Skeins of Yarn vs. Balls of Yarn: What's The Difference?

The granny square is perhaps the most iconic motif in the craft of crochet. However, the square is just the beginning of what you can do with the granny stitch. Learn how to adapt the granny square to make granny circles, triangles, pentagons, hexagons, rectangles, hearts, and rows.

Basics to Know About Granny Crochet

Guide to Granny Crochet: Squares, Circles, Hearts, Stripes and More

What makes a motif a "granny" motif? The granny stitch consists of groups of 3 dc stitches separated by spaces. That'swhat you will find in common across all granny crochet motifs. Here are a few more things that are helpful to know about crocheting with the granny stitch:

  • The sides of granny motifs are worked with sets of 3 dc stitches separated by spaces. The spaces are sometimes created using a ch-1 or ch-2 (and even occasionally a ch-3) but they may also be created by simply skipping stitches without a chain. This varies from pattern to pattern. It's helpful to know because if you find that a motif is too tight, youmight want to vary it by adding a chain between sets of dc stitches. Likewise, if the motif seems too loose, and the pattern has you doing a ch-2 then you should try a ch-1 or even no chain space.

  • Corners of granny motifs are worked with two sets of 3 dc stitches separated by a space. In most corners, you will work 3 dc, ch 2, 3 dc. As with sides, though, this can vary. You may find that you have a smaller or larger chain space between the two sets of 3 dc. You may occasionally find that it isn't even 3 dc but rather 2 dc. Pay attention to the pattern but feel empowered to fiddle with the corners to make the granny shapes look exactly like you want them to look.

How to Crochet a Granny Square

Guide to Granny Crochet: Squares, Circles, Hearts, Stripes and More