This tutorial is for my new friend Erica who just learned to chain, double crochet and slip stitch in an hour this evening. If you have been crocheting for an hour and want to make a simple granny square this will work for you also.
Reminder: A Double Crochet is: Yarn over, put the hook through the hole, yarn over again and bring that yarn back through the hole, yarn over and bring through the first 2 loops, yarn over and bring through the next 2 loops.
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How to begin. (Like I said before there are many ways to start a granny square, you will only use this way while you’re learning.)
Chain 5 and create a loop by putting the hook in to the first chain, yarn over and pull through the yarn through both loops.
Chain 2 – this counts as first double crochet.
Make 2 double crochets – chain 1.
So now you have 2 chains and 2 double crochets and you’ve chained 1.
Make another 3 double crochets in the loop and chain 1.
You now have 2 sets of 3 double crochets in the loop. Don’t forget to chain 1 after each set of 3 double crochets.
Make another 3 double crochets in the loop and chain 1.
You now have 3 sets of 3 double crochets in the loop. Pull on the single chains a little and you will start seeing corners.
One more time make another 3 double crochets in the loop and chain 1.
Slip stitch into the top of the first 2 chains (the ones that counted as your first double crochet)
You now have 4 corners – your granny square is a square!
TURN!
Chain 2 – that will count as your first double crochet.
This is where it gets a little tricky.
Make 2 double crochets chain 1 and make 3 double crochets in the chained corner space. Chain 1 You have another corner!
Now chain 1 and move to the next corner.
Make 3 double crochets chain 1 and make 3 double crochets in the chained corner space. Chain 1.
Make 3 double crochets chain 1 and make 3 double crochets in the chained corner space. Chain 1.
One more time, make 3 double crochets chain 1 and make 3 double crochets in the chained corner space. Chain 1.
Slip stitch into the top of the 2 chains from the beginning of this row.
And the pattern just continues.
TURN
Chain 2, 2 double crochets, chain 1
Move to next space (the corner)
3 double crochets, chain 1, 3 double crochets, chain 1 move to the next space
3 double crochets, chain 1, move to the corner
3 double crochets, chain 1, 3 double crochets, chain 1 move to the next space
3 double crochets, chain 1, move to the corner
3 double crochets, chain 1, 3 double crochets, chain 1 move to the next space
3 double crochets, chain 1, move to the corner
Get the idea?
Each time you start a row with turning it and chaining 2 as the first double crochet. Then you do 2 double crochets and chain 1.
All the corners you do this: 3 double crochets, chain 1, 3 double crochets, chain 1, move to the next space
All the middle spaces you do this: 3 double crochets, chain 1, move to the next space (Except for the first space.)
