Joining Granny Squares

When I join my Granny Squares together I always choose to crochet them rather than stitch them. Its just the way that appeals to me, although many of my hooking buddies prefer the stitching method. I guess it's a personal preference.

And as many of you have asked me to supply this information, here you have it :: my take on joining the Grannies, in usual Attic24 style with waaaaay too many pictures I suspect. But hey, I want you to get it and not struggle with it, and I think pictures do the job better than words.

 

Ok, firstly put your two squares together, Right Sides together. See how you can see the "v" of each stitch? When crocheting the squares together, you will need to work under the OUTSIDE LOOPS only, the part of the V on the outside as you look down on the stitches from above. This is important....for a long while I was working through the inside loops when I realised I was doing it wrong. It makes a big difference.

So your hook goes through the outside loop of the square nearest to you....

...then through the outside loop of the square farthest away. Does that make sense??? Good-o, lets begin then.............

 

Start at the right hand corner, you are working right to left.

Put hook through OUTSIDE LOOPS of the corner stitches, and hook your yarn through both loops.

(Note :: I am using a contrasting red yarn here to join so you can see it easily, but best to use a matching colour. Obvious yes)

You will be making a SLIP STITCH.

So insert the hook through the next two outside loops of the V stitches and yarn over the hook. Then pull the yarn back through both blue loops and then through the red loop stitch already on the hook...

You end up making a little slip stitch chain, pictured above.

Work your way along, working slip stitches into each of the stitches, remembering to check you are going through the outside loops.

Again in words :: Insert hook through two blue stitches, yarn over hook, pull yarn back through two blue stitches and then  through red stitch on hook. It's only Slip stitching folks, its a doddle, it has it's own rhythm...HONEST!!!

When you reach the end of the row, if you are joining more than 2 squares together, DO NOT FASTEN OFF, you will be carrying on!

You should have a neat little ridge of chain stitches which will be on the WRONG SIDE of the work (above picture)...

...the RIGHT SIDE (above) should look nice and neat, the Granny Squares sitting beautifully flat and happy together. You should only see the stitches if you pull the squares apart.

If you are joining more than two squares together, you will work along in rows, making all the horizontal joins first, then all the vertical joins.

So after joining the first two squares, simply move on to the next two. Put them right sides toegther as before and simply carry on the slip stitch chain :; insert the hook through the corner stitches (outside loops only, remember?)....

 

...and make your slip stitch, as above.

Keep going, working right to left, making your chain of slip stitches.

Now, for this tutorial, I'm only working on joining four squares...I'll explain about joining more at the end.

You have just worked the horizontal row, so now you will need to spin the squares round 90 degrees and work the vertical row in exactly the same way. Fold the crochet so that the squares to be worked are sitting right sides together and begin at the right hand corner.

Work slip stitches exactly as before, making sure that when you get to the centre, you work right into the very last stitch on each side of the first chain ridge you made (as above). You might just like to check from the right side that you haven't left a "hole", that you've slip stitched every stitch.

Your second chain ridge will be made across the top of your first chain ridge (as above)

And there you have it...the above picture shows the WRONG SIDE, the picture below the RIGHT SIDE.

Now say you were making a square cushion cover and you have 25 squares total (5 x 5).

The way to join them is to make all the horizontal joins first. So line up 10 squares ready and think of it as joining up rows 1 and 2. Follow instructions as above and keep going, moving on through 5 pairs of squares placed right sides together. You will only have two tails to darn in then at each end of the long row.

Then move down and join in your 3rd row to the bottom of the 2nd row, working horizontally from right to left. Then your 4th row then your 5th row.

Then you can spin the whole lot through 90 degrees and do the same thing again, working in four long rows.

Its hard to explain this in words and I couldn't photograph to show you as I only had 4 squares available and not 25!! But hopefully it makes sense. For my Granny blanket, I had 88 squares altogether in a 8 x 11 formation, so I was joining veeeeeeeery long rows. But it means that you don't have to keep joining tail ends of yarn in the middle of your blanket, and the less joins the better really. 

If you are giving this a go and you get stuck in any way, please do leave me a comment on here and I will do my very best to help you out.

Good luck, and happy hooking!

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Comments

[Alex]

This is a very clean way to join squares. It has the added benefit of taking very little yarn if you are running short. I wish I could embed a picture; my project turned out well! Thank you!

[Emilia]

Hi Lucy, I've been searching for your tutorial for joining squares using the extra-long ends. I seem to remember a diagram with the squares laid out in certain positions so as to use the ends for joining! But I can't find it on your site!! Can you help? Or have I imagined it??!

Love your website - my go-to for patterns and inspiration!

[Elena Reed]

This is by far the easiest instructions I’ve seen for joining Granny Squares. I’m a concrete person, so I loved the step-by-step photos. I’ve done both the double crochet and whip stitch methods. This is faster and it looks so professional. Thank you very much

[Kris]

Thank you! This was very helpful! I love the colors you use...so cheery :)

[Amy]

There can never be too many pics. So good. Thank you.

[A-Anne]

Thank you so much for making it look easy with pictures...
I love Cathy Mathews an Emma Hannigans books so I make pictures of cottages on the edge of Yorkshire Dales an Pailthorpe ancestors from there..have Happy Day from Taranaki NZ Anne 15 Sept 17

[S.Wegener]

Easy to follow for first timer. Fantastic,!

[MJ Norris]

Is there no way I can print the pictures of the Granny squares

[Luise Edwards]

Easy to follow tutorial. Love this method. Thanks heaps

[Mary dennehy]

Can I use this for knitted squares please brill lesson

[hailey]

Thanks it was very helpful

[Sandra]

Brilliant instructions Lucy. I really wasn't looking forward to joining my squares as they're all different but I've just done the first row and they've joined beautifully. Thank you, thank you! I'm a very happy bunny :)

[Shirley Turner]

I am finishing a scrap granny square therefore cleaning up a lot of bits of yarn. Am certainly going to use your way of fastening my squares together. Thanks Shirley

[Kim Quinn]

Hi Della. Saw your post about trouble laying flat. Did you ever figure it out? Can I help? Once it clicked it was a true Ah-ha! moment.

[Kim Quinn]

I just want and need to say THANK YOU! Have wondered for years how to join squares and never occurred to me the way you slip stitch them together using outside of each stitch. Lays beautifully!Again, many thanks.

[carol Woolcock]

Thank you so much for the very clear instructions. I have just completed 240 x 10cm squares for a rug for my great niece's wedding present. I was searching for an efficient way to join them. Carol

[Caroline]

Thank you for this brilliant tutorial. Have just finished my second blanket and am thrilled with the lovely finish. Looks much better than the first one which I sewed up!

[Cecilia]

Thank you so much for sharing will be visiting often

[Kaitlin]

Thank you so much for using so many pictures! I hate reading when I'm trying to do something artsy because I always second guess what the person means! Like one commenter said, I thought I was starting a huge project but I'm so pleased that it seems as simple as 1-2-3!!

[Shirley Gagne]

Thank you. I thought I was starting a huge project, instead I have a very easy way to finish my blanket.

[Louise]

Thanks lucy, this has just saved my life.

[Rowena Corlett]

Thanks for this Lucy - I am going to join my harmony blanket this way as I prefer the flat finish.I know it means that the joining becomes rather a major job when I have finished my squares but I think it's worth it x

[Kája]

Moc pěkná ukázka sešívání. Jste šikovná a hodná, že poradíte. Děkuji

[Shirley Gagne]

Where do I go to read answers? I just found your site today and have browsed a bit. You do beautiful work. Thank you for your help.

[Shirley Gagne]

I am also unsure about the corner stitch. I haven't started joining my squares yet, but I've been checking up on joining techniques. Yours is perfect. I've bordered all my squares in hdc to have a common color and a flatter seam.