***

I am excited to present you to my contribution to Granny Square Day 2022 - a floral granny that I hope you will like. You can find that pattern lower down this post.

I have always considered a granny square to be a piece of crochet that is built by making repeated blocks of treble stitches (US dc), but it seems the term can be used in relation to any square crochet block these days and I am sure we are going to see a wonderful variety posted on social media to celebrate the day.

According to Edie Eckman in The Crochet Answer Book a granny square is:

'.......a special form of square motif. Although there are many variations on the granny square, the traditional one is a double-crocheted (UK tr) square made with a series of chain and double-crocheted (UK treble) blocks - a kind of filet crochet in the round.'

The earliest recorded example of a granny square as we know it was designed by Mrs Phelps and the pattern was published in The Prairie Farmer, a publication that featured agricultural and rural news for the State of Illinois, in 1885.

My Great Grandmother, Alice, learnt to crochet when she was young and made the most intricate traditional lace crochet. She was taught how to make a granny square in the 1970s and from that time onwards, until she passed away in the 1980s, she made hundreds of granny square blankets, often buying sweaters from jumble sales to unravel and reuse the yarn. She donated her blankets to raffles and to charities for fundraising and many of her fabulous blankets still exist as cherished items throughout our family members.

I have called my floral granny 'A Flower For Alice' in honour of my Nanna Martin. Scroll down to find the pattern and some step-by-step images.

You will need 6 shades of DK weight yarn and a 4mm hook.

Stylecraft Organic Cotton DK 100% Organic Cotton - 105m (115yds) per 50g ball
Artichoke (7193)
Buttermilk (7174)
Papaya (7178)
Peach (7176)
Plum (7186)
 
Stylecraft ReCreate 100% Recycled Polyester - 350m (382yds) per 100g ball
Avocado (3189) 
 
Note: All rounds are RS facing.
 
Using Buttermilk and 4mm hook make a magic loop.
 
Foundation Round: 1ch (does not count as a st), 8dc into ring, ss to join, fasten off. (8sts)
 
Round 1: Using Avocado join yarn into any st by working 1ch (does not count as a st), 1dc into same st, 1ch, [1dc into next st, 1ch] to end, ss to join, fasten off. (8sts & 8 ch-sps)
 
Round 2: Using Plum join yarn into any ch-sp by working 1ch + 2ch (counts as 1tr), 2tr into same ch-sp, 3tr into each ch-sp to end, ss to join, fasten off. (24sts)
 
Pre-Blocked Measurement: Approximately 4.5cm wide.

Round 3: Using Avocado join yarn into st-sp between any group of 3tr by working 1ch (does not count as a st), 1dc into same st-sp, 4ch, skip 3sts, [1dc into next st-sp, 4ch, skip 3sts] to end, ss to join, fasten off. (8sts & 8 ch-sps)

​Round 4: Using Papaya and working in front of ch made on previous round throughout, join yarn into top of first tr of any 3tr group made on Round 2 (Plum) by working 1ch + 2ch (counts as 1tr), 3tr into next st, 1tr into next st, skip next dc, 1tr into next st; repeat from * to end omitting 1tr on final repeat, ss to join, fasten off. (40sts)

​Make sure you still have 8 ch-sps left at the back of the work as you are going to use these to create your square later on.
 
Pre-Blocked Measurement: Approximately 7.5cm wide.

Round 5: Using Peach join yarn into top of first tr of any 5tr group by working 1ch + 2ch (counts as 1tr), * 2tr into each next 3sts, 2ch, ss into next st, 1tr around front post of next dc made on Round 3 (Avocado) (I placed my hook through the tunnel created by the dc so that I wasn’t around the whole of the post), ss into first tr on next petal, 3ch; repeat from * to end omitting 3ch on final repeat, ss to join, fasten off. (8 petals made) 
 
Pre-Blocked Measurement: Approximately 10cm wide.

Round 5: Using Artichoke and keeping RS facing but working behind the petals throughout, join yarn into any ch-sp made on Round 3 (Avocado) by working 1ch + 2ch (counts as 1tr), 2tr into same ch-sp, 3ch, 3tr into same ch-sp, 1ch, [3tr into next ch-sp, 1ch, [3tr, 3ch, 3tr] into next ch-sp, 1ch] 3 times, 3tr into next ch-sp, 1ch, ss to join, do not fasten off. (36sts & 12 ch-sps)
 
Round 6: ss into each next 2sts, ss into next ch-sp, 3ch (counts as 1tr), 1tr into same ch-sp, * 1tr into 4th st on petal made on Round 5 (Peach) and same ch-sp at the same time, 3ch, 1tr into next st on petal and same ch sp at the same time, 2tr into same ch-sp, 1ch, [3tr into next ch-sp, 1ch] twice, 2tr into next ch-sp; repeat from * to end omitting 2tr on final repeat, ss to join, do not fasten off. (48sts & 16 ch-sps)

​Round 7: ss into each next 2sts, ss into next ch-sp, 3ch (counts as 1tr), 2tr into same ch-sp, 3ch, 3tr into same ch-sp, * 1ch, 3tr into next ch-sp, 1ch, 1tr into next ch-sp, skip 4sts on petal made on round 5 (Peach), 1tr into next st-sp and same ch-sp at the same time, 1tr into same ch-sp, 1ch, 3tr into next ch-sp, 1ch, ** [3tr, 3ch, 3tr] into next ch-sp; repeat from * to end finishing last repeat at **, ss to join, fasten off. (60sts & 20 ch-sps)
 
Pre-Blocked Measurement: Approximately 12cm wide.

Sew in your yarn ends and block if it's curling. I used cotton to make my granny so it has stayed pretty flat and doesn't need blocking. I sewed an orange bead at the centre of my flower using a fine sewing needle and thread.

I hope you like my floral granny and that you might fancy making a couple. If you do, and would like to share them on social media, please tag me in using #janiecrow @janiecrow

Granny Square Day is organised by Simply Crochet Magazine and this year they are supporting Operation Orphan, so if you are able to make a donation please do so. #grannysquareday2022

I am really honoured to have been nominated in the Iconic Crochet Designer category of this year's Knit & Crochet awards. It goes without saying that I would love it if you would vote for me. You can find the Let's Knit website here and you can click on the different categories to find out more and to vote.
 
Last weekend we posted a few polls on Instagram to try to find out what kind of smaller crochet projects you would like to see me design. Bags came out as a clear favourite, as did rectangular wraps and cushion covers. This week I have started to look at colour palettes for these new projects and I am looking forward to getting stuck into the designs soon. The likelihood is that these new projects will not be available until next year as I am working with Stylecraft to create something really special, so I am afraid there will be a bit of a wait. I will try and keep you in the loop in regards to the design process in the mean time. I am going to post a few images about colour palettes on Instagram today that you might be interested in.

I am currently working on a new project that will feature in Inside Crochet Magazine next year. I am REALLY excited about this new design and have thoroughly enjoyed the process so far. Again - I will try to post some sneaky peeks from time to time so that you can keep track of what I am up to! ​

I am really looking forward to the weekend as we will be seeing the family tomorrow for the party, some of whom we haven't spent time with for quite for a while. Marina has been busy making lots of Julie's bunting for me to decorate the garden with, so I am hoping the weather will be good - it is a little chillier here today than it has been recently. ​

​Janie x