Big Granny Square Blanket

Let’s get started on this Big Granny Square Blanket. In the last post we learned how to crochet a basic small granny square. You can go to that post here ” GRANNY SQUARE DELIGHT .” I shared Erica’s Arndt video on how to crochet the basic granny square. Erica gave some great tips on making the granny square and how to tie in your loose ends as you make the square. The Granny Square Scrubby was a challenge to make but worth it. Those scrubby squares are a great gift item, and we all need to have them to scrub pots and pans along with the dishes. Just look at them below and you will see my scrubbies I made. These scrubbies sparkle in the light and I was thinking about how they would make a great Christmas ornament for the tree. I will revisit this during the Christmas season.

Now, let’s get back to the Big Granny Square blanket. I have made two so far and now I am working on the third one. Download the free pattern at Lion Brand titled “Cotswold Granny Afghan.” Any worsted weight yarn such as Red Heart can be used. Follow the beginning granny square pattern and continue around by joining in any corner the new color with a slip stitch and ch 3, (2 dc, ch 2, 3 dc) in same chain 2 space in the corner. Make this blanket interesting by designing it yourself. Write out the color arrangement you want to use for each row and repeat. If you desire two or more rows of the same color, all you need to do is slip stitch in the third chain of the beginning chain and continue the slip stitch in the next 2 dc and into the chain-two space before you chain 3, (2 dc, ch 2, 3 dc) in the corner. See the chart below. . .the dark black dot is to close the square by slip stitching in top of the first chain three stitch. The red dots are the next 3 slip stitches before the beginning chain three. This way you can continue in one color without having to cut the yarn.

This pattern uses two strands of yarn held together, but I did not follow this written rule in the pattern. Instead, I used a single thread of yarn when making this blanket. Please note when using a single thread of yarn, your crochet hook size should be smaller. Use the hook size recommended by the yarn manufacturer you are using. For instance, if using Red Heart yarn, use size I crochet hook. You can also use your left-over yarn from any project to work around the square. Using a double strand of yarn requires a larger hook size and the blanket will be thicker. And using a single strand of yarn will require more rows for the size indicated in the pattern. Keep in mind that you can make any size you desire for this blanket. Just remember that the yarn requirement may change depending on the size of your finished blanket. I followed the amount of yarn listed in the pattern which is two balls each of 6 colors of yarn. When I made my first blanket, I used Lion Brand Vanna’s Choice yarn as listed in the pattern. I decided to give Premier Anti-Pilling Everyday Worsted yarn a try. No pilling and it is so soft to the touch. The colors I have chosen are Aran, Orchid, Green apple, Azalea and Berry. To make it more interesting I added Premier Basix Mosaic yarn in color Bouquet.

My color pattern is the following:

Beginning with 3 rows of Premier Basix – Bouguet
2 rows of Premier Anti-Pilling Orchid **
2 rows of Premier Anti-Pilling Azalea
2 rows of Premier Anti-Pilling Green Apple
One row Premier Anti-Pilling Aran
One row of Premier Anti-Pilling Berry
2 rows of Premier Basix Bouguet
One row of Premier Anti-Pilling Berry and **[repeat color pattern]

The colors I have chosen to make this Big Granny Square Blanket is a spring/summer blanket to wrap around in on cooler days or evenings. Get your supplies or look at your stash of left over yarn and give this wonderful blanket a go at crocheting. You will find this pattern relaxing as you crochet around each row changing up on the colors you have chosen.

The question of the slip stitch is how to use it when making a circle or square in the granny square pattern. Below are two videos’ using the slip stitch to complete a round and using a slip stitch to pass across stitches to the place where you want to begin to crochet the pattern. As I mentioned above in the granny square graph picture, the red circle dots are the slip stitches where you want to pass over that stitches to the corner of the granny square before you begin to do your chain 3 to begin the next row. Use this method when you want to use the same color instead of fastening off your yarn and joining a new color of yarn in the corner of the granny square pattern.

The first video is using the slip stitch to close or connect a row by going through the back loop in top of the beginning chain three made. The second video below shows how you use the slip stitch by going through both loops of the previous stitch made to create a slip stitch. This is when to use this technique when you are passing stitches without creating height until you reach the corner of the granny square pattern. I hope this helps you, and happy crocheting.