Granny Squares are one of the most well loved and used techniques in crochet. With a granny square you can make all sorts of crochet patterns ranging from a granny square blanket to granny square bag. You can even customize granny squares crochet patterns to include things like flowers or fun crochet motifs! There is an endless variety to what you can do with them!
This week I am happy to have my friend Natalie from the crochet blog Knitty Natty as this week’s guest blogger. She is sharing her own take on the granny square: the Scrappy Granny Square! Her pattern helps walk you through how to crochet a granny square, and includes links to her photo and video tutorial. This basic granny square crochet pattern is perfect for using up any scraps of yarn you have lying around, cause if you’re anything like me then you’ll have lots of yarn scraps leftover from all of my projects, haha. So with that, I am happy to hand this post over to Natalie!
Hello everyone! My name is Natalie also known as Knitty Natty. I’m a knit and crochet designer, podcaster, blogger, and Instagram addict. I live in Texas with my husband and our crazy dog, Toaster. My day job is teaching Reading at an elementary school, but you’ll always find me writing up patterns during my lunch break. I started an after school knit and crochet club last school year and we’ve “graduated” nearly 50 young makers since then! I’ve been in the design game for almost a year and it’s my absolute favorite thing to do. As a bicraftual maker, my current motives are to convince capital “K” Knitters to try crochet and to show capital “C” Crocheters that fingering weight yarn is NOT scary! My specialties are knitting socks and detangling yarn. So great to meet you!
Today we’re making a classic- THE SCRAPPY GRANNY. Strangely I crocheted for years without ever making a granny square. Relatively simple, but massively customizable, the granny square is one of the great building blocks of crochet. These grannies aren’t just for your grannies, y’all!
If you love this pattern, you’ll also love:
The Yarn
What makes these granny squares special is that they are made with fingering weight yarn. When you have that coveted skein of hand-dyed sock yarn, it’s too painful to throw away the leftover bits- so why not make something from them? I originally made mine with leftover yarn from knit socks. The result of a granny made with gorgeous sock yarn is delicate and contemporary. Now I make mine with mini-skeins and advent calendar yarn. You can make them with the tiniest bit of yarn- just 8-10 grams!
How to Use the Squares
What do you do with all these granny squares from projects past? Make a blanket of course! Just chose a solid color yarn to join all your squares together to make a cohesive blanket. This is one of those sweet long-term projects for me. Each square is a little piece of a project that comes together to make one big memory blanket.
Supplies:
- 8-10 grams of fingering/sock weight yarn
- 3.25 mm (D) crochet hook
- Darning needle to weave in those darn ends
Abbreviations:
All crochet stitches are in standard US terms.
- ch | chain (tutorial)
- dc | double crochet (tutorial)
- sl st | slip st
Scrappy Granny Video Tutorial:
Pattern Notes:
- All crochet stitches are done in US crochet terms.
- I recommend reading through the entire pattern before starting to make sure you completely understand it.
- If you like photo tutorials, check out the Scrappy Granny Photo Tutorial on the Knitty Natty blog.
Scrappy Granny Pattern:
Begin with a magic circle (tutorial).
Rnd 1: Ch3 (counts as first dc here and throughout), dc2 into circle, ch2.
*Dc3, ch2; repeat from * two more times. Join with a sl st to top of first ch3.
You just made four dc3 clusters and four ch2 corners- yay!
Rnd 2: Sl st in next two dc and 1st corner.
First corner: Ch3, dc2, ch2, dc3.
Corner: Dc3, ch2, dc3 in next corner space. Repeat Corner in each ch2 space around.
Join with a sl st in top of first ch3.
Now you have eight dc3 clusters and… well still four ch2 corners. We’re making a square after all. Did you notice those center spaces? Read on!
Rnd 3: Sl st in next two dc and 1st corner.
First corner: Ch3, dc2, ch2, dc3.
Center: Dc3 in center space.
Corner: Dc3, ch2, dc3 in next corner space. Alternate Center and Corner around. End with Center. Join with a sl st in top of first ch3.
This center is in between the corner clusters you made in the previous round. No need to go into the stitch, just dive right into the space.
Okay, we’re getting into the rhythm now. You should have 12 dc3 clusters- 4 which make the centers and 8 which make the corners. Do you still have four ch2 corner spaces? Good, you’re on the right track.
Rnd 4 and following rnds:
Sl st in next two dc and 1st corner.
First corner: Ch3, dc2, ch2, dc3.
Centers: Dc3 in each center space.
Corner: Dc3, ch2, dc3 in next corner space. Repeat Centers and Corner around.
Join with a sl st in top of first ch3.
On Round 4 you will have 2 center spaces. On Round 5 you’ll have 3 center spaces. Round 6 = 4 center spaces. Are you catching on? You genius, you!
Continue Rnd 4 until desired size or you run out of yarn! After last join in the top of first ch3, cut yarn and pull all the way through. Weave in ends.
Squares pictured shows 7 rounds total or 5 center clusters per side. Squares are 4.5” wide.
Scrappy Granny is my favorite pattern to work over and over. She’s like that comfort project you reach for when your brain can’t do anything else. Each Christmas I order a yarn advent calendar. I open up a new mini-skein from December 1st to the 25th and crochet a Scrappy Granny each day. My current Scrappy Granny blanket includes color ways that are exclusively Harry Potter-related. I’m a sucker for a good fandom yarn.
I hope you enjoy making grannies as much as I do. Let your creativity fly making these lovely little blocks. Feel free to adjust the yarn weight and hook to suit your desired fabric. Make larger squares or smaller squares. I even saw a crafter that substituted half double crochets which resulted in a puffier, less open square. You’re the boss of your yarn. You can find all of my patterns on Ravelry under Love in Stitches. My YouTube Channel is Knitty Natty and podcast is Love in Stitches. Or you can check out my blog at knittynatty.com. For the most recent happenings, keep up with me on Instagram- @knittynatty.
Love in stitches,
Knitty Natty
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