used to assemble granny squares for a crocheted afghan or jacket or placemat or... Or use the chart for a filet crochet project (afghan, pot holder, hot pad, doily, scrubbie, placemat...). Or a cross-stitch project... Or mosiac... The design can be a solid color, or use different colors. Use red. Or blue. Be creative!

This charted pattern was created using Adobe Illustrator, but anyone can create their own designs using graph paper and colored pencils.

Copyright © 2004 Cheryl Lambert. Free for personal use. Objects made using this design can be sold. The design cannot be sold without my permission.