How to Crochet a Granny Square Blanket, Beginner Free Pattern

Learn how to crochet a granny square blanket with this free pattern! If you are keen to create a cozy and colorful blanket, read on! This tutorial will guide you through all the steps you need to make a classic granny square blanket. These blankets are timeless and are perfect for snuggling on the sofa on a chilly evening or as an extra cover on a bed for cold nights. They make the most amazing gifts and are really a lot of fun to make! An extra bonus is that they are really easy to create!

Free Granny Square Blanket Pattern

This tutorial will give you the basic granny square pattern and then show you how you can join the squares to make a granny square blanket of any size. It includes a calculator for the number of squares you will need for your crochet granny blanket, as well as the yardage.

What is a Granny Square Blanket?

A granny square blanket is a classic crochet project made of individual squares joined to make a larger blanket. Each square typically has multiple colors, often of bright and contrasting tones. Granny square blankets can vary in size, from small baby blankets to large bedspreads, and the design possibilities are virtually endless, allowing for a great deal of creativity in color and pattern choices.

These blankets are a terrific project that combines tradition with creativity. Before we get started with exactly how to go about making one, here is a little more information about Granny Square blankets:

• This traditional design is made up of simple square motifs, which are then joined to create your full blanket.
• Great for beginners- Each square is made up of basic stitches and a repetitive pattern, so they are easy for anyone to make, even if you are just starting on your crochet journey.
• Portable - As long as you are making the type of granny square blanket that is made up of lots of little squares, you can easily take your work with you wherever you go.
• Creative variations- The classic granny square is well known, and this is what we are covering in this tutorial. But there are numerous other variations and patterns available, and you can allow your creativity to reign with different stitches and/or color combinations.

Supplies for a Granny Square Blanket

• Yarn - Each granny square takes approximately 30 yards (28m) of worsted-weight yarn.
• Crochet Hook - You will need to have a hook that is suitable for the yarn you have chosen. If your hook is too small, your squares will be stiff and unyielding; if it is too big, the holes in the squares and in between the stitches will be too large.
• Scissors - These are needed to cut the yarn when changing colors or when completing a square.
• Yarn Needle or tapestry needle. This is necessary for weaving in the ends of the yarn.

For this beautiful blanket, I have used a worsted weight yarn with a 5mm crochet hook (H-8).

Best Yarn for Granny Square Blankets

The best and easiest yarn to choose is a worsted weight yarn with a 5 mm (H-8). This yarn weight will give you a good drape, and it works up quickly.

Of course, it is not essential to use this; granny square blankets can be made in any yarn you choose! You may want to go for a luxurious, fluffy look and choose chenille yarn; you may want a lightweight blanket and choose cotton yarn; or you may want a blanket that works up really quickly and select a chunky or bulky yarn.

Each type has advantages and disadvantages, but honestly, the easiest and most often used yarn for this type of blanket is either a DK (8ply, #3) or a worsted weight (10 ply, #4) yarn. Beginners should use an acrylic or wool blend as they are easiest to crochet and generally don't split.

Best Colors for Granny Square Pattern

These are endless! You should think carefully about which colors you want. Some color combinations may turn out to be too bright and garish, and others may end up dull and lifeless.

You could choose different shades of your favorite color or go for contrasting colors. Then, within that selection, you could choose to change color within each square or make entire squares from one color and then combine the squares artistically. You may want to select pastel colors for a baby or the colors of your interior décor for a sofa throw.

It is a good idea to choose 3–5 colors to start with, then arrange the balls or skeins of yarn in different orders to see which combinations are the most pleasing.

A very pleasing effect can be to use different colors for each square, but then tie them all together by making the final round of every square in the same color.

Of course, many crocheters make granny square blankets to use up all their small scraps and just place the colors randomly. Others may want a single-color blanket. The possibilities are boundless!

Abbreviations Used

All instructions in this how to make a granny square blanket tutorial are written in US terms.

• ch = chain stitch
• dc = double crochet stitch
• sp = space
• st = stitch
• sl st = slip stitch

Granny cluster or double crochet clusters is the name given to a group of three double crochets all worked into the same space.

Gauge Dimensions

Each individual granny square measures 5 inches (13cm) with a 5mm hook and worsted weight yarn.

Granny Square Blanket Calculator

Here are 2 calculators for the granny square blanket crochet pattern. The first will calculate the number of squares you require and the second will calculate the yardage for this size in your chosen yarn.

See step 2 in the instructions if you would rather make a standard granny square blanket size.

Styles of Granny Square Blankets

The most common style of granny square blanket is to make numerous small squares and then stitch or crochet these squares together. The alternative is to just keep crocheting in rounds and make one giant granny square. Even if you choose small squares, you can decide on the final size of each square by crocheting more or fewer rounds.

How to Crochet a Granny Square Blanket, Instructions

Here is a free crochet pattern for a granny square blanket.

Step 1 - First Granny Square

Here is a step-by-step tutorial for a simple granny square for beginner crocheters.

Foundation

Make a foundation ring out of chain stitches - Begin with a slip knot, ch 4 stitches, join them into a circle with a slip stitch.

OR Begin with a single chain, Ch 3 to make your first dc, in your first round, work all of the granny clusters into your initial ch stitch. This is a quick and easy method that results in a smaller central hole than the foundation ring. However, getting all four clusters into one chain loop may be a challenge!

Round 1:

1. Chain 3 (counts as one dc). Work 2 dc into the foundation ring, then 3 ch. (first dc cluster)
2. Work 3 dc and 3 ch into the ring 3 times more.
3. Slip stitch into the third chain of your starting chain. (There will be four dc clusters with three ch between each one.)

Round 2:

CHANGING COLORS: For a multicolored square, change colors as you start each new round. Join a new color in a corner each time. If you prefer all the one color, slip stitch to the next corner at the end of every round.

1. Chain 3 (this equals 1 dc). Work another 2 dc into the same corner space.
2. Chain 3.
3. Work 3 dc into the same corner space.

This is the first corner completed.

4. Chain 1,
5. *3 dc, 3 ch, 3 dc into the next corner space, Ch1. (Second corner)
6. Repeat from *twice more. (Third and fourth corners)
7. Slip stitch into the third chain of your starting chain.

Round 2 is now finished.

Round 3:

You will now start to see the pattern in each round. Change color in a corner space or slip stitch to the next corner.

1. Ch 3 (equals 1 dc), (2 dc, 3 ch, 3dc, ch 1) into the corner space. (First corner)
2. *Work 3 dc into the next ch-1 space, ch 1.
3. Work (3 dc, 3 ch, 3 dc, 1ch) into the next corner space.
4. Repeat the pattern from * until you reach your starting point.
5. Finish with a slip stitch into the 3rd chain of the beginning chain.

Round 4:

Change color in a corner space or slip stitch to the next corner.

1. Ch 3 (equals 1 dc), 2 dc, 3 ch, 3dc, ch 1 into the corner space. (First corner)
2. *Work 3 dc, ch1 into the next 2 spaces.
3. Work (3 dc, 3 ch, 3 dc, 1ch) into the next corner space.
4. Repeat from * until you reach your starting point.
5. Finish with a slip stitch into the 3rd chain of the beginning chain.

Round 5:

Continue crocheting around your square in this way until your granny square is the required size. For a granny square blanket made up of numerous smaller squares you can stop at round 5.

When your granny square is large enough, finish that round with your sl st, then cut your yarn, leaving a tail. Pull the yarn through your final stitch to secure it. This tail can be used to join your granny squares together. Weave in any ends left from the color changes.

You will see how the pattern builds and repeats as you work. Each 1 ch space has 1 granny cluster worked into it. Each corner has two granny clusters with three chains separating them.

Those three stitches used for the corner provide a sharper, more defined corner than if you merely worked one stitch in between the clusters. Make sure that all of your corners are exactly aligned. Your square will not be square if you work a corner too early or too late!

Finish the Granny Square

Finish the granny square by weaving in the ends and blocking it. Read more about crochet blocking. It is easier to block the squares now than to block the larger blanket at the end.

Step 2 - Crochet More Granny Squares

Now you have made your first granny square, it is time to make lots more to be joined into a granny square blanket.

How many granny squares will I need to make a blanket?

In a worsted weight yarn, your squares will be approximately 5 inches in size. Here is how many squares you need to make for some common crochet blanket sizes. These have all been rounded up to fit full squares.

Blanket Size	Size(inches)	Number of 5" squares
Baby Blanket	30 x 40	48
Lap Blanket	40 x 60	96
Twin	66 x 90	238
Full/Double	80 x 90	288
Queen	90 x 100	360
King	108 x 100	432

Please note: The actual number may vary based on your crochet tension, the specific yarn you're using, and how tightly you want your squares to fit together. Always make a test square and measure it to ensure accuracy.

Step 3 - Arrange the Granny Squares

If you have chosen to make lots of small squares, they will need to be joined once all the squares are complete. This can be done either by stitching them together or by crocheting them together. Before you start joining them, arrange them carefully into pleasing color combinations.

It is a good idea to take a photo of your arrangement as a reference, in case you mess it up halfway through.

Stitch markers in each corner are great for holding everything together.

Step 4 - Join the Granny Squares

There are several ways to join your granny squares together. Which joining method you choose will depend on whether you want the seams to show or be invisible.

1. Mattress Stitch Join (Invisible)

This is a pleasing, almost invisible join. Use the same color that borders all of your squares to connect them. If not, choose a color that blends in with both sides you will be joining.

1. Place the right sides of your squares together.
2. Attach one end of the yarn to the work using a back stitch. Or use the tails you have left when ending off each square.
3. From back to front, insert the needle into the first loop after the join. Pull the yarn up, but not too tightly, or your work will gather.
4. Now, from front to back, insert the yarn into the next loop on the other square.
5. Keep working the needle through each loop , from back to front, then front to back, until you reach the end of the squares. Finish off your joining yarn with a back stitch. Open out the squares. They should lie nice and flat and be firmly joined together without any gaps.

2. Single Crochet Join (Raised Join)

This is useful for projects when you want the join to be a feature of the blanket. You can even use a different color of yarn for the seam in this case. It produces a thicker but very stable seam.

• Match up the loops at the top of the square and place your pieces with the wrong sides together.
• Attach one end of the yarn to the work with a back stitch.
• Ch1 *On both squares, insert the hook from front to back into the next loop.
• Yarn over, draw through the first two loops of your crochet fabric.
• Yarn over, pull through the second and third loops.
• This creates a sc, which connects the two squares. Repeat from* until the seam is finished.

This seam will appear as a ridge in between the squares. Finish the seam yarn by weaving in both ends.

Step 5 - How to Crochet a Granny Square Blanket Border

Once you have put all your squares together or completed your large square, you need to work a border around the edges of the blanket to neaten up the edges and give it a satisfying ‘finished’ look. There are hundreds of different styles of crochet border, but here we will just concentrate on a choice of two simple borders: The single crochet border and the shell border.

1 Single Crochet Border

The most basic border is two (or more) rows of single crochet all the way around the edges. This neatly straightens out your side edges and gives you an even crisp edge all the way around.

It is up to you whether to do each row in a different color or to use the same color for both rows. Simply insert your hook into each stitch all the way around the blanket and work a single crochet stitch before moving on to the next stitch. Do 2 sc into the corners.

2. Shell Border

• Row 1: Sc around the entire blanket.
• Row 2: (sk 1 stitch, dc 5 stitches into next stitch, sk 1, sl stitch into next stitch) Repeat the process all the way around.

Each of these borders requires only two easy rows and will complement your project beautifully.

If you think the two-row border is too narrow for your large blanket, then add a few rows of single crochet. In the case of the shell border, add the extra single crochet rows before the shell-shaped part of the border.

Granny Square Blanket FAQs

How to Crochet a Granny Square Blanket in One Continuous Square?

If you choose to use this method, your final blanket will, of course, be a square, as opposed to the conventional rectangle shape.

Simply follow the instructions above and keep working around that same center, repeating the same sequence, and changing colors as desired. When your blanket is big enough, stop crocheting and just weave in all the ends left from the color changes.

How many Squares will I Need to Make a Blanket?

The number of squares needed will depend on the size of the blanket required and the size of each granny square. You do not have to have the exact measurements given above because it won’t matter if your blanket is a couple of inches larger or smaller, as long as it isn’t too small!

1. To work out the number of squares needed, you must measure the individual squares.
2. Then work out how many of those squares will be needed to fit across the top of your chosen size.
3. Next, work out how many you will need to fit down the side of the blanket.
4. Finally, multiply these numbers together to get the total number of squares.

So, for example, let's say you want to make a baby blanket. You are aiming for a size of around 42” x 52”. (107 x 132 cm).

Say each of your granny squares measures 6” (15 cm). You will need 7 squares across the top (6 x 7 =42) and 8,6 squares down the side. I would round that up to 9. 7 x 9 = 63 squares needed.

How Much Yarn Will I Need to Crochet a Granny Square Blanket?

It all depends on the size of your granny square project. You'll need between 800 and 1500 yards of worsted-weight yarn to produce a granny square baby blanket. Obviously, the larger the blanket, the more yarn you'll use.

The thickness of your yarn will also make a difference. A chunky yarn will crochet up faster than a thin yarn, and you will need more of a thin yarn for each square.

If you are using worsted weight or double knitting yarn, you will need around 30–50 yards (27–46 m) per square. So once you know how many squares you will be making, multiply that by 30–50. (27–46) The yardage of a ball of yarn is printed on the ball band.

Is it Easy to Crochet a Granny Square Blanket?

Yes! Granny squares are an excellent starter project if you're new to crochet. They're created from simple double crochet stitches and chain stitches, so you can learn the basics as you go along. Even if you are an expert crocheter, you can never have too many granny square blankets!

Troubleshooting for Granny Square Blankets

Why won't my granny square blanket lay flat?

Choose a hook that is larger or smaller than the one specified. If your squares are too tight or curling up, your hook size may be too small. If your square is extremely floppy and ruffled, the hook may be too large.

Why is my granny square blanket not square?

Inconsistent tension is probably the most common cause of crochet blankets not being square. Tension basically refers to how tightly or loosely you hold the yarn when crocheting.

Another cause of squares not turning out square is that you may have included an extra cluster along one side, or you may not have worked enough chains in each corner.

Why aren't all of my granny squares the same size?

Crocheting loosely, for example, can result in a larger square, while crocheting tightly can result in a much smaller square. Consistent tension results in granny squares that are the same size, which is crucial when you need a lot of them for a project.

Why do my granny squares look so holey?

While granny squares are adaptable and look fantastic in any yarn or thread, it is important to choose the right hook for your yarn. Your granny may cup, curl, or lose the distinctive spaces if your hook is too small for the yarn. If it is too large, your granny may become floppy, sloppy, or holey.

How to Crochet a Granny Square Blanket - In Conclusion

Making a granny square blanket is like starting a warm and cozy craft project that will warm your heart as well as your body. It's a trip that requires imagination, persistence, and, of course, a lot of yarn. You can make beauty out of a simple square, a rainbow of colors, and a little nostalgia. It will bring you comfort and memories for many years to come.

I hope you enjoy crocheting this granny square blanket and that your adventures in making granny squares bring you lots of enjoyment, cozy comfort, and wonderful memories.