A sunburst granny square starts as a circular motif built from puff or bobble stitches, then squares off in the final round. These nine original patterns vary in stitch height, corner shaping, and finished size, from a compact 4-inch motif to a full 30-square baby blanket.
Sunburst granny square patterns to explore
1. Sunflower-Look Sunburst Square
Sarah Stearns’ sunburst square is a beginner-friendly, four-round design using four colors of worsted yarn on an H (5 mm) hook, finishing at about 5 inches. It is worked in rounds, each in a new color, so it is a good scrap-yarn project. A brown double crochet center is followed by a puff stitch ring, a cluster ring and a cream squaring round. Yarn suggestions include Lion Brand Heartland and Wool-Ease Worsted, and the page explains how to change colors for each round.
2. Sunburst Granny Square Blanket
Amanda’s Radiant Rays Baby Blanket from Maisie and Ruth is made of sunburst granny squares and comes with a video tutorial. The page lists the exact color combinations and square placement so you can recreate the look, and she says it is beginner-friendly if you know the basic stitches in US terms. You can double the yarn quantity and number of squares for a full-sized throw. The blanket uses 30 squares in DK yarn on a 4.5 mm hook and finishes at 33.5 by 28 inches.
3. Video-Guided Sunburst Square
Sarah-Jayne Fragola’s sunburst granny square has a free step-by-step pattern and a video at the base of the post, and it can be viewed in UK or US terms. The sample uses Paintbox Baby DK or Cotton DK in pastel colors (Pistachio, Seafoam, Blush Pink and Vanilla Cream) with a 4 mm hook. The pattern uses puff stitches (7 loops on the hook), and it links to her infinity granny square blanket if you want to keep going.
4. Three-Color Beginner Sunburst Square
Jo’s sunburst granny square is quick and easy, and she describes the design as reminding her of sunshine peeking through trees. It comes with written instructions with diagrams and a step-by-step video tutorial, and it uses medium weight yarn on an I/5.5 mm hook. It requires very small amounts of yarn, so it is a good scrap-busting project, and she links a granny square bag pattern for the finished squares.
5. Boho Flower-Based Sunburst Square
Selina Veronique’s sunburst is her take on this classic granny square, and she says she didn’t have time to study the square enough to create her own version for a long time. She crocheted a boho sunburst granny square bag from these squares, and the video tutorial is on her page. The finished square is about 4.5 inches on a 4 mm hook over four rounds, with petal layers that read as a flower. You can crochet it in your favorite colors, and it works in pastels for spring.
6. Cluster-Stitch Sunburst Square
Alex’s sunburst granny square at You Should Craft describes the sunburst as a circle in a square made with puff stitches and dc3tog clusters, and the page was updated with new pictures in teal and grey. The squares can be joined into pillows, blankets and clothing, and it can be made colorful or monochromatic. It uses worsted yarn and a 5 mm hook and finishes around 5.5 inches, the largest square in this roundup.
7. Original Blogger’s Sunburst Square
Jess at Purple Chair Crochet published her sunburst square in August 2012 as a free pattern. She admits she studied a lot of sunburst squares to get the feel for how the circular part is worked and then squared it off. It uses a 5 mm (I) hook, cotton yarn in four colors, a yarn needle and scissors. Round 1 is 15 double crochets in a chain loop, and each new round joins a new color.
8. Compact Bobble-Stitch Sunburst Square
Cheryl Bennett’s sunburst square is a compact scrap-yarn design, about 4 by 4 inches in worsted weight yarn on a US G/4 mm hook, and it is the smallest here. The page explains the two things that affect the size of a granny square: gauge (hook size and yarn weight) and the number of rounds. The 16 double crochet center becomes puff stitches, then bobbles, and the last round turns the flower into a square. Your gauge may vary.
9. Scrap-Yarn Sunflower Square
Alena Charity Limbithu’s sunburst granny square at SitnCrochet is also called a sunflower granny square, and it is aimed at beginners. She says you don’t have to use the exact color scheme (brown center, orange puff round), although it makes sense for a sunflower. Worsted weight yarn is right because it is only four rounds, and medium weight gives it height. It uses a 5 mm hook, and it is small on its own, so best combined into a bigger project.
Sunburst squares
Bella Coco Crochet films every round, which is worth watching even if you don’t usually use videos. SitnCrochet’s is designed for scrap yarn, and Maisie and Ruth’s has the layout math done, with 30 squares. You Should Craft swaps puffs for clusters.