Giant Granny Square Blanket

I love receiving handmade gifts from people who care about me!  Each time I use the gift, I think of the person who gave it to me.  My friend, Annie, gave my husband and I a giant granny square blanket for Christmas a few years back.  It keeps us nice and warm on cool fall nights.

The simple granny square is a classic crochet pattern at which even the novice crocheter can excel.  Yet, for it's ease, it is a beautiful project.  The blanket that I made here is a take on this classic.  It's a version with three double crochet stitches in the spaces, followed by two chains.  Some people make the granny with only one chain between shells, or even none.  It's entirely up to you.  The more chains, the looser and lacier the look of the afghan.

A close up of the single crochet edging.  Row one is in the cafe late followed by one row of green.

Classic Giant Granny Square Afghan

Materials:

3 jumbo-sized skeins of yarn (you will have some extra but not too much)

size I hook

needle to weave ends

Shell -three double crochets together in one space

1.  Begin by chaining four.  Put your hook in the furthest chain from the hook and slip stitch.  Pull to make a circle.

2.  Chain 2.  Double crochet two into the space.  Chain two.  Double crochet 3, chain two.  Repeat this two more times.  Once you have four groups of three double crochet chain two, slip stitch to connect.  Slip stitch to the corner.  

3.  Chain 2.  Double crochet two, chain one, then double crochet three.  Chain two and make two shells in each corner followed by chain two.  Slip stitch to join and slip stitch to corner.

4.  Continue pattern with two shells in each corner separated by chain one, and one shell in each chain two space, separated by chain two.

This is a throw-sized blanket measuring approximately 53" X 53"

Here's a great YouTube tutorial if you would like to see a visual.  Videos like this one are how I taught myself to crochet a few short years ago.  Her pattern is a tiny bit different, but really, you could follow her and end up with a blanket basically the same as mine.