The short answer: make a ring of 4 chains, then work four rounds of treble clusters (US double crochet) from the centre out. Every round keeps the same 4 corners, each worked as (3 tr, ch 2, 3 tr), and adds one more cluster along each side, so you have 4, 8, 12 and then 16 clusters. You never turn your work.
What you need
- Yarn: Aran weight (US worsted, weight 4). The whole square uses only about 10 g (18 m), so scraps are perfect. Use one colour, or up to four (roughly 1, 2, 3 and 4 g for Rounds 1–4).
- Hook: 5 mm.
- Also: scissors and a tapestry needle for weaving in ends.
- Stitches: chain (ch), slip stitch (ss, US sl st) and treble (tr, US double crochet, dc). If you can do those three, you can make a granny square.
After 4 rounds the square measures about 11–12 cm.
First, the treble (US double crochet)
The treble is the tall, open stitch used in granny squares, blankets and shawls. Watch out for the name clash: when an American pattern says “double crochet”, it means this stitch. (More on that in UK vs US crochet terms.) The rhythm is: wrap, in, pull up, through 2, through 2.
- Wrap, then go in. Yarn round hook first, then push the hook into the stitch (or, in a granny square, into the ring or space).
- Pull up a loop. Yarn round hook and pull a loop through. You have 3 loops on the hook. Pull it up to the height of the hook.
- Through 2. Yarn round hook and pull through the first two loops only. 2 loops left.
- Through 2 again. Yarn round hook and pull through the last two. One treble done.
A cluster is a group of stitches worked into the same place. In a granny square it’s always 3 trebles.
How to crochet a granny square, step by step
- Make the ring. Ch 4, then slip stitch into the first chain you made (the one furthest from the hook). A slip stitch adds no height: insert the hook, yarn round hook, and pull through both the stitch and the loop on your hook in one go.
- Round 1: four clusters. Ch 3 (this counts as the first treble). Work 2 tr into the ring: that’s your first cluster of 3. Ch 2. *Work 3 tr into the ring, ch 2; repeat from * twice more. “Into the ring” means through the centre hole, not into a chain. Bunch the stitches up along the ring to make room.
- Close the round. Slip stitch into the top chain of the ch 3 at the start of the round. Don’t turn. The right side always faces you.
- Round 2: build the corners. Slip stitch into the next 2 trebles and into the ch-2 space. This moves your hook to a corner without adding height. Ch 3, then (2 tr, ch 2, 3 tr) in the same space: that’s your first corner. *Ch 1, (3 tr, ch 2, 3 tr) in the next ch-2 space; repeat from * twice more. Ch 1, then ss into the top of the ch 3. You have 8 clusters.
- Rounds 3 and 4: add side clusters. Same idea every round: corners get (3 tr, ch 2, 3 tr), and every ch-1 space along a side gets 3 tr, with ch 1 between clusters. Round 3 has 12 clusters and Round 4 has 16. The exact wording is in the pattern below.
- Fasten off and weave in. After the final slip stitch, cut the yarn leaving 15 cm, yarn round hook, and pull the tail right through the last loop. Pull it tight. Weave both ends in along the back of the trebles.
The written pattern (UK terms)
Abbreviations: ch = chain · ss = slip stitch (US sl st) · tr = treble (US dc) · sp = space · beg = beginning. Work everything inside ( ) into one space; work what’s inside [ ] the number of times given.
| Round | Instructions |
|---|---|
| Ring | Ch 4, ss into the first ch to form a ring. |
| Round 1 | Ch 3 (counts as tr), 2 tr into ring, ch 2, *3 tr into ring, ch 2; rep from * twice more. Ss into top of beg ch-3. (4 clusters, 4 ch-2 sps) |
| Round 2 | Ss into next 2 tr and into ch-2 sp. Ch 3, (2 tr, ch 2, 3 tr) in same sp, *ch 1, (3 tr, ch 2, 3 tr) in next ch-2 sp; rep from * twice more, ch 1. Ss into top of beg ch-3. (8 clusters) |
| Round 3 | Ss into next 2 tr and into ch-2 sp. Ch 3, (2 tr, ch 2, 3 tr) in same sp, *ch 1, 3 tr in next ch-1 sp, ch 1, (3 tr, ch 2, 3 tr) in next ch-2 sp; rep from * twice more, ch 1, 3 tr in next ch-1 sp, ch 1. Ss into top of beg ch-3. (12 clusters) |
| Round 4 | Ss into next 2 tr and into ch-2 sp. Ch 3, (2 tr, ch 2, 3 tr) in same sp, *[ch 1, 3 tr in next ch-1 sp] twice, ch 1, (3 tr, ch 2, 3 tr) in next ch-2 sp; rep from * twice more, [ch 1, 3 tr in next ch-1 sp] twice, ch 1. Ss into top of beg ch-3. (16 clusters) |
| Finish | Fasten off. Weave in the ends. |
Changing colour? At the end of any round, fasten off. Start the next round by making a slip knot on your hook in the new colour, ss into any ch-2 corner space, and carry on from “Ch 3, (2 tr, ch 2, 3 tr) in same sp”.
Left-handed? Work round in the opposite direction (clockwise). Everything else is the same.
Quick troubleshooting
| What happened | What to do |
|---|---|
| I end up with 2 loops instead of 1 after a treble. | You pulled through 2 only once. A treble is through 2, then through 2 again. |
| My ring has a big hole in the middle. | A chain ring always leaves a small hole. When you weave in the starting tail, take it round the ring through the base of the Round 1 stitches and pull gently to close it up a little. Next time, lay the tail along the ring and work Round 1 over it; then you can tug it to snug the centre. |
| I lost track of which space I’m in. | Corners have ch 2 (a bigger gap) and sides have ch 1. Count your clusters: 4, 8, 12, 16. |
| My square doesn’t lie flat. | Check your counts first: ch 2 at the corners, ch 1 along the sides, and 3 tr in every cluster. Too many stitches or loose chains make it ruffle; too few stitches or very tight chains make it bowl up in the middle. |
Questions people ask
What stitch is used in a granny square?
Trebles (US double crochet), worked in clusters of 3, plus chains between the clusters and slip stitches to join each round and move to the next corner.
Does the ch 3 count as a stitch in a granny square?
Yes. At the start of each round the ch 3 counts as the first treble, so you work only 2 more trebles to complete the first cluster.
Do you turn your work at the end of each round?
No. A granny square is worked in rounds from the centre out, and the right side always faces you. Close each round with a slip stitch into the top of the ch 3.
How much yarn does a granny square take?
About 10 g (18 m) of Aran yarn for a 4-round square, which comes out at about 11–12 cm across with a 5 mm hook.