How to Crochet a Granny Square

This week I have been teaching my skills to another, and in a cafe with tea and cake, oooh how scrumptious! She was a total beginner at crochet so we started the way I learnt, with a granny square. Granny squares are a way of producing a square of fabric by using rounds. They can be as big or as small as you like and you can even make whole great big warm blankets with them, either by using lots of little ones or having one giant granny square!
So, want to know how to make one? Yeah you do!

You need a crochet hook and a ball of yarn, to be honest this can be anything from cotton to wool or ribbon. I have chosen a gorgeous golden colour, and I am going to do it all in one colour, but, when you know what your doing, crochet squares also look good when each round is a different colour.

Start by making a slip knot. To do this you wrap the yarn around two fingers and pull a loop through. Let go from your two fingers and pull the loop. You should have a knot that you can pull tighter and loosen. Then pop this over the hook of your crochet hook and pull tighter, not too tight though.

To make a chain, make sure your hook is in the first loop then pass the yarn that comes out of the ball over the hook. Pull the hook from left to right to draw the yarn over through the loop, gently pull on the loop, but don't work it too loosely or it will be too baggy.
This is then repeated another 3 times to chain 4 which is the beginnings of our square.

Then slip stitch into the first chain that you made. To do this you insert the hook into the 1st stitch from the hook, yarn over and draw the yarn through the stitch and the loop that was already on the hook.

Then chain 3 like you did before.

The next step requires a US double crochet, or a UK treble crochet.
Take the yarn over your hook, insert the hook into the centre of the crochet circle that you made from the original 4 chains. Yarn over the hook again and pull through the hole. You should now have 3 loops over your hook. Next you yarn over and draw it through the first two loops, then you yarn over and pull it through the second two loops. Repeat again.

Then to work the corner chain 3 and then do 3 treble crochets (UK) through the centre hole. You should notice that a corner forms.

Then chain 3, UK treble crochet 3, chain 3, UK treble crochet 3, chain 3 and then slip stitch into the 2nd chain from the original 3 chains up from the circle. You should have something similar to the above photo.

Then for the second level, you chain 3, then turn the square over so that the tail from the beginning thread is sticking up. Your new hole is the corner to your left. Now 2 x UK treble crochet into that hole, then chain 3, then 3 x UK double crochet into the same hole on the other side, this forms the corner of your second round.

To get to the second corner chain 3, then (3 x UK treble crochet, chain 3, 3 x UK treble crochet) to form the corner and repeat another 2 times, then chain 3 and slip stitch into the 2nd chain from the original 3 chain onto that round.

Granny squares are traditionally 3 rows. To start the third row you chain 3 as normal, then turn the square over so the tail is underneath again. 2 x UK treble crochet into the hole to the left of your third chain (this third chain by the way acts as a treble crochet which is why you only do 2 at this point and three every other) then carry on with your chain 3, 3 x UK treble crochet round. The above photo is the final piece, this can be made bigger though with many many more rows, practise makes perfect at first. Then with these you can make many and make them into lots of things, like my crochet slippers or my bag that I made earlier.

Happy Crocheting people! x