Granny square

After managing to teach someone how to do a granny square via Twitter DM I was asked to do a step by step blog post.

I am by no means amazing at crochet but I can do a mean granny square blanket! 

So grab some wool and a crochet needle (size 5 ish is good to start with) and let's go!

First you need a chain. A chain is the base for all crochet work. Did you ever do finger knitting as a kid? That's what a chain is. Make a slip knot and tighten it onto your hook. 

I always find it easier if I hold the end of the wool in my hand. 

Wrap your wool over between the loop you have and the hook, this is what I call 'wool over' 

Use the hook to pull the wool through the loop of the slip knot, as you pull it through the slip knot loop will fall off the hook and a new loop will be created. That's chaining, you've just chained 1, do this 5 more times so you've done 6 chains.

Ok, now you need to make this into a circle so leaving the needle where it is, hold your chain in your other hand and put the hook into the first loop you made 

If you're in the right bit you should have 2 loops together on one side of your needle 

And it should look like this if you let it hang. Now wool over in front of the two loops and pull through all 3 loops you have on your hook. It's ok to use your fingers to hold bits still, it's tricky! 

If you've done that right you should have one loop on your hook and you should notice your chain is now a circle. Well done, you've made the centre of your square! Next you need to chain again, so chain 3. We're chaining 3 because we're working with a treble stitch and this puts you at the right height to start your next row of work, it counts as your first stitch. 

Treble stitch 

Ok let's do the first treble.  This is your most used stitch in a blanket. First wool over, 

Then put the hook through the circle 

Then wool over again 

Use the hook to grab the bit of wool you've just put over and pull it through the circle. You should have 3 loops on your hook 

Wool over so you have 4 loops 

Pull the wool that's laying over the hook through the next loop, just one loop then you should have 3 loops 

Wool over again, grab the wool with the hook and pull through the next 2 loops (ooo adventurous!) you should have 2 loops on your hook 

Wool over again grab wool and pull through the last 2 loops so you're left with 1 loop 

If it looks like this, well done you just did a treble crochet! Did you see the pattern? 4 loops became 3, 3 became 2, 2 became 1. So now you need to do another treble. I'll write for now and you can refer back to the pics if you need to.

Find your original circle (you can slide the treble stitches around so push it close to the chain of 3 you did if it helps you find the circle 

So if you've found your circle, wool over, hook through the circle, wool over, pull through the circle, 3 loops on hook. Wool over (4 loops on hook ) pull through first loop (3 loops on hook) wool over pull through 2 loops (2 loops on hook) wool over pull through last 2 loops (1 loop on hook) 

Woop this is the first side of a square, now to make a corner, chain 3. Then 3 more trebles: (instructions again) 

Find your circle, wool over, hook through the circle, wool over, pull through the circle, 3 loops on hook. Wool over (4 loops on hook ) pull through first loop (3 loops on hook) wool over pull through 2 loops (2 loops on hook) wool over pull through last 2 loops (1 loop on hook) repeat another 2 times so you have 3 columns again 

Another corner, chain 3 then 3 more trebles... Oh ok here's the instructions one more time. 

Find your circle, wool over, hook through the circle, wool over, pull through the circle, 3 loops on hook. Wool over (4 loops on hook ) pull through first loop (3 loops on hook) wool over pull through 2 loops (2 loops on hook) wool over pull through last 2 loops (1 loop on hook) 

Repeat twice more so you have 3 together 

Another corner so chain 3 then 3 trebles... Instructions again? Oh ok, last time though. 

Find your circle, wool over, hook through the circle, wool over, pull through the circle, 3 loops on hook. Wool over (4 loops on hook ) pull through first loop (3 loops on hook) wool over pull through 2 loops (2 loops on hook) wool over pull through last 2 loops (1 loop on hook) repeat twice more. 

Look a tiny square! Ok this next bit is a bit tricky, chain 3 then you need to join it up, so you need to go into the top stitch of the first column you did 

If you're in the right bit the loop you just went into should have 2 bits on the top of your needle. If you've only picked one up you'll find it stretches when you do the next square. So if you're in there wool over and pull through all the loops you have on your hook. That's called a slip stitch. Now for the last tricky bit, you know the chain that you just attached, you need to go into the last loop of that, look at your hook and go into the hole immediately to the right of where you are 

Wool over, pull through, this puts you in the right position for your next square. 

So if you're still with me and your work looks like this, you're winning! Now for the next square instead of using the circle  you're going to use the holes at each corner. So chain 3 to take you to the right height, then treble 2,  wool over, go through the corner hole 

And go from there. So replace 'circle' for 'corner hole' in the instructions! (I said I wasn't writing them any more and I meant it!) once you've done those, chain 2 to take you across to the next corner hole, 3 trebles in that one, then chain 3 for your corner, then go back into the same corner hole and do 3 more trebles (a group of 3 trebles make a side, a corner needs 2 sides so 2 groups of 3 trebles) 

 

Chain 2 to take you across to the next corner hole, 3 trebles, chain 3 for corner, 3 trebles into the same corner hole 

Chain 2 to take you to next corner hole, 3 trebles, chain 3 for corner, 3 trebles into same corner hole, chain 2 to take you across to last corner hole, 3 trebles, chain 3.... But wait there's already a treble in there! Go into top stitch of first column, wool over, pull through,(slip stitch)  go back into next hole immediately to the right. There's your second square. When you move to the next square you always make one side of a corner, your last trebles will make the second side of that corner. 

Then it's pretty much the same all the way through, chain 3, 2 trebles, chain 2 to take you to next hole, 3 trebles, chain 2 to take you to next corner, 3 trebles, chain 3 to make corner, 3 trebles back in same corner, chain 2 to next hole, 3 trebles in that hole, chain 2 to next corner  hole and so on till you get this 

Don't worry about neatness and tension that will come with practice! If you want to brave adding a new colour I add the new wool as the wool over bit of a slip stitch. 

I hope this was easy enough to understand! Let me know if there's any ways to explain it better, where you get stuck or even better, finished products!