The traditional granny square is simple and easy to crochet. Made up of double crochet and chain stitches, it is made in the round starting at the centre and working outward. Granny clusters of three double crochet stitches are worked into chain spaces in the preceding round. Early on, grandmothers, “grannies”, used leftover scraps of wool to crochet small squares, typically 4-6 inches, and join them to make afghans or other household items. Projects were portable, economical, and practical.
The humble granny square evolved over time to be a symbol of counterculture in the 1960s and a popular DIY motif of the 1970s. Modern-day granny squares have made a resurgence in fashion and home decor. There is renewed interest in new motif patterns and styles. The granny square need not be square; it can be crocheted in any number of shapes, including circles, triangles and hexagons. For the maker, the fun continues in experimenting with different combinations of colours. It is common to see granny squares in contrasting complementary colours joined and outlined in black. My preference is softer, an analogous palette where I combine colours adjacent to each other on the colour wheel, then add in a neutral. Another attractive option is to use different shades and tints of a single colour.
Hats by Tracy J 