“Granny squares,” special crocheting blocks made by making double crochet stitches into chain spaces, seem to be growing in popularity. Where before you might have only seen them in your great-grandmother’s north-central Texas home (or Ohio, or Minnesota, or Florida, or Arizona or wherever your older relatives came from), you can now spot them throughout the crafting world. And they don’t simply appear as blankets or pillow covers, oh no. They’re manifesting themselves as tea cozies, pot holders, hats, hand bags, halter tops and more (if you don’t believe me, ask Etsy).
There can be no denying that granny squares are kitsch. Old-fashionedly elegant? Perhaps. The epitome of everything wrong with the crocheting world? I wouldn’t go that far. If you’re interested in embracing granny squares’ rustic, backwards appearance, or are enthusiastic about reclaiming bad stereotypes and giving them new life, you might enjoy making a granny square scarf. Shall we?
Pattern!
Gauge isn’t too big of a deal here, but I like using worsted-weight yarn and a size G hook. And unless you’re devoted to a certain color scheme for this project, this scarf’s perfect for using up left-over yarn.
Chain six stitches. Join them into a ring with a slip stitch (you can also using the “magic ring” method to start this out, but I’m fond of open circles in the middle of my squares).
Chain 3 stitches to count as one double crochet. Double crochet two stitches, then chain two. Double crochet three stitches and chain two. Do this two more times so that you have four sections of double crochet stitches. End the round with a joining slip stitch.
Add a new color if you feel like it at the beginning of each new round.
Chain three stitches into the first chain 2 space, followed by two double crochets. Chain two, then make three double crochet stitches into the same space. Chain one. In the next space, make three double crochet stitches, chain two, make three more double crochet stitches, then chain one. Do this for the next two chain spaces as well. End the round with a joining slip stitch.
This next round will be repeated as many times as you like until the scarf square reaches its desired size.
Chain three stitches into the first chain space. Chain two stitches, then make three double crochet stitches into the same space. Chain one. Make three double crochet stitches into the next chain one space (and all following chain one spaces in subsequent rounds), then make one chain stitch. In the next chain two corner space, make three double crochet stitches, chain two, make three more double crochet stitches, then make one chain stitch. Continue doing this until you come to the end of the round (the last space will be a chain one space, not a corner) and join it with a slip stitch.
Work until the first square reaches its desired size. Finish off and take care of loose ends.
Make every following square exactly the same, EXCEPT before you finish off, join the stitches of the last edge to the edge stitches of the previously made square. Do this by making a slip stitch into the back loops of the edge stitches, making sure to work on the wrong side while the right sides face outwards.
Continue crocheting and adding squares until your scarf reaches its desired length. Myself, I found that 12 squares made a scarf that’s not too short and not too long.
Enjoy!