How to Crochet a Granny Square Step by Step

Why the granny square is the perfect first project

Ask any crocheter what they made first and there is a good chance they will describe a small, slightly wonky square with four neat corners. The granny square has been a staple of British yarn crafts for decades, and for good reason. It is worked in rounds from the centre outwards, it uses only a handful of stitches, and it forgives uneven tension far more kindly than a fitted garment would. Better still, it is endlessly adaptable: work a few for coasters, a dozen for a cushion cover, or forty for a blanket that will live on the back of the sofa for years.

The whole motif is built on one simple idea. Instead of working row upon row, you work clusters of treble stitches into the gaps left by the previous round. Once that clicks, you can crochet a granny square without looking at the pattern at all.

What you need before you start

You do not need a large kit, but a few choices will make your first squares much easier to live with.

• Yarn: a smooth double knitting (DK) yarn in a light or medium colour. Dark and fluffy yarns hide your stitches, which makes learning unnecessarily hard.
• Hook: a 4mm hook suits most DK yarns. If your square curls up like a crisp, go up to 4.5mm.
• Scissors and a tapestry needle for weaving in ends.
• Stitch markers, or a few safety pins, to mark your corners if you lose your place.

Aim for a square roughly 10cm across after four rounds. If yours is noticeably bigger, your tension is loose; smaller, and you are working tightly. Neither is a disaster, but consistency matters when you start joining squares together.

The UK terms you need to know

This pattern uses UK crochet terms, which differ from US ones. In the UK, the tall stitch used here is a treble (tr). In US patterns the same stitch is called a double crochet, so do check which convention a pattern follows before you begin.

• ch — chain
• tr — treble: yarn over, insert hook, yarn over, pull through, yarn over, pull through two loops, yarn over, pull through the last two loops
• ss — slip stitch
• cluster — three trebles worked into the same space

The classic square is made of clusters separated by chain spaces, with slightly bigger chain spaces at the corners.

Round one: building the centre

Make a slip knot and chain four. Join with a slip stitch into the first chain to form a small ring — this is your centre. Alternatively, use a magic ring if you prefer a tighter middle, though a chain ring is perfectly good for a first attempt.

Chain three. This counts as your first treble. Work two more trebles into the ring, so you have a cluster of three. Chain two for the corner, then work three trebles into the ring again. Repeat this twice more, so you finish with four clusters and four corner spaces.

Join with a slip stitch into the top of the starting chain three. Pull the tail tight to close any gap in the middle. You now have a small, four-sided shape. Count your clusters: there should be four, one per side. If you have five, you have worked one cluster too many, and the square will never sit flat.

Round two and beyond

Slip stitch across the tops of the next two trebles and into the corner space to position yourself. Chain three, then work two trebles, chain two, and three more trebles all into that same corner space. That is one complete corner.

Chain one, then move to the next corner space and work three trebles, chain two, three trebles into it. Repeat around, chain one between each corner, and join with a slip stitch to the top of the chain three.

From round three onwards the rhythm is the same, with one addition: along each straight side you now work a cluster of three trebles into every chain-one space, and the full corner (three trebles, chain two, three trebles) into every corner space. Chain one between each cluster and each corner. Every round adds roughly 2.5cm to each side.

Some crocheters turn the work at the end of each round, which gives straighter edges and hides the join. Others prefer the neat spiral look of working always in the same direction. Try both and see which you like.

Colour changes, joining and finishing

To change colour, work the final treble of the round until two loops remain on the hook, then pull the new colour through to complete the stitch. Fasten off the old colour and weave the end in later. Joining in a corner keeps the change tidy and mostly hidden.

When your squares are done, block them lightly by pinning them to size and spritzing with cool water. They will behave far better on the join. Then choose your method:

• Whip stitch with a tapestry needle for a flat, firm seam — ideal for blankets.
• Slip stitch through the back loops only for a decorative ridge on one side.
• Join as you go for large projects, working the final round of each square directly onto its neighbours.

Weave in every end as you finish each square, not at the end of the whole blanket. It is the single best piece of advice any of us can pass on.