My Love-Hate Relationship With Crochet Grannie Squares

Oh, the workhorse of the crochet world.  The Grannie Square.

I will admit to any one who asks me, that I do not like the look of traditional grannie squares. (Or "granny squares", if you will. I like to spell it differently.) I never have, never will. Sorry if that offends the crochet community. #sorrynotsorry I do like the look of some non-traditional grannie squares and I found a buffalo check stadium blanket pattern from Yarnspirations that I fell in love with, which uses grannie squares. I did make a lovely red/black/maroon version of this blanket without the border and it's one of our favorite blankets to fight over when it's chilly. But I digress, grannie squares. I hate 'em. I love 'em. It depends on the pattern and if I'm in the mood to make 'em. 

But you know what? They are one of the best "patterns" to learn when you are just starting out with crochet for a few reasons. First of all, most grannie squares use your very basic of crochet stitches. In the case of my stadium blanket, double crochet (dc) and chain stitches (ch) are all is needed to make the squares. (After the magic ring, which is a whole 'nother post.) Basic stitches repeated over and over, (and OVER ...) will help you establish your beginning skill set to make so many other projects. So even though I don't like the aesthetic of a traditional grannie square, I respect the skills it teaches and the versatility of the simple squares. So let's get into it!

How to Crochet a Grannie Square

There are many videos and blog posts and patterns all over the internet on how to make a grannie square. (Not to sound rude, but just google it. 😀)  Here's how *I* make traditional grannie squares :

Step One:

Ch 2, leaving a long-ish tail. You will be starting your first round by working into the second ch from your hook, which is the first ch you made. This is where most instructions say to start with a magic ring and I sometimes use one, as in the video at the bottom of this post. Do which ever you feel most comfortable with, if you've never done a magic ring, I suggest using the ch 2 method. 

Step Two:

Round One. Work all of the following into the second ch from the hook : dc 3 times, ch 2, dc 3 times, ch 2, dc 3 times, ch 2, dc 3 times, ch 2. Tighten up the center by pulling the tail, if needed, and then slip stitch (sl st) into the top of the first dc made. 

Step Three:

Round Two. Turn your work, sl st into the ch 2 space, and ch 3. (This counts as the first dc in the "shell".) In the same space, dc 2 times, ch 2, dc 3 times. Ch 1. In the next space, dc 3, ch 2, dc 3. Ch 1. In the next space, dc 3, ch 2, dc 3.Ch 1. In the next space, dc 3, ch 2, dc 3. Ch 1 and sl st into the top of the ch 3 of the first shell.  

Step Four:

Rounds 3 and beyond. In each round from here on, you will be just repeating the pattern until your square is the desired size. At the beginning of each round, you will again turn your work, sl st into the ch 2 space, and ch 3. (Don't forget, this counts as the first dc in the "shell".) In the same space, dc 2 times and ch 1.  

Here's where the "magic" happens:

On each side, in each ch space, dc 3 times for a "shell" of stitches. Ch 1 between each shell and before and after each corner. In each corner will have dc 3, ch 2, dc 3 worked into the previous round's ch 2 space of the corner. When you get to the end of each round, sl st into the top of the ch 3 of the first shell you made. 

Repeat

Keep repeating step four until your square is 6 inches or 9 inches or 12 inches, depending on what you are making.  You can even just repeat until it's the size of a blanket! Traditional grannie squares have eye shocking color changes with each round. (This is the part that I *really* don't like.) And different patterns that you find will give you instructions on color changes for that pattern. I like to make mine solid colors or I like to use yarn that does the color changes for me. The latter is great when making a blanket sized square. 

Resources

So many great patterns, tips, instructions, etc. on grannie squares are out there for you to channel your inner granny with squares. Here is my fourth YouTube video in my Crochet: Just Beyond Basics video series, Grannie Squares, made back in 2020. Either this blog post or the video below should help you get started making grannie squares.  I did use a magic ring to start in the video, but I have found that alternative starts, such as the ch 2 mentioned above, is more secure for blankets or other projects that may get a lot of use.  Hope this helps you on your grannie square journey!