The Solid Granny Square

The Solid Granny square is as versatile as it is beautiful. There are so many ways to use it that you won’t easily become bored. It is worked in much the same way as the clustered granny, found here, with only a few little changes.

One of the small problems many crocheters come across when attempting this pattern is the tendency for a gap to form where one round ends and the next begins. I’ll be explaining a couple ways for you to avoid this dreaded seam.

For those of you who are working this square for the very first time, I suggest you watch this video. I take you through the entire construction of this square. More experienced crocheters, who understand the pattern but need some help avoiding the noticeable seam, skip past the video and see my notes below.

How to avoid the join gap on your Solid Granny squares

We’ve all seen it on our Facebook feeds. Maybe, you’ve avoided this square because it haunts you. The JOIN GAP!! Sometimes called the “#%$^ SEAM!” Or, the “Ugly line that goes up the middle of my square!”

Well, let’s get rid of that, shall we?

There are two ways to avoid the seam: the standing double crochet and the “ignore the chain two.”

Beginning each new round with a standing double crochet (demonstrated in the above video … just fast forward until you see the red square) is a pretty seamless way to keep your squares even, but it can be a bit tricky to learn. I think I had to watch about a dozen videos before it made even a bit of sense. And, as you can see in the video, doesn’t always work as well as you’ve hoped with some yarns … Mandala, I’m talking to you.

The second way, and my favorite is the “ignore the chain two” method. Simply put, at the beginning of each round, you chain two and then ignore it and double crochet into the same stitch squeezing the chain two. When you come around the other side to slip stitch the round together, you slip stitch into the first double crochet and ignore the chain two. This gives you the same number of stitches on each side, and the same number of double crochets on each side. The chain two does not add to your stitch count because it is never crocheted into.

Well, that’s all for today. As always, I hope I made a little sense and helped you.