Zig Zag Joining Granny Squares

[Anthony Small]

ThoughI ended up using the Flat Slip Stitch Method for my blanket, I would like to wrap up my findings on ways to join granny squares that could be of interest to you. So here you go, 12 ways to join granny squares. Out of the 12 ways, 8 are basic join methods, and 4 are fancy methods. I have used 3 of the basic ways to join granny squares in my previous projects, and I will definitely try out those fancy joints like the Celtic Lace and Flat Braid Join methods for my future granny square projects.

SINGLE CROCHET JOIN METHOD

[Photo and Tutorial Source: Repeat Crafter Me]

This is one of the most popular joints in the granny square. It leaves a ridge separating each square and gives the blanket texture and dimension.

SLIP STITCH JOIN METHOD

[Photo and Tutorial Source: Attic 24]

This is another most popular method to join granny squares. Like the Single Crochet join method, you do slip stitch crochet instead of single crochet. It gives a flatter seamline. You can do the join to the front of the project or the back of the project. Each will provide you with a different look.

I used this method in my African Flower Purse.

FLAT SLIP STITCH JOIN METHOD

[Photo and Tutorial Source: Craft Passion]

The flat Slip Stitch join method is adapted from the Slip Stitch join method. Instead of joining the outer loops of the squares, this flat slip-stitch method is working from the front of the squares and slip stitch the inner loops of the square. It gives a nice flat seam that blocks the squares nicely.

I used this method in my Sunburst Granny Square Blanket.

WHIPS STITCH JOIN METHOD (sewing)

[Photo and Tutorial Source: Bunny Mummy]

If you love to hand sew to join the granny squares, this could be one of your favorite methods to use. The end result is the same as the crochet Slip Stitch Join Method above.

JOIN-AS-YOU-GO METHOD

[Photo and Tutorial Source: My Rose Valley]

This is another seamless join method. Instead of joining after you have completed all the squares, you join while crocheting the final round. This method is suitable if you have already had a plan of which squares to join to each other.

I used this method in my Haltered-Neck Granny Square Top that I made for my daughter.

CELTIC LACE JOIN METHOD

[Photo and Tutorial Source: Cypress Textiles]

This method creates a lace edge to join the granny squares together. Add a few rounds of the lace pattern to the basic granny square and join the last round to the adjacent square as you go.

FLAT BRAID JOIN METHOD

[Photo and Tutorial Source: Gourmet Crochet]

This method gives a twisted braid pattern to the joint of the granny squares. It is a join-as-you-go method too for the last round.

SIMULATED BRAID JOIN METHOD

[Photo and Tutorial Source: Gourmet Crochet]

This is similar to the Flat Braid Join Method, except that you can finish the last round of the square with the fundamental edging of the Flat Braid Join Method, followed by placing 2 squares with the right side facing each other and join.

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The first thing you need to decide is what your layout is going to be. The usual way of doing this is to lay all the squares out on the floor and fiddle around with them until you are happy with colour/design placement. In the meantime your toddler will run all over you squares (and probably run off with a few), your other half will trip himself/herself up in an effort to avoid stepping on your squares, your cat will lie down right in the middle of everything, and your dog will use your squares as chew-toys.

A much easier method is to take photos of each square and then create a collage using your photo editor of choice. This can be printed out for future reference and is much, much easier than crawling around on the floor. THIS TUTORIAL by Tamara from Moogly tells you exactly how to go about creating a photo collage using PicMonkey, which is free and totally fabulous!

When joining crochet squares (or knit squares for that matter) it is very easy to crochet too tightly. Your joins need to be elastic to accommodate the stretching that will naturally occur from using your finished blanket lots and lots (and LOTS)!

This will depend on a lot of factors. What kind of yarn are you using? What is your hook size? How many squares will you be joining and what kind of join will you be using? So this is a question only you can answer. But I am happy to tell you how to figure out.

Please note that this will ONLY tell you how much yarn you will need for joining squares. You will have to do additional maths to figure out how much yarn to get for the border, but I will cover that in another post.

But sometimes squares do require blocking. This could be due to a variety of reasons: change in tension, inherent differences in yarns (when using more than one yarn per square), and design, to name but a few.

Although it is preferable that your squares all have the same final-round stitch count, it is not essential. If you have made your squares using different patterns from different designers (the Block a Week CAL 2014 being a classic example), you might find that you end up with a bunch of odd-numbered squares.

When you join as you go you are basically attaching each square to one, two, or three other squares when making the last round of the square (or an additional decorative round). A lot of people prefer this method because there are less tails of yarn to sew in at the end and once you have made the last square your blanket is basically done.

I am not going to go into detail about this method because it is not a method I have used a lot, but Lucy from Attic24 has a great tutorial for a Join As You Go Granny Square, which will give you a good idea of the what and the how. Tamara from Moogly also has a great tutorial for the Tight Braid Join.

However, there is a way to work around this (a semi-join-as-you-go, if you will). You can always complete all your squares up to the second to last round and then attach them to each other at a later date by adding the last round using the JAYGO method. This Lacy Blanket Join by Cherry Heart is a case in point. She takes completed squares and joins them with a 2-round JAYGO design that is just beautiful. The tutorial is extremely thorough and easy to follow, even if the join is slightly more advanced than some of the others I will be linking to.

Some people prefer attaching their squares in strips, almost like scarves. These strips can then be attached along their lengths to form the blanket. This Groovyghan by Zelna Oliver from Zooty Owl is a perfect example of this.

The upside to this method is that it is still fairly portable while joining, because you only ever need to carry enough squares for one strip. The downside is A LOT of tails of yarn to sew away, unless you leave a loooong tail at the end of each square and use this to crochet each square to the next.

Diana, I thought I had replied to your comment, I am so sorry. You are most welcome and I am pleased that you were as blessed by this whole experience as I was. Thank you for your great comment xxx dedri

You can change the entire look of a project just by changing the way you join granny squares together. While there are countless ways to connect granny squares, we want to share the five most versatile and easy-to-learn ways to join your granny squares together.

The reverse single crochet join method is the best way to connect granny squares when you want your join to stand out. It leaves a raised and textured line between the granny squares. Use the same hook that you used to crochet the granny squares.

It takes some time to get used to making the reverse single crochet. Since you work this stitch in the opposite direction of a regular single crochet, the stitch twists giving it a bumpy texture. This twisting though is what makes it feel awkward to work.

While the zig zag braid is a beautiful way of connecting granny squares, its lacey qualities make it not appropriate for every project type. For example, the extra holes this join creates may catch fingers and toes of blankets.

Connecting granny squares with the invisible seam will give you a completely flat join that looks like the granny squares are fused together at the edges. This join is particularly great for solid granny squares!

Once you have done these three things, you are ready to start joining your crochet squares (or hexagons, or octagons, or whatever shape you have!). Other shapes can be a little more complicated so make sure to check my joining crochet hexagons tutorial if you are doing that!

It also works really well for other projects like bags, cowls, or hats that are worked flat and then joined to a round. I have also been known to use it to seam my knitting projects together too and it works beautifully!

I look forward to seeing your finished crochet projects, especially this easy crochet pattern, so please share them with me in the HanJan Crochet Facebook group or on Instagram and tag #hanjancrochet.

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