It’s official! I love Granny Squares – they are amazing building blocks and can be used individually as face cloths, pot 
holders and coasters or sewn together to make beautiful bags, blankets, scarfs, headbands and clothes.
As the Granny Square is worked in circles / rounds from the centre out, you can make them as big or small as you like. The one I’m going to take you through is quite traditional and has 3 rounds.
They are a great crochet first make and I’ve put together this step by step Granny Square Guide to get you started. Ready?
Round 1
R1:1. Make a slip knot and then chain 5 stitches
R1:2. Close the chain to form a foundation loop / ring using a slip stitch.
R1:3. Make a further 3 chain stitches. This brings you up to the right height for your first round (if working in rows this is called a turning chain).
R1:4. Make 2 UK treble (US double) stitches into the centre of your foundation ring. Your work should look like the picture below – 3 rows of stitches, the first is your ‘turning’ chain, the second and third your UK treble (US double) stitch.
If you need a quick reminder of how to a UK treble (US double stitch) its: Yarn around hook, insert hook into stitch (centre of foundation ring in this instance), yarn around hook, drawn the loop back through to give you 3 loops on the hook, yarn around hook, draw yarn through 2 loops (2 loops left on hook), yarn around hook, pull yarn through 2 remaining loops to give you 1 loop on your hook.
R1:5. Chain 2 stitches.
R1:6. Make 3 UK treble (US double) stitches into the centre of your foundation ring. You now have 2 sides of your first round completed.
R1:7. Chain 2, then work 3 UK trebles (US double) into the centre of the foundation chain to make your third side of the granny square.
R1:8. Chain 2, then work 3 UK trebles (US double) stitches into the centre of your foundation circle.
R1:9. Chain 2 stitches, then slip stitch into the 3rd stitch of your first chain to join your round. Your first round is complete! You can either fasten off and change your colour, if you want to, as below, or keep using the same yarn for round 2.
Changing Colour
If you want to change colour – here’s how.
CC a) Make a slip knot on your hook. Insert you hook where you want to join in your new yarn. For this granny square I’m going for a corner.
CC b) Wrap your yarn around your hook and the pull the yarn back through to the front and through your slip knot loop. 
CC c) You shown have a single loop on your hook with your new yarn securely joined.
Round 2
R2:1. Chain 3 stitches. As with Round 1, this chain becomes the first part of your pattern. I am starting this round in the corner of my first square.
R2:2. Make 2 UK treble (US double) into the corner of the square, then chain 2.
R2:3 Into the next corner,* make 3 UK treble (US double) stitches, chain 2, then make a further 3 UK treble (US double) stitches into the same corner*. As you will see from the picture this gives you a nice strong corner.
Next chain 2 to take you to the next corner and repeat the above from * to *.
R2:4. Continue in this manner until all corners have 3 UK treble (US double), 2 chain, 3 UK treble (US double) in them. The 2 chains between your trebles stops your work bunching up.
R2:4 Once you have reached your last corner and worked your last set of UK trebles, chain 2 then join your circle with a slip stitch into the top of your 3rd stitch of your original chain. Round 2 is complete. Fasten off your yarn.
Round 3
R3:1 Join in your new yarn (follow steps Colour Change a – Colour Change c if you need any help) into the middle gap of your granny square. Chain 3, then make 2 UK treble (US double) into this middle space.
R3:2. Chain 2 to take you to the first corner. Make 3 UK treble (US double) stitches, chain 2, then make 3 further UK treble (US double) stitches into the same corner. Sounds familiar?
R3:3. Chain 2 to take you to the middle of the square and make a single set of 3 x UK trebles (US double) stitches into this gap. Chain 2 to get you to the next corner and then work your * 3 x UK trebles (US double), chain 2, 3 x UK trebles (US double)* into the corner.
Continue until you have worked your way around the square. Remember, each corner has 2 x 3 UK treble stitches and the middle gaps have a 1 x 3 UK treble stitches worked into them.
R3:4. To finish off your third round, join your last 2 chains to the 3rd stitch of the first 3 chain you made.
If you want to make your granny square any bigger you can add-on each round in a similar way to Round 3 – ie 2 sets of UK triples into the corners and a single set in the middle gaps.
And here’s some finished Granny Squares joined together to make some snuggly blankets.
thestitchsharer 
Thank you SO much for your wonderfully clear photos and instructions. You have inspired me! I’m in my middle fifties and have never leant to crochet before. I have had a few goes using various YouTube videos with strange and frustrating results! However following your guidelines I have made a granny square. Thanks too for the link showing how to join up the squares.
I’m off to the wool shop now to get enticed by as many colours as possible and make a blanket!
You’re welcome, thanks for messaging me too. I bet your blanket will be so beautiful. X
Thank you! Did it on the first try and I am going to keep going!
I wish I had found this sooner. Thank you so very much for your detail in this post! Patterns are hard for me to understand but this is AWESOME!
You’re welcome. Glad to be of help. X
I love to do the Granny Square. My question is when you use the same color for several rows, do you turn your work over or how do you do it? I have taught myself to slip stich to the corner and then start the next row. What do you think?
I always keen my granny square with the same side up – i.e., I don’t turn it over. Your slip stitch technique sounds great.
Thank you so much I have had so much fun reading your site the instructions are brilliant and so easy to understand I think is wonderful and can’t thank you enough for putting the other terms in brackets following the sts required I really wish magazines would do the same with their patterns again thank you so much
Really glad you like my blog, thank you for taking the time to write me a comment too. Happy crocheting!
Your blog is amazing, it helps a lot of individuals getting into knitting!
Thank you so much – it makes me really happy to know that I’ve been able to help people learn such a wonderful hobby and skill. x
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Thank you so much for your brilliant instructions; after 2 months of failures, I’ve finally ‘clicked’.
Well done, that’s brilliant!
Hi Stitchsharer – Recently I have been showing some friends how to crochet. For our second meeting they attempted a Granny Square. Before the evening I trawled the internet for a suitable easy design to start with. Your Infamous Granny Square was the best I could find plus your photo instructions are so clear and easy to follow. I hope that while I am typing they are all at home doing their ‘homework’ – they have been sent links to your site with my recommendations – so no excuses! Thanks for your lovely (and very useful) site. cheers KnitNell
Thank you so much for taking the time to let me know and send through such lovely feedback. It’s so good to hear that what I’m writing is helping people to get started. Your crochet sessions sound great fun, my dream one day is to hold some community workshops to help spread the love of all things stitchy! X
Is there any chance of you posting how you would connect these specific granny squares to each other? 🙂
Hi Lani, there’s a great post over at Attic 24 that should help. http://attic24.typepad.com/weblog/joining-granny-sqaures.html
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Such a great tutorial! My Mum taught me to crochet one weekend & then gave me a copy of the stitches (photocopied from a book that my Gran gave to her). I then went home & did this granny square & then straight onto a granny square blanket (my first project) which will be used by my first child that I’m expecting this July 🙂
Here’s a link to the finished blanket, I hope you can see it. Love receiving your emails too.
Your blanket is gorgeous. Thank you so much for sending me a link to the photo. Totally love it. X
That’s so exciting. So happy to have helped. X
I found your blog and thought it brilliant, I’ve looked at loads and yours is simple to follow and so easy to understand. So thank you so much for your help, yes I am new to crocheting. Cheers Sharon from sunny Cornwall..
You’re welcome. Really glad you have found my blog helpful. I’m on a mission to get as many people crafting as possible! X
I’m 30 years old & my Mum taught me to crochet Saturday just gone, she showed me some basic stitches then gave me a 3.5mm hook, some wool & a leaflet from the 70’s showing all the stitches. Over Saturday & Sunday I practised in rows & then decided to branch out tonight. This is the first thing I’ve created thanks to your fantastic, user friendly tutorial. I am expecting my first baby in July & am making a blanket for the nursery using your tutorial. Thank you so much & keep up the good work! I’ll be coming back for more tutorials very soon!
Well done on your granny square, your blanket will be gorgeous and a something both you and your baby will treasure when he / she arrives. So pleased my post has helped. Thank you for your lovely feedback. x
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Such a cute blog! I love granny squares as well. When I taught myself from the Stitch ‘n’ Bitch book, I really didn’t understand where I put the hook but I just kept pulling it out and starting over. It took me 6 hours to complete my first granny square. 6 hours! Now i’m nearly an expert. 😉
I totally agree, Granny squares are amazing. What have you made with yours?
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This is a great tutorial – well done. 🙂
I’m glad you liked it – I just love Granny Squares. It’s amazing how something quite simple can be used to create some much.
I love granny squares too. They’re nice and simple so you don’t have to concentrate too much. Perfect fo crochet in front of the tv 🙂
Totally agree – it’s so satisfying to see them stacking up in front of you!
I just wanted to let you know that I have nominated you for The Versatile Blogger Award.
If you’d like to accept this award then please take it to your blog and pass it on – if this is not your cup of tea then please accept this as a compliment on your blog. http://homeheartandhook.wordpress.com/2012/06/09/the-versatile-blogger-award/
Thank you so much for nominating me and for taking the time to read by blog. I’ve only been blogging for a few weeks and find it totally addictive!