Basic Granny Square
When people think of “crochet” this is the imagine that typically comes to mind. This pattern is so ubiquitous with crochet that you’d be hard pressed to find anyone who doesn’t know what it is, even if they don’t know how to make it… yet!
Fun fact about me: this was NOT the way I learned to make granny squares when I started crocheting. But ever since I learned how, it’s been impossible to stop making them!
This square is made from what is sometimes called a “granny block,” or a “clustered block” stitch; like so many things in crochet, there is (surprisingly) no real absolute name for this design (or, if there is, I missed the book it was written in). Essentially, whatever you want to call the stitch, it is simply a cluster of 3 double crochet (3 dc) into a single chain space (ch sp). It’s also only one of many, many, many different block stitches you can make in crochet! But, for those who are more interested in learning the basics, this is probably one of the few you’ll want to keep handy in your arsenal. Once you’ve mastered this stitch pattern, you’ll be surprised what you can make with it alone.
If you’re anything like me you hate to be wasteful with your materials - I mean this is good money you’ve saved and spent already! It would be a sin to just throw away the extra, especially if you have a fair amount of it left.
That’s why one of the greatest advantages to this stitch, I think, is that it lends itself really well to getting rid of your extra rolls of yarn. Additionally, because of the pattern’s inherent design, layering one row of blocks on top of the other, you don’t necessarily have to plan your colors out in advance as with other large projects. You will need to do some minor coordination while making your blocks, but it’s not going to take up too much energy in your brain-space.
You can make the squares big, you can make them small; you can make a simple border or a fancy border… or just piece together without a border at all! The possibilities with this crochet block are limitless.
The only tip I can really offer for making yourself a granny square blanket is to use a single color for making the borders or edges of the blanket. Black is traditional but it can be any color you want that will bring harmony to all the other colors. Remember: since this kind of project doesn’t require meticulous planning like other big projects, keep the principal balance in mind as you piece and crochet your borders; less is more when trying to create cohesion.
My “Stain-glass Blanket,” made from yarn dating back to my earliest days of crochet (2002)