Renate Kirkpatrick ~ email: rensfibreart@gmail.com ~ website/blog: rensfibreart.wordpress.comThe Humble Granny Square The following instructions are for the easiest & most consistent One colour Granny Square that I know &, although there are many variations, this is the one I use because I know my squares will be square & the corners open & even &, no matter how many rounds are I work, the square stays flat without ruffling or pulling in….. The instructions are in written form & I have also included stitch drawings & stitch diagrams (for those of you who would like to learn how to read pattern graphs)….. For your first attempts I recommend working in a light coloured 8 ply (US worsted) yarn & using the hook size you are comfortable with –  4.50 (US 6/G) or 5.00 (US 8/H)

Stitch Diagram Symbols

Renate Kirkpatrickemail: rensfibreart@gmail.com - website: rensfibreart.com

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Foundation Ring:

begin by making 5 chains (ch), join with a slip stitch (ss) to the 5th ch from hook to form a ring,

Round 1:

1) make 3 ch ((beginning ch) count this 3 ch as your first tr of this round & throughout the entire pattern) & for this round you will be working into the ring

2) into ring work (2 tr, 3 ch) once,

3) then, continue working into ring, make (3 tr, 3 ch) three times,

4) join with ss into top of beginning ch (3rd ch of beginnging ch) – this join completes the first shell of round. you should have – 4 shells = 12 tr & 4 x 3-ch spaces (sps)

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Round 2:

1) make 4 ch ((beginning ch) count this 4 ch as your first tr plus 1 ch of this round & throughout the entire pattern)

2) then * in the next 3-ch sp work (3 tr, 3 ch, 3 tr, 1 ch), repeat from * around to last 3-ch sp,

3) in last 3-ch sp work (3tr, 3 ch, 2 tr)

4) join with ss to 3rd ch of beginning ch – this join completes the last shell of round

you should have – 8 shells = 24 tr – 4 x 3-ch sps – 4 x 1-ch sps

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Round 3:

1) make 3 ch, then into same sp work (2 tr, 1 ch), you have made the first shell of this round

2) in next corner sp work * (3 tr, 3 ch, 3 tr, 1 ch),

3) in next 1-ch sp work (3 tr, 1 ch),

�54) now, repeat from * around to beginning ch, join with ss to top of beginning ch (3rd ch of beginnging ch) – this join completes the first shell of round

you should have 12 shells = 36 tr – 4 x 3-ch sps - 8 x 1-ch sps

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Round 4:

1) make 4 ch

2) in the next 1-ch sp work (3 tr, 1 ch),

�63) * in the next 3-ch sp work (3 tr, 3 ch, 3 tr, 1 ch),

4) then in each next 1-ch sp work (3 tr, 1 ch), repeat from * around to last 1-ch sp,

5) in last 1-ch sp work (2 tr)

�76) join with ss to 3rd ch of beginning ch – this join completes the last shell of round you should have – 16 shells = 48 tr – 4 x 3-ch sps – 12 x 1-ch sps

# Rounds 3 & 4 are the repeat rounds, but you can finish off on any round or just keep going to any desired size

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Adding colours to your Granny Square: The following drawings shows colour changes on every round… however, how many rounds per colour you work is entirely up to you – experiment with these colour changes & amaze yourself with the creativity you may never have thought you had…. Basically you follow the above instructions except that you finish off each colour round before starting a new colour round

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1) Bring in your new colour in any 3-ch sp with a slip stitch & make 3 ch ((beginning ch) count this 3 ch as your first tr of this round & throughout the pattern), in the same space work (2tr, 3 ch, 3 tr),

Tip: leave generous tail ends & wherever possible work over tail ends as you work

2) then, depending on the round, work as for one colour Gr/square instructions

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Edging your Granny Square: is entirely optional but personally, I prefer to work 2 rounds of dc around each square mainly because the squares look more finished & they are so much easier to join into projects later – the main thing to remember when edging your square is to work your dc (US sc) stitch for stitch across to corner stitches & you must work 3 dc in each corner space. There are many variations, but the following the 2 methods  are the ones I use most often for edging Granny Squares: Example No 1. Round 1: 1a) after finishing your last round with a slip stitch do not finish off but continue with this last colour in use (working colour) & make 1 ch, & dc in same stitch,

1b) now * work dc in each 1-ch space & in each stitch across to next 3-ch space, work 3 dc in 3-ch space, then repeat from * around & join with a slip stitch to the first dc but do not finish off

Tip: I like to place a marker in the middle stitch of the 3 corner stitches for easy identification on the next round & I leave these markers in so that when it comes to joining my squares later I only have to match them corner marker to corner marker

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Example No 1. Round 2: 1c) make 1 ch, & dc in same stitch,

1d) now * work dc in each stitch across to next middle corner stitch, work 3 dc in middle corner stitch, then repeat from * around & join with a slip stitch to the first dc & finish off

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Example No 2. Round 1: 2a) finish off your last colour of square & bring in your new colour with a dc in any corner 3-ch space, work 2 dc in same space (this makes your first 3-corner stitches)

Tip: joining with a dc – start with the slip knot on hook, insert hook into space indicated by pattern & draw up a loop (2 loops on hook), YO & draw through both loops on hook (this counts as the first dc) then continue as pattern instruction

�102b) now * work dc in each stitch & in each 1-ch space across to next 3-ch space, work 3 dc in 3-ch space, then repeat from * around & join with a slip stitch to the first dc but do not finish off

Tip: I like to place a marker in the middle stitch of the 3 corner stitches for easy identification on the next round & I leave these markers in so that when it comes to joining my squares later I only have to match them corner marker to corner marker

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Example No 2. Round 2:

2c) make 1 ch, & dc in same stitch,

2d) now * work dc in each stitch across to next middle corner stitch, work 3 dc in middle corner stitch, then repeat from * around & join with a slip stitch to the first dc & finish off

�11Congratulations! you have completed your Granny Square…  once you have made a few more you will need to join them to make what ever your heart desires. the following are 3 different ways of joining your squares

Joining Your Granny Squares:

* Layout squares as desired * pin squares together - for easier handling work with rows of 2 squares at a time - take care to always join from the same end for each row being joined * working right to left, with right sides of both square facing outward, work back loops (centre loops) of both squares, join yarn in first st using one of the following joining techniques:- 1. Invisible Join: using darning needle sew each corresponding st together to end. 2. SS Join: join with ss in first st and ss each corresponding st together to end. 3. Dc Join: join with dc in first st, dc each corresponding st together to end.

All-round border: when all squares are joined, join desired col with dc in back loop

of any corner st, 2 dc in same st, * dc in each st across to next corner st, 3 dc in corner

st, repeat from * around, ending with ss in first dc – do not finish off

Subsequent Rows (optional): work in both loops, 1 ch, dc in same st, * dc in each st

to corner st, 3 dc in corner st, repeat from * around, ending with ss in first st, repeat

this row as many times as desired.

Last Round: work Crab st around - finish off – weave in all tail ends

Crab st: (reverse dc) always worked on right side & in the opposite direction as usual - join as required, 1 ch, * insert hook into the next st on right, YO & draw up a loop, YO & draw through both loops on hook, repeat from * across - Crab st made

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