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

[M. Angeles]

Thank You very much. I love your blog. I come from Spain and you help me with crochet and my English and I love all your Photos too.. Besos

[claudette]

very very helpful!!! your squares are beautiful too.

thanks a lot!!!!

(sorry can't donate right now :)

[Jeanette]

Easy THANKYOU. I did get the knack though would choose a lighter color another time and adopt the 3 chains to the corners as suggested. Thick wool also helps find the corner chains when you are joining. But I did profit from keeping the tension loose.
I think that the rug needs a finishing edge of some sort after The squares are joined. How would you go about it?

[Emma]

Thank you Lucy, your blogs and instructions are brilliant. The tutorials are so easy to follow and pictures are a must! I've just finished crocheting 72 squares, they are all blocked and now I am going to follow your instructions to join them all...

[DEIRDRE CROSS]

Just read your instructions thanks. I'm off to finish knitting my squares so I can get going on putting them together
love your blog xx
Deirdre Victoria Aus

[Abbie]

Thank you! I'm new to crochet and have just sewn my first granny squares together using the slip stitch technique.
Thank you! X

[Tina]

Thank you for these instructions all the way from how you make your beginning square, since I'm new to granny squares very helpful

[Beatriz]

Thank you very much. I hate joining granny squares by stitching them, and this way is fantastic. I have joined a blanket for my daughter and the result is perfect.

Thanks from Spain.

[MLR]

Thanx...you've explained this very well.
Joining my Solid-Granny in this manner makes sense.

[Karen]

TOO MANY PICTURES????? I wish all instructions were as easy to follow as yours. Thanks a bunch!

[Mie Christensen]

Lucy, you are a genious. I just love your blog, and you patterns. And this tutorial will come in handy when I finish of my granny Square blanket.

THANK YOU

Mie in Denmark

[Hilary]

I am crocheting again after 35 years! Just love your work and blog. The colours are fabulous. I am wondering what thickness of wool the above squares are worked in..and size of hook?

[Marcia C. Beppler]

While I've been knitting happily for close to 70 years, I've barely learned how to crochet. I can make a chain stitch! But now I am looking for instructions to help me join the 12" x 12" KNITTED squares I have made, into an afghan.

Your clear, precise, excellent instructions and photos all seem to make sense to me. Should I just go ahead and try to follow them with my knit squares of various patterns? Perhaps you have valuable comments to help me avoid total frustration !!!

Yours gratefully, Marcia

[Judy]

A GREAT tutorial about something that is a perennial problem for me - I also prefer to hook the joins, but I also have a hankering for something totally reversible. I also was messy about my slip-stitch joins so I think I'll adopt yours with all of the experience and wisdom you've poured into it.

Question - how can I subscribe to your blog? I couldn't get it to work... tnx!

[Jennifer crewe]

I love the net because years after this post, I can still find it and say thank you for showing me this way to join squares. Tepictures helped so uch. Now i realise I ned to use only the one loop it looks so much better. I had come to a complete stopon my afghan about a year ago because I didn't like the sewing together of my squares. now I will pick it up and get going again. I have many things on our site very helpful. Tsnk you again for shRing.

[Carol Rought]

I love your site for years and always admire what beautiful work you do. I love the vibrant colors you use and finally got myself yarn like your colors to try making a beautiful granny like yours. I do like your idea joining the squares I going to try this method I like how finish it looks. Also may I ask what size hook you use your stitches seem uniform and I would like mine to be too. Thank you Lucy. Sincerely,Carol

[Judi]

Thankyou from Canada. Finally after crocheting for 60 years, I discovered a way of easily joining blocks together. For the past two winters I have been using small lots of yarn to create lap-robes. For some I knit blocks using the basic "dish cloth pattern" and when I tired of that pattern decided to make Grannie Squares. Your method of joining together works great with either patterns. Thanks so much for the directions ...I understand pictures much better than text!

[Michelle]

WOW! You just saved me! This was incredibly easy to follow and I will be using it for two baby blankets!

[greedy nan]

Do you suggest I run around each square in one colour so it draws it all together 1st please? That would also mean I can rejig the sizes of some of the squares too. Thank u.

[Adelle Rozear]

Any suggestions if you actually want a row or two of color to show between the squares when you attach them?

[Gillian]

I am experienced in many years of knitting and crochet. The one skill I seemed to lack was a really neat way of joining squares. But now I have seen your tutorial - it's so obvious once you see it!!! A thousand 'thank you's.

[NADINE]

Hello from Belgium, dear Lucy ;>)

THANKS a bunch for this wonderful tutorial - crochet always seems so easy with your clear exlanations and neat pictures !
I have a little question :
I'm starting a "Giant Solid Grannies Blanket", using 18 different colors, but I'll be using a single color for each granny. I'd like to join them as I go, but I wonder which color I could use to join them together ? Obviously, it will be difficult to choose a matching one.
What would you advise, dear ?

I hope I'm not bothering you with my question and I thank you heartfully for your answer. Have a very nice weekend ;>)

XOXO
NADINE

[Lucia M.]

Bravissima :-) anch'io faccio così :-) ciao :-)

[Kellie]

I'm making a granny square blanket for the first time. Is there any way to know how much yarn to leave for the stitching together of the squares? I only have a certain number of skeins and want to make sure I don't make too many squares that I don't have enough left over to bind them. :) Thank you and great tutorial!

[Diane]

Thanks so much! I just made 72 squares that I am getting ready to join. I've always used whip stitches before, but I'm going to try the single crochet method...it looks a lot more secure.