What Are Granny Squares

[Nelida]

Basicgranny know how is all you need to be on your way to crochet a throw blanket, a pillow or almost any other make. You can keep it going for one massive crochet blanket or use that traditional granny square to make a patchwork style design.

The classic granny square is iconic. Recognizable in popular TV shows and movies and very likely in the house of someone you know. Perhaps your grandmother, mom, or friend has a basic granny square afghan thrown over a sofa or favorite chair.

A basic granny square features the chain stitch and double crochet stitch worked in groups of three. A chain stitch typically separates each dc cluster from the next. And in each corner space, a set of double crochet clusters are worked, separated by a couple of chain stitches to form a corner ch 2 sp.

A popular classic granny square variation will eliminate the chain stitch between the double crochet stitches on the sides. But in any case, the stitches in subsequent rows are always worked in the space between the clusters.

With nearly 5 decades of crochet experience, she finds joy in exploring the limitless possibilities, making Crochet 365 Knit Too a haven for fellow crochet lovers seeking inspiration, guidance, and a warm community.

It really depends on the size of the granny square. My recommendation is to make a square in the size you like and measure it. Then figure out how big of an afghan you would like (measure one you have at home for reference) and calculate the number of squares you need to make that size. Keep in mind how you will join your squares and what you will be doing for a border.

FYI. I am trsying the new Red Heart Grannie square yarn and they recommend a I hook. I had to go down to a G to get the gauge I need to meet the change in yarn. I was surprised that there was that much difference. I do not corchet loose but I kept having to goo down a hook. Just a note if anyone wants to try the yarn.

That yarn looks so fun but it really is dependent upon the exact pattern used and your tension and hook size. For me that kind of steals my crochet joy. But if someone wants to try it, definitely follow their instructions and hook size to start and then tweak your tension or hook size to get the colors to change properly.

She wound up busting out a hook and some variegated yarn (it was red, blue and yellow) and showing me how to chain. I made chain after chain after chain and would wear and gift them as necklaces and bracelets. Later we moved onto single crochets, then double, then triple and finally she taught me how to granny square.

Chain in between 5 or 10 times (depending on how large or small you want the hole in the center of the square to be). I like a larger size so I always chain 10. Use a slip stitch in the first chain to turn the chain into a circle.

Double crochet three times and continue the pattern. On the corners you will chain three. When going through a hole that is not on the corner, only chain one before starting your next set of three double crochets.

To change colors, use a slip stitch to finish your current round. Clip your yarn so that you have about two inches and make a slip stitch that will become a knot when you pull all of the way through. Weave what is left of the tail through the granny square using your hook to hide the unfinished end.

Granny squares, or granny hexagons? How about granny stripes, granny triangles, or a granny poncho? Heck, you could crochet granny squares for your whole life and never run out of variations and ideas.

I used a mixture of mini skeins purchased from different hand dyers for my blanket. Some came from online purchases, some came from local yarn store visits, and some were purchased on my travels. Any combination of 20-gram mini skeins will do for this project. You do not need to buy all of your mini skeins from the same vendor.

If you want to mix things up, look for unique granny square patterns in books, magazines, and online. Crochet designers from around the world have shared plenty of free patterns for you to choose from. Look for a square pattern with double crochet stitches in multiples of 3 along each side to ensure the joining technique works.

If choosing a color palette for your granny square blanket is difficult, picking a layout for your precious squares is nearly impossible! There are many options for laying out your squares, and I encourage you to try them all before you make a final decision. With 80 squares, I made a blanket 8 squares wide and 10 squares tall. Once I had the dimensions, I tried a couple different layout options.

While this joining method worked best for my blanket, there are plenty of other options to choose from. If you want to connect your squares individually, you can try the slip stitch method, the whip stitch method, or the mattress stitch method. You can learn each of these techniques in my tutorial video here. There are also other continuous join-as-you-go methods with tutorials on YouTube, including this lacy one and this tight join-as-you-go seam.

NOTE: I have not added a border to my blanket yet, so I did not include yarn yardage for a specific border in the Materials section. Consider using an additional skein of your joining yarn, or choose a coordinating tonal skein from your stash to make the border.

I hope this granny square blanket tutorial inspires you to take on your own unique crochet blanket project. Remember to go at your own pace, take some risks, and the more colors, the merrier!

How many squares can you make from each mini skein? I used 20 gram mini skeins with about 80 yards of yarn each. I got 2 squares out of most of my mini skeins, using 40 yards in each square.

Did you block each square before joining them? No, I did not block my squares before joining them. Since I used wool yarn, I know it has a lot of stretch and flexibility. For those reasons, I will block my entire blanket after I add the border.

How did you connect the squares on your granny square blanket? I connected my squares using the continuous join-as-you-go method. To help, I watch this fantastic tutorial on YouTube.

How did you pick the colors that went into your blanket? I chose my colors based on the season I wanted to represent: spring. I looked on Pinterest for some spring-themed colors and found several photos with dusty pinks, purples, and greens. I looked in my stash and found a collection of colors that matched the theme, then added some transitional colors (yellow, brown, gray, and blue). When laying out the colors, I went in a rainbow order: pink-yellow-brown-green-blue-gray-purple.

Can I use an advent or holiday mystery box of yarn for my granny square blanket? Absolutely, YES! Yarn advents and mystery holiday boxes often come with 12-24 mini skeins each, so you must supplement with additional yarns. Consider finding scraps, leftovers, mini skeins, or full skeins in your stash to round out your color palette.

TLYC Makers is an encouraging community of yarn lovers and creative entrepreneurs who've come together to share our craft and elevate one another. Expect regular posts about running a maker business, WIP updates, and plenty of enthusiasm about all things craft and crochet.

Since the ever so popular Granny Squares seem to be popping up a lot lately, I was wanting to work on a blanket, but I decided to not do just regular granny squares. I wanted to something a little different, so I made these adorable Circle Granny Squares!

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A granny square is a piece of square fabric produced in crochet by working in rounds from the center outward. Granny squares are traditionally handmade as crochet and cannot be manufactured by machine. They resemble coarse lace. Although there is no theoretical limit to the maximum size of a granny square, crocheters usually create multiple small squares (called "motifs") and assemble the pieces to make clothing, purses, Afghan blankets, and other household textiles.

If you grew up in the seventies, as I did, you might fear the granny square--if only because, for a while, clothing was made of nothing else. Granny square vests, granny square shorts, granny square hats. Heck, I bet there was some kid out there who was forced to go to school wearing granny square underwear.[1]

Although particular color and pattern schemes for granny squares change with time, this class of motif is a staple among crocheters. Multicolor granny squares are an effective way to use up small amounts of yarn left over from other projects and basic granny square motifs do not require advanced skills to execute.[2]

The "crazy work" she refers to is crazy quilting, which was a popular trend at the time. During this era, it was traditional for women to use black ribbon on the borders between crazy quilt squares[4] - much like the black borders of a traditional granny square.

The familiar granny square is a special form of square motif. Although there are many variations on the granny square, the traditional one is a double-crocheted square made with a series of chains and double-crocheted blocks--a kind of filet crochet in the round.[6]

Any granny square begins with a small loop of chain stitches. Basic granny squares alternate sets of double stitches and chain stitches. Variant patterns use different stitch types or produce other geometric shapes such as hexagons. In order to achieve a distinct angle at the corners, the designer uses extra chain stitches.[7] Subsequent rounds are added by wrapping multiple stitches around the existing chain stitches. Hundreds of variant motifs are in use, and entire books have been devoted to granny square designs.[8]

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