How to Crochet a Granny Square
By Rachel Choi – 61 Comments| Crocheting a granny square is a very simple pattern that is repeated around in a square shaped fashion. Granny squares are commonly used to make baby blankets and afghans. They can also be used to make scarves, clothing, washcloths and coasters. The usage for granny squares is unlimited. Learning how to crochet a granny square is very easy, just use the below pattern to get started! Gauge is not important since granny squares can be many different sizes. |
 |
Crochet Pattern: Granny Square (updated 2/19/2010)
Round 1: ch 4, sl st in forth ch from hook forming a loop
Round 2: ch 3 (counts as 1 dc now and throughout), 2 dc in loop, ch 2, (3 dc in loop, ch 2) 3 times, sl st in top of beginning ch-3: 12 dc
Note: at the end of this round and all following rounds, you may change yarn color if desired
Round 3: ch 3, turn, 2 dc in next ch-2 space, ch 2, 3 dc in same ch-2 space, ch 2, (3 dc in next ch-2 space, ch 2, 3 dc in same ch-2 space, ch 2) 3 times, sl st in top of beginning ch-3: 24 dc
Round 4: ch 3, turn, 2 dc in next ch-2 space, (ch 2, 3 dc in next ch-2 space, ch 2, 3 dc in same ch-2 space, ch 2, 3 dc in next ch-2 space) 3 times, ch 2, 3 dc in next ch-2 space, ch 2, 3 dc in same ch-2 space, ch 2, sl st in top of beginning ch-3: 36 dc
Need help understanding the abbreviations? Check out the crochet abbreviation chart.
Continue this pattern to increase the size of the granny square. Here is the basic idea for the granny square pattern:
- For corner spaces (each round has 4 corners): 3 dc in ch-2 space, ch 2, 3 dc in same ch-2 space
- For side spaces (each round adds one more ch-2 space to each side): 3 dc in ch-2 space
- Each round will have 12 more double crochets than the previous round.
When moving from one loop to the next, always chain 2, thus each set of 3 double crochets is separated by 2 chains.
If you are having problems crocheting a granny square, no worries! Just leave a comment and I will be sure to help.
Thankyou. I have been looking for a simplr Granny square pattern for a long time. This one is easy to read, understand and follow. Thank you very much.
Bonnie Stout
You’re welcome. I’m so glad that you found it easy to follow!
[…] These examples of creating a square only use single crochet. Squares can be crocheted in any crochet stitch that you want. Just make sure you account for the length of a crochet stitch when you make your square. For a fun square pattern, try crocheting a granny square! […]
Can some one explain to me what this means (3 dc in loop, ch 2) 3 times. Thank you..
Hi Evelyn!
(3 dc in loop, ch 2) 3 times means that you are going to make 3 double crochets in the loop that you made in round 1, then you are going to chain 2, then you are going to make another 3 dc in the loop, then you are going to chain 2 again, then you are going to make another 3 dc in the loop and then chain 2 again. Hence you are doing (3 dc in loop, ch 2) 3 times 🙂
Let me know if you have more questions!
I can knit anything, but this crocheting thing is killing me! I can do the stitches, but I have been trying to crochet a Granny Square for over a week, and I keep ending up with a pansy! It has something to do with getting to the next space, I’m sure. I’m not doing something right, and it’s frustrating me to no end! Oh, and I’ve watched the YouTube videos, and I’m still messing up. I am going to try your pattern, that I’ve just discovered. I like how you’ve added the written-out explanations, as well. I will definitely let you know if I can’t do it! Thanks!
Hey Debbie! When I first tried to crochet a granny square it was soooo frustrating for me too! I just didn’t get it! So I know exactly what you’re going through. If you need any help or get confused anywhere I’ll be glad to explain it in more detain. I hate that feeling of frustration and I don’t want you to go through that again 🙂
What in the world is a slip stitch? That’s what’s getting me on all patterns. Can you help?
Here is a tutorial on slip stitch!
All you have to do is insert your hook into the stitch indicated, yarn over, and pull the strand of yarn through both loops on your hook. That’s your slip stitch!
Let me know if you need more help 🙂
I am have trouble understanding how to do a granny square. Mine just doesn’t seem to be looking like the pictures I see and I am not quite sure where i am making my mistakes. If someone can please help me out i would greatly appreciate it. ty
Hey Dawn!
Granny square can be tricky the first few times you do it, I know it was for me 🙂
Here are some tips to help you out:
Starting form the center of the square you are going to make 4 sets of 3 double crochets, which are each separated by a chain 2. This makes the cross shape in the center.
At the end of each round you are going to slip stitch, joining to the beginning of the round you made.
Each round after the first round you are going to make 3 double crochets in each loop. But if it is a corner loop, then you have to make a corner by doing 3 double crochets, ch 2, then another 3 double crochets all in that corner loop.
Each time you do a set of 3 double crochets, it is separated by a chain 2.
And, again, once you go all the way around the square you slip stitch to the beginning of the round, then start the next round.
I hope this helps some, but if there is a particular part of the pattern that you are having trouble with, let me know and I’d love to help!!!
I now got the hang of it but I have another question. I want to change colors to make a blanket and would like to know how to change colors.
hey Dawn, here’s a post about how to change colors in crochet.
I made a continuious granny square baby afghan. I used 2 colors. I made 6 rounds with the first color then 3 rounds of second color, then 3 of first color and so on. The beginning square looked great and square. I added the next color and all looked fine until i added the second round of the first color. then everything started looking cockeyed. I did not miss a stitch nor did I add extra stitches. any ideas?
hmm… the only thing I can think of is miscounting stitches, but you already said that you didn’t. Try continuing another round to see if it starts to look ok again. Sorry I couldn’t be more of a help.
I just have a question where is first says ch 3, 2 dc in loop, ch 2….Does that mean that I am going to make my first dc in the actual hole where my sl st came together? If that makes any sense! I guess I am confused by the whole word “loop”…
The “loop” is created in round 1. The slip stitch is what joins the loop together. You won’t make your first double crochets into any of the chains, but instead into the loop that is created by round 1.
Thanks so much..I think I am finally figuring it out 🙂
[…] NOT have the pattern to make this awesome dress. But I do have the granny square crochet pattern: How to Crochet A Granny Square. Share and […]
Hi I have a question on the Bernat Baby Coordinates Gingham Blanket pattern. This is an excerpt from the pattern: “Ch 5 (counts as dc and ch 2). *Miss next 2 dc. 1dc in next dc. (2 dc, Ch 3, 2 dc) in next ch-3sp. **1 dc in next dc. Ch 2. Rep from *twice more, then from * to ** once. Join with st st in 3rd ch of ch5.” So when it states *twice more, does that mean start at the asktrek and stop at the end of the sentence which is “in next ch-3s”. and stop right there and do that twice more….or does that mean start from the asktrek and continue twice more all the way to the end Ch2.
Hi Adrienne, the *twice more is telling you to start at the * and end at the Ch 2. Because if you started at the * and ended at the “in next ch-3sp” it would be the same as saying from * to **. Hope that helps!
[…] Never gets tired of a good old granny square. […]
I love doing Granny Blocks. However, I need help joining the blocks. Do you have a tutorial I can follow for this?
Hi Margo, there’s a lot of ways to join your squares together. Here’s one of the traditional ways: How to Whip Stitch in Crochet
Hi Rachel,
I just found your site!! Thank you really very much for you kind generosity and the lovely simple way you talk out the instructions. I learned to crochet as a tiny child from my nanny, who used to crochet as an extra income. All the nanny’s would sit together under big trees talking and all the kids they had charge of used to get crochet hooks!! Subsequently I learned to crochet by watching and following – never reading a pattern. Some years back I was given some strong wool and shown how to do a square of some sort. Its all I have been doing – making the squares and joining them into a huge king size bed throw. Today I thought I’d like to learn something else and found you and your granny square. Its so much simpler than the pattern I was shown a few years back. THANK YOU for helping me learn to read the pattern.
kindest regards,
Okay, this is making no sense to me. You put Round 2: ch 3 (counts as 1 dc now and throughout), 2 dc in loop, ch 2, (3 dc in loop, ch 2) 3 times, sl st in top of beginning ch-3: 12 dc, but the 12 dc, where do you put it?????? If you could explain the whole granny square a different way that would help A LOT!
Also a suggestion is to tell us how to start with one shell, then on your second row you do 2 shells then 3rd row three and so on, and how to go back so from 3 to 2 to 1 shells. Thanks!
Hi Amelia, the 12 dc at the end is the total stitch count for the round. Here is a post on how to read crochet patterns if you need it: How to Read Crochet Patterns
ooooooo lolz another pattern i used from ur site i actually went back and did the count 😛 lolz. thanks 🙂
Hi Rachel is there any size restriction for the Granny square and why would that be or can you just keep on going? I am at 9 rounds now, thanks!
Hi Tam, you can just keep going and going. Have fun crocheting your granny square!
Tam, I just finished up a 6 ft square granny square. lol it was one of those keep busy projects that got out of hand. its done in watermelon pink and mint blue caron heavy weight yarn. Its really neat looking. So I would say there is no limit on how big a granny square can go.
Hi, in regards to the continuous granny that looked cock eyed. I have run across this one time before, I fixed it from happening by either decreasing the chains between the groups of three, or eliminating them altogether, so instead of this:
3 doubles into the next ch. space, chain 2, three doubles in the next etc, I would either skip the chain inbetween the groups of three doubles, or sometimes reduce it to just one tighter one,this seemed to solve my problem. katie.
Oh wow thanks Rachel, Karen and Katie! mine looks okay so far its in beige on a huge cone of carpet wool I figure I’d like to use it as a blanket on my reflexology table if I can keep going. I am so enjoying it!!
Hi Rachel, Enjoy your web site. I am trying to make a continuous granny rug but am also having the problem of it going out of shape, it looks great for about six rounds then I can see it also going cockeyed as Katie said, I think I may need to increase the chains in between as I think its something to do with my tension, do you have any other suggestions as its very frustrating as I keep restarting to have it happen again,Im also a bit confused as Im in Sydney and where you call them double crochet we call them treble! Chrisitine
Hi Rachel,
I love your website and started making a big granny square blanket for my brother. The square starts to stretch out in the corners with each round added. Is that the nature of the pattern that can be fixed by blocking or could it be something else?
Do let me know. Your help will be hugely appreciated.
Pavi
Hi Pavi, you can try blocking a swatch before crocheting more, to see if it’ll help you. Lots of folks seems to have trouble when the squares gets larger and larger. The smaller squares seem to work better.
I just wanted to say thank you so much for creating this site…I was having trouble crocheting square but this pattern helped so much:) A question is a motif the same as this granny square? Thanks again.
I don’t know how to put granny squares together at the corners matching up the corner stitches, what sequence. I know how to slip stitch is is just the corner that throws me which stitch to which ch etc.
Hi Lucy, the very corner of the square is the chain 2. So one of the chains of the chain 2 should be connected to the square next to it, and the other chain should be connected to the square above it, to be exact. But I wouldn’t worry too much about being exact. Sometimes it helps just to pin the square together and eyeball it.
At the end of each round of the granny square, you do a slip stitch to join your work back to the initial ch 3 that counts as that round’s first dc. However, I’m not sure where to put the crochet hook when I do the sl st. Do you actually put the hook *into* one of the chain stitches, or do you put it into the little gap between the ch 3 and the “post” of the first double crochet?
Hi David! You put the hook into the top chain. So that would be the third chain of the ch3.
What size hook do I use? Is there really a certain soze hook I need to use?
Hi Molly, you can use any hook size that you desire. Here’s a post that contains a chart to give you an idea of what hooks to use with different types of yarn: Types of Yarn and Recommended Crochet Hooks and Gauges
[…] know we already have a post about how to crochet granny squares, but I thought that some would appreciate a step-by-step tutorial. We’ll be using the same […]
when I’m chain 3 at the end of my round, I know I slip stitch in the intial chain 3, but then where do I dc? I’ve tried it in the gap from my chain 3 or if I do it in the top chain of the chain 3 and either way it starts going in a funny shape? Otherwise all of the other 3 sides I’ve figured out…except for where to put the hook in that last/starting spot. Thanks!!!
Hi Teresa, the rounds end with a chain 2, then a slip stitch into the top of the beginning chain 3 to join the end of the round to the beginning. To start the next round you will turn your work and make your double crochets into the chain 2 space you just make on the previous round (right before your made the slip stitch). If you’d like a photo tutorial of how to do the granny square, here’s a link: How to Crochet: Granny Squares (Step-by-Step)
I just wanted to say that I adjusted your pattern and chained 2 at the beginning of each round to count as a dc and my granny square came out less lumpy.
I am going to add on that I have made a few other modifications: round1: ch 5 sl st in 5th ch from hook to form loop
round2: ch 2, dc in loop 2x, ch 2, dc in loop 3x, ch2, dc in loop 3x, ch 2, dc in loop 3x, ch 2, sl st in top of ch 2 begining
round3: ch 2, turn, 2 dc in closest ch2, ch 2, 3 dc in same ch2, ch 1, 3 dc in next ch2, ch2, 3 dc in same ch2, ch 1 ect to end of round, ch1 connect with sl st, then ch 2 dc 2x in closest… and on like that.
so I just made 3 changes. the starting ch is 5 not 4
the ch that count as a dc in the new round is 2 not 3
and the non corner ch is one
my result was a lot more square like, it wasn’t feeble, and looked a lot more like the picture above.
but thanks for the pattern I needed to learn this square pattern!
I guess this is a different version of a traditional granny square.
In a traditional square, you never turn the work. The right side is facing you at all times. Also, you are supposed to ch 1 between each 3 dc, and ch 3 between the corner dc’s. Lastly, you are supposed to ch 1 at the end, then hdc to the first ch3 (or dc). That’s how I learned to do a proper granny square.
Also, to add to my previous post, a ch 6 is supposed to be used to start.
I the know the granny square very well so well i cant count how many i have done in 50 years LOL but i have yet to finish a afhgan they usually turn into pot holders ha anyway i have 40 squares for my mother in law a afghan done and now i have no idea how to assemble them i know the pattern i am going to put them in but not a clue how to attach them together i bought a needle i think it would nicer that way or do i just crochet them togher and what about where they cross diagonally and vertically i want to finish it for christmas and have been working om it all year a little at a time i put a verigated color around each square same color as my border i want to put all the way around maybe shell dont really know how to do that either please help or there will be alot of pot holders ha
Hi Pam, you can do it either way.
To sew them together, here’s a tutorial on that: How to Whip Stitch in Crochet
If you want to crochet them together, you can simply single crochet them or you can try one of these tutorials:
Yoyo Crochet (shows the technique done on a circle in the tutorial, but you can use it on granny squares too)
Join-as-you-go Motifs
[…] crocheted a blue granny square […]
how to do a ch 2 3 times
Hi Dawn, are you referring to the “(3 dc in loop, ch 2) 3 times” on round 2? If so, you’re going to do everything within the ( ) 3 times. So you’ll do 3 dc in loop, then ch 2, then 3 dc in loop, then ch 2, then 3 dc in loop, then ch 2.
Hi, I am making a baby blanket using a giant granny square, I find that every time I make one of these blankets my corners get pointy and the shape of the blanket is anything but square, I used the directions above and it didnt work so I started using only on chain in between the 3 -dc to make it tighter and it worked for a while until the blanket was approx. 2feet x 2 feet, now here I go again with no shape to the blanket and the corners getting pointy, I have been crocheting for many yrs and for some reason only the last few yrs have been this way, I count my stitches diligently, I use the right gauge and needle HELP ME I DONT KNOW WHAT I AM DOING WRONG….. thank you
I was taught to turn at the end of each round of a granny square so that there is no back or front side. All pictures I have seen show that all rounds are done in one direction so that the square has a back and a front.
Is there a right or wrong way of making a granny square?
Hello!
There are a bunch of different methods and patterns for granny squares. None are right or wrong. It’s just a matter of preference in what you like and how you choose to do it.
Further to my previous email. I notice that lots of stitch in granny squares slope all slope to the left. I tried doing rounds that way but the square was a bit cock-eyed so I went back to my way. My squares are always a proper square so I suppose my rounds must have alternating slopes to right and left, so that they counteract one another. Whatever, the end result looks OK and I don’t have to bother about a ‘back’ or ‘front’. All the same, I’d really like your comments.
I’ve just started crocheting (about 2 weeks ago!) and am making a granny square using up some old balls of wool. Really enjoying it but… I’m really struggling when I get to the point where I have to increase, having gone the full round. I keep undoing and re-stitching, but it doesn’t look right – I’m getting very fed up and frustrated! Can anyone provide straightforward, easy to follow and failsafe advice?
Thank you!
Hi Susy! I’m so glad that you are now a crocheter!!!
Here is a photo tutorial for the granny square that goes into more detail than this granny square pattern: http://www.crochetspot.com/how-to-crochet-granny-squares-step-by-step/
If you need more help with the increases, let me know and I can try and explain it further.