This post is going to take you through the steps of crocheting a granny square, these are the written instructions to go with my video tutorial on YouTube.
Let’s get started – don’t hesitate to answer any questions in the comments section.
So, you start with a slipknot to get the yarn around the hook. How to do this is in my video, or you can click the link to see full instructions.
Next, we make a chain.
This means pulling the working yarn (yarn attached to the ball) over the hook (around the back) and then pulling the yarn through the loop that’s on the hook (made by the slipknot).
We then repeat this five more times.
Next, insert your hook into the first chain you made (to create a circle) yarn over your hook, pull the yarn through the chain and the loop on your hook. This is a slip stitch. You now have a circle.
Chain 3. This acts as a treble- to start each round you have to bring the yarn up to the right height of the stitch you will be doing. In this case we do 3 chains for a treble (US Double). 
Next we do the treble stitch (US Double). We start with a yarn over the hook.
We then insert the hook into the middle of the circle we made. This can be a bit tricky, especially one-handed, to find the correct space as there’s lots of little loops. You have to aim for the biggest, try stretching out the circle as best you can. I find this really easy now, but when I first started, I wasn’t sure if I was inserting in the right place!
We now do a yarn over with the hook inserted and pull the yarn through the circle. This leaves three loops on your hook.
Next, we yarn over and pull the yarn through the first two loops. Positioning can be a bit tricky, try not to have all your loops too tight otherwise it can be tough to pull them through. Doing this one-handed means we have less flexibility with the angle and movement of the hook.
I always try and pull the loops right to the end of the hook when making them to help widen them a bit and make sure there’s a bit more wriggle room when pulling the yarn through.
You now have two loops left on your hook.
Yarn over again and pull through the remaining two loops on the hook. You have just completed your first treble stitch.
So in short form a treble is:
Yarn over (yo) insert into circle, yo, pull through circle (3 loops), yo, pull though 2 loops (2 loops left), yo, pull through 2 loops (1 loop left). With me?
So we now have one chain 3 (ch3) and one treble. We are not going to do another treble, repeating the above steps. We now have 3 stitches. This is our first ‘treble cluster’.
We are going to make 4 of these (3 more) in the circle, with 3 chains between each cluster – this makes the square shape. Let’s break it down.
Now, chain 3.
This chain 3 is the corner, we now make a treble into the circle.
We do two more trebles to make out 3 treble cluster. Chain 3.
Repeat again, 3 trebles into the centre circle & ch3. We now have 3 treble clusters.
We now do our final treble cluster. Make 3 trebles into the centre circle and ch3.
Now, slip stitch into the top chain of the starting chain 3. Insert hook – I aim to insert through two loops rather than one – yo, pull through ch & loop on the hook.
You’ve completed your first round – Congrats!
We now have to increase so that the second round is bigger than the last. If you remember, we need to make 3 ch to bring it up to treble height. We also in this round ch1 to connect the corner trebles. This will make sense as we go along but to start with we ch 4 rather than 3.
We then treble into the first corner (the left corner in the above image). It looks odd to start with but it will take shape as we go around.
Make two more trebles in this ch3 corner and then ch3.
Next make 3 trebles in the same corner space. So, we make two treble clusters (with ch3 between them) in each corner chain of the previous round. These are also corners. After making our second treble cluster, we chain 1.
This lets us reach the next corner, where we make 3 trebles in the corner space (sp), ch 3, 3 trebles in same corner sp.
We continue this pattern all the way round:
Chain 1, 3 trebles in next corner, ch3, 3 trebles in same corner. Ch1, 3 trebles in next corner, ch3, 2 trebles in the same corner – we’re back at the beginning & we have our ch4. Insert the hook into the 3rd chain from the base & slip stitch. This is our ch3 acting treble, leaving ch1 between the first & second corners.
We now ch3, and make 2 trebles into the ch1 sp.
Ch1 to take you to the corner. Make 3 trebles, ch3, make 3 trebles in the same corner sp. Ch1 to take you to the ch1 sp – 3 trebles into this space.
Repeat this pattern all the way around:
Ch1, 3 trebles into corner sp, ch3, 3 trebles into same space, ch1, 3 trebles in ch1 sp, ch1, 3 trebles in corner sp, ch3, 3 trebles in same corner space, ch1, 3 trebles in ch1 space, ch1, 3 trebles in corner sp, ch3, 3 trebles in same space, ch1.
Slipstitch into the starting ch3.
Ch 4 and repeat the pattern from the previous round, working one 3treble cluster into the ch1 spaces, chain 1 between trebles, always working a corner (3trebles, ch3, 3trebles in same sp) in the corner spaces. Your final treble cluster only has 2 trebles, slip stitch into the 3rd ch of the starting ch4.
Ch1 and cut the yarn, leaving a reasonable size tail, and pull the tail through the loop, pulling tight.
And that’s your Granny Square! You’ve done it. Weave in your ends so it doesn’t unravel (I’ll do a post on this soon).
Elisabeth Ward 