Granny squares can become home accessories, garments, blankets, and bags, but each project needs its own joining and finishing method. These seven free patterns offer distinct project types from their original designers.
1. Granny Square Potholder by Mama In A Stitch
Mama In A Stitch’s potholder is a two-for-one pattern: you make the granny square potholder front from nine small squares and add a solid back. She wanted a vintage feel, so she used granny squares, and a modern one, so she used a black and white color scheme. The pattern is beginner-friendly, uses worsted cotton (Lily Sugar’n Cream) and a G (4 mm) hook, and includes a hanging loop. She admits granny squares are addictive. Open the pattern.
2. Granny Square Heart Pillow by Maria’s Blue Crayon
Maria’s heart pillow is a granny square with color changes that make the heart, and she says that if you can crochet a granny square, you can make it. She simply picks up the next color, pulls it through the loop, pulls the tails tight and ties them off. After the color changes you keep making the granny square larger to fit the pillow form. She used a 14 inch form, and says you can make your own or use an old throw pillow, adding or omitting rows for a different size. Open the pattern.
3. EASY 70’s Crochet Granny Square Vest by HayHay Crochet
HayHay Crochet’s 70s granny square vest was made because she hadn’t seen many patterns or video tutorials for the style. It is a great scrap yarn project: she used about 178 grams of scrap yarn for size S, made from leftovers of two of her earlier cardigans, and says she isn’t sure how much yarn other sizes need. It uses a 5 mm hook, scissors, darning needles and optional stitch markers, and the page includes a video tutorial. Open the pattern.
4. Granny Square Blanket by Sarah Maker
Sarah Stearns’ granny square blanket is a step-by-step tutorial for beginners and experts alike, made from simple double crochet and chain stitches. It uses 48 squares of five rounds for a 38 by 50 inch lap throw, worked in Lion Brand Heartland (about 7 skeins) on a J-10 (6 mm) hook. The page covers the crochet techniques to know, how to crochet a granny square, assembling the blanket and adding a border, and there is a PDF version. Open the pattern.
5. Granny Square Bag by VivCrochets
Viv’s granny square bag begins with three granny squares that are folded and whip-stitched into a bag. Overall it measures 26 cm wide by 43 cm long (about 10 by 17 inches), and the pattern uses clusters and chain-2 spaces with a 4.5 mm Clover Amour hook and medium weight cotton (Big Twist Favorite Cotton). The page includes a video tutorial for the assembly and strap, and she says you can customize it down to the round or just use up scraps. Open the pattern.
6. Airie Granny Square Cardigan by Off the Beaten Hook
Lindsey Roe’s Airie Cardigan is her very first granny square pattern: a cropped cardigan of bobble-stitch granny squares in 100% merino wool (Malabrigo Worsted in blues and grays), with an airy granny square that gives it its name. The squares are joined with a flat slip stitch through the back loop, first vertically and then horizontally into body panels. It is graded from XS/S through 3XL/4XL, and there is a video tutorial on the granny square and seaming. Open the pattern.
7. Granny Square Wall Hanging by A Box of Twine
Susan’s wall hanging is a single granny square in bulky yarn (Lion Brand Hue + Me) worked with a J (6 mm) hook, mounted on a wooden dowel with three tasseled drops along the bottom. It finishes at about 5.5 by 16 inches with the hanging cord. She describes it as modern boho decor that will coordinate with anything, and suggests making one or grouping a few together for a wall art collection. It is a quick way to use up your stash. Open the pattern.