The Granny Square Book: Timeless Techniques and Fresh Ideas for Crocheting Square by Square (8 page)

1.
Wrap the yarn clockwise around your index finger twice, leaving a 6" (15.2 cm) tail. Holding the tail between your thumb and middle finger, slide the hook under the wraps and catch the working yarn.

2.
Pull the working yarn through the ring, and chain the designated number of stitches.

3.
Work additional stitches into the two loops of the ring, keeping the tail free. Before joining the round, pull on the tail a little; one loop will tighten slightly. Pull on that loop, which will tighten the other loop.

4.
Then pull the tail which will tighten the remaining loop.

HOW TO CROCHET A CLASSIC GRANNY SQUARE

Most granny squares are worked in rounds instead of rows. A classic granny begins with a foundation chain formed in a circle.

1. FOUNDATION RND:
With A, ch 4, join with a SI st to form a ring.

2. RND 1:
With A, ch 3 (counts as a dc), work 2 more dc in ring, *ch 3, work 3 more dc in ring, rep from * twice more, join with a SI st to 3rd ch of beg ch 3.

3. RND 2:
Join B by making a slip knot on hook, place hook in any corner ch-3 sp, pick up a loop, yo through 2 (1 ch made), ch 2 more for beg chain (A). 2 dc in same ch-3 sp (half corner made), *ch 2 [3 dc, ch 3, 3 dc] in next ch-3 sp (corner made) (B), rep from * twice, ch 2, 3 dc in same sp as beg ch-3, ch 3, join with a SI st to 3rd ch of beg ch-3 (C).

4. RND 3:
Join A with a slip knot (same as rnd 2), make 2 more dc in same ch 3 sp (half corner made), *ch 2, 3 dc in next ch-2 sp, ch 2, [3 dc, ch 3, 3 dc] in next ch-3 sp (corner made), rep from * twice, ch 2, 3 dc in next ch-2 sp, ch 2, 3 dc in same sp as beg half corner, ch 3, join with a SI st to 3rd ch of beg ch-3, fasten off.

If you love multicolored squares but hate all the ends created by changing yarns, you might try one of the great new self-striping yarns such as Bernat Mosaic. Believe it or not, all these Classic Granny Squares (
page 32
) are made from the same ball, no joining for color changes.

DETAILS AND FINISHING

A WORD ABOUT BEGINNING CHAINS

When you crochet in rows, you alternate from right side to wrong side with each row. At the end of each row, you crochet a turning chain of one to four chains, depending on the height of the next row of stitches. When crocheting granny squares, you are working in rounds always from the right side and continuing in the same direction, but you still crochet a chain to begin the round. If the next round will be single crochet, you chain 1 to begin; half-double crochet: chain 2; double crochet: chain 3; triple crochet: chain 4, etc. The directions will tell you how many chains to make. The beginning chain counts as a stitch. For instance, the directions may say, ch 3 (counts as dc). At the end of each round, the last stitch is worked into the beginning chain from the previous round.

INVISIBLE JOIN

When working in the round, connecting the end of the round to the beginning can sometimes seem awkward. Here is a way to connect the last stitch in a way that will leave the connection nearly invisible. End the last stitch but do not join to the beginning with a slip stitch (1).