How To Crochet A Granny Square Tutorial

I know this is a crochet basic and there are loads of tutorials out there already but I wanted to do this for 2 friends in particular, first is our friend Michaela who we met in Corfu. On our last holiday, I took a crochet project with me which I would work on while having our morning coffee, Michaela expressed an interest in taking up crochet so this is to help get her started. The second is a very creatively talented young lady who is a whiz with a pair of knitting needles and although she has crocheted some lovely things tells me she struggles to make a Granny Square actually square. So for these two lovely people and anyone else out there who needs a helping hand to get started, here goes…….

Make a slip knot to start and chain 6.

Granny Square Tutorial Starting ChainJoin with a slip stitch into the first chain to form a ring.

Granny Square Tutorial Join Starting Chain Ring

Chain 3, these will count as the first treble crochet for the first cluster.

Granny Square Tutorial Chain Start of First ClusterWork another 2 trebles into the centre of the ring to form the first cluster.

Granny Square Tutorial First ClusterChain 3 to make the first corner.

Granny Square Tutorial Second Corner ChainWork another 3 trebles into the centre of the ring to form the second cluster.

Granny Square Tutorial Second ClusterChain 3 to form the second corner followed by 3 more trebles to make the third cluster.

Granny Square Tutorial Third ClusterWork 3 chain to form the third corner and another 3 trebles to make the fourth cluster. To complete this first round chain 3 to form the fourth corner.

Granny Square Tutorial fourth Corner

Then slip stitch into the third chain of the first 3 chain worked.

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Slip stitch across the next 2 trebles.

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And again into the corner three chain space created on the previous round.

Granny Square Tutorial Slip Stitch Into Corner

Chain 3, these 3 chain count as the first treble.

Granny Square Tutorial Chain Start Second Round

Continue working into the same corner space, work another 2 trebles, chain 2, 3 trebles to form the first corner of the second round.

Granny Square Tutorial Second Round First Corner

Working into the next corner space, *3 trebles, 2 chain, 3 trebles* to form the second corner.

Granny Square Tutorial Second Corner

Repeat * to * into the next corner space to form the third corner.

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And into the last corner space to make the fourth corner.

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Slip stitch into the third chain of the first 3 chain worked at the beginning of the round.

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As with the previous round slip stitch across the first 2 trebles and into the first corner space of the previous round.

Granny Square Tutorial Second Round Slip StitchChain 3, these 3 chain count as the first treble, continue working into the same corner space, work another 2 trebles, chain 2.

Granny Square Tutorial Third Round First CornerWork a further 3 trebles to form the first corner of the third round.

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Chain 1, work 3 trebles into the next space, chain 1.

IMG_7640Working into the next corner space, *3 trebles, 2 chain, 3 trebles chain 1, work 3 trebles into the next space, chain 1*.

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Repeat * to * twice more, then to complete the round slip stitch into the third chain of the first 3 chain worked at the beginning of the round.

Granny Square Tutorial Third Round CompleteContinue adding rounds until your square is the desired size noting that each round will add another space on the straight edges.

Four rounds.

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Five Rounds.

Granny Square Tutorial 5 rounds

To complete my square I did six rounds ending with a slip stitch into the third chain of the first 3 chain worked at the beginning of the round.

Granny Square Tutorial Six RoundsYou can end your square here but I like to finish with a round of double crochet as this gives a nice firm finish and a neat joining edge if you are joining several squares together.  As we will be working into each treble and chain space of our last round there is no need slip stitch across to the corner space to start this edging round, you can continue from the slip stitch at the end of the final round.

Chain 1, this counts as the first double crochet.

IMG_7647Work first double crochet into the second treble of the previous round, second double crochet into the third treble. Work 3 double crochet into the corner space.

Continue to work 1 double crochet into each of the next 3 trebles of the corner.

Work 1 double crochet into the next chain space.

IMG_7651Continue all the way round working 1 double crochet into each treble and each chain space of the previous round and 3 double crochet into each corner space.

Granny Square Tutorial Double Crochet EdgingSlip stitch into the chain at the beginning of the round and snip your yarn leaving a 2-3 inch tail.

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To fasten off pull the tail through the loop on the hook.

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Pull firmly.

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Now all you have left to do is sew in the loose ends at the beginning and the end of your Granny Square.

Thread the tail into a wool needle and push through the chain next to your finishing knot to the back of your square. Then sew into the back of the double crochet round.

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Cut of any loose ends.

Thread the tail at the start of your work onto the wool needle and sew into the back of the trebles on the first round, this will also tighten the centre ring.

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Cut off any loose ends and there you have it, your first Granny Square complete.

IMG_7676I hope this tutorial is useful to my good friends and anyone else out there who wants to get started. If you have any questions or would like any further information please feel to ask away and I will do my best to help.

Fishy Visit to Corfu Town

Yes I am going to harp on about the holiday stuff again and I am not going to apologise. Well, you have to make the most of the 2 week experience because it will be at least 6 to 8 months before we get the chance again!

I mentioned before about going to Corfu Town for the day to go to the fish market, it was brrrrrrrrriliant.

I wanted to go last time we were there but we never got ourselves motivated in time in the mornings, well when I say ‘we’ I really mean the gorgeous other half! He had a reoccurring morning problem, he was stuck to the bed sheets and by the time I got him free we missed the boat taxi.

The market itself was not actually all that big but the selection of fish….WOW. We bought some tuna (my favourite) one giant slab for only 8 Euros! Like all the other produce on offer it had been caught that day, the slice was huge, there was enough for six people to have a very healthy portion. I think we would have paid more like £25-£30 for the same piece here in the UK.

What I loved so much about the experience was that it was presented as it should be, freshly caught, gutted on site and laid out for purchase. No polystyrene trays, or computer generated printed price tickets and not a piece of plastic covering in sight. Just the fishmongers themselves with their work weary hands, hardened to the familiar work of their trade.

See the Swordfish, they cut off his poor head and displayed it next to the produce for sale. It is hard to convey the actual size but if you look at the till in the background it gives you a sense of scale of this mighty fish. We  had a bit of fun with the vendor miming swashbuckling Zorro style to explain in English!

There was stall after stall with trays brimming with sardines.

Squid and Octopus, which I have to admit are not my cup of tea but when they serve it to you over there it is nothing like the tough chewy stuff you are presented with here, it is as tender as a good fillet steak. It is all about the preparation they told us but I will tell you about that another time if you are interested.

And the prawns looked fantastic, in some supermarkets they would have us believe these are King Prawns at this size but not in Corfu Town Fish Market, these babies were just your average prawn.

We got there at about 10.30 am but my plan next time is to go in the wee small hours of the morning and watch everything, from the fish being brought in and unloaded, the haggling over price the see all the preparation in the market itself.

My only problem is getting the other half there at that time, I think the trick will be to not let him go to bed at all then there can be no ‘sticky bed’ malady!

 

Holiday Report

Apologies that it’s been a bit quiet on the blog front for the last couple of weeks but I have been on holiday, soooooooo very relaxing and much needed for us both. We stayed in a villa nestled in the hillside between San Stefanos and Kerasia in Cofu, it was fantastic!

We had our own swimming pool, it was one of those infinity pools looking out into an endless expanse of olive grove that rambled right down to the sea.

A fabulous barbecue area overlooking the pool and beyond to the sea.

We have been to this area a few times now and  have found that wherever we have stayed there is always a resident cat but this year we had three gorgeous kittens as well, how sweet is that? We spent a fortune on cat food and the local supermarket sold out 10 days into the holiday, but never mind our little furry friends were quite happy with dog food for the last few days.

Yes there are three kittens there it’s just that the little white one is hiding at the back.

It is such a lovely place and we know many of the locals here now and everyone makes you feel so welcome it is like home from home. San Stefanos is quite small formerly a little fishing village, there are just three bars and five restaurants along the waterfront each with a seating area directly overlooking the beautiful bay and all of which serve fabulous food. The seafood is particularly fantastic as it is all caught locally each day. I love Mussels Saganaki which is very similar to Moules Mariniere but with the local Feta Cheese added as well.

Mmmmmmmmm…….. delicious. Followed by the catch of the day, grilled prawns, look at the size of the little critters and they don’t even call them King Prawns!

Finally my favourite dessert, greek yoghurt with honey and walnuts. Sorry about the photo of a partly consumed pudding but you are lucky there is a photo at all!

This wonderful array of goodies was enjoyed al fresco  at our favourite of the five restaurants Taverna Kochili and complimented with a bottle of local wine at a table overlooking the bay with the moonlight reflecting on the water.

There is so much more I would like to share with you but I am afraid it may become tiresome, there is nothing worse than trawling through other folks holiday snaps is there? So I will leave it there for now and tell you about the fish market another time.

Oh, also met a fellow hooker Mrs C and spent a happy morning together with hooks and yarn while she kindly worked out a pattern that has had me baffled for ages, my grateful thanks Mrs C. More on our morning to follow………..