Granny for Nanny

September 1, 2022 Andrea Clements

For Granny Square day 2022 (15th September) this year I decided that I would design my own square! Whilst there are soooo many beautiful designs out there, I thought I would take the opportunity to design a square and dedicate it to my beautiful Nanny.

What is Granny Square Day you might ask?

Granny Square Day is an international online celebration on Instagram, which takes place every year on the 15th August. All you have to do is hook, snap and share on Instagram and use the granny square hashtag! Instagram gets flooded with amazing granny squares that make up virtual granny blankets on your screen!

This year Gathered How hosted Granny Square Day and there was a theme

"We are asking you, the participants, to make a square that represents something about your life; where you live, a favourite hobby or food - anything you want! This is the perfect opportunity to express yourself through crochet". Gathered How

I decided that the best way to share something that represents me, my life and my crochet is to celebrate my Nanny! So I designed my Granny for Nanny square.

My Nanny (grandmother) Pat, was one of the most amazingly, wonderful humans that I have ever known. I was so very lucky to have her as part of my life for 48 years. Unfortunately we lost her during the Covid 19 lockdowns here in Victoria and that meant that I couldn't see her or say a proper goodbye. But I will always be grateful that I had her as such a major part of my life for so long and that she always made me feel special!

My Nanny was a beautiful crocheter (although she detested sewing) and was an avid gardener. Nanny could look at plants and they would almost immediately turn into triffids and take over the garden!

Because of both of these reasons I designed my Granny Square with my Nanny in mind. Both iterations of the pattern (the original and the one below) include purple cotton in them because purple was Nanny's favourite colour! I have no doubt that my Nanny would have loved this pattern and I hope you will too.

Please note that due to the way this pattern has been constructed it would be classed as intermediate to advanced level of crochet.

I have written the patterns in both US and UK terms.

Materials:

Different yarns in at least four colours. I have used a combination of Fiddlesticks Wren and other cottons.
3.75 mm crochet hook (I used a Tulip Etimo Red) however this will depend on your choice of yarn
Needle for weaving in ends
Scissors
Stitch markers

US Terms (UK Terms below).

Hints & Tips:

Popcorns in round one and two are created with 4 x double crochet.

Popcorns in round five are created with 5 x half double crochet.

Starting popcorn stitch (US Terms):

Chain 3 (counts as first double crochet), 3 double crochet into the same space. Remove the hook from the stitch and pull up the loop slightly. Insert the hook in the top of the starting chain 3, pick up the loop that you pulled up earlier and pull through.

Popcorn (US Terms):

Yarn over and insert your hook into the stitch, yarn over and pull back through (3 stitches on the hook), yarn over and pull through 2 loops, yarn over and pull through the remaining 2 loops. Repeat 3 more times in the same stitch. You should have 4 completed double crochet in the same stitch.

Pull up the yarn slightly on your hook to make the loop larger and remove your hook. Insert your hook into the first of the four double crochet and then pick up the loop you just made larger (tighten it again once on your hook). Pull the last loop through the first loop, chain one to close your popcorn stitch.

5 x Half Double Crochet Popcorn (US Terms):

Yarn over and insert your hook into the stitch, yarn over and pull back through, yarn over and pull through all 3 loops. Repeat 4 more times in the same stitch. You should have 5 completed half double crochet in the same stitch.

Pull up the yarn slightly on your hook to make the loop larger and remove your hook. Insert your hook into the first of the five half double crochet and then pick up the loop you just made larger (tighten it again once on your hook). Pull the last loop through the first loop, chain one to close your popcorn stitch.

5 Double Crochet Cluster (US Terms):

Yarn over and insert your hook into the stitch, yarn over and pull back through, yarn over and pull through 2 loops (2 loops on the hook).

Yarn over and insert your hook into the same stitch, yarn over and pull back through, yarn over and pull through 2 loops (3 loops on the hook).

Yarn over and insert your hook into the same stitch, yarn over and pull back through, yarn over and pull through 2 loops (4loops on the hook).

Yarn over and insert your hook into the same stitch, yarn over and pull back through, yarn over and pull through 2 loops (5 loops on the hook).

Yarn over and insert your hook into the same stitch, yarn over and pull back through, yarn over and pull through 2 loops (6 loops on the hook).

Yarn over and pull through all hoops on the hook, chain one to close your cluster.

Stitches used and abbreviations:

CH - chain

SK - skip stitch

SS - slip stitch

SC - single crochet

HDC - half double crochet

DC - double crochet

FPSC - front post single crochet

FPTR - front post treble crochet

PC - popcorn

HDC x 5 PC - popcorn stitch created with 5 half double crochet

Round 1

Using Colour One.

Ch 4 join with SS to create a circle.
1 starting PC into the circle (see notes above)
5 PC in the circle.
Join with a SS to the starting PC. (6 PC)

Round 2

Don’t forget that the CH 1 is in addition to the closing chain on your popcorns!

SS to the space between the PC of Round 1
1 starting PC in the space, CH 1, 1 PC in the same space.
1 PC, CH 1, 1 PC in the remaining 5 spaces.
Join with a SS to the starting PC.
Fasten off and weave in ends. (12 PC and 12 CH 1 SP)

Round 3

Using Colour Two.

Join new colour with a standing FPSC around any PC.
1 SC in the space between PC, CH 7, 1 SC in the same space,
* 1 FPSC around the next PC. 1 SC in the CH 1 space, CH 7, 1 SC in the same space* Repeat from * to * 10 more times.
Join with a SS to the standing FPSC, fasten off and weave in ends. (12 FPSC, 24 SC and 12 x 7 CH spaces.)

Round 4

Using Colour Three.

Join with a standing SC in any CH 7 space.
2 SC, 2 HDC, 1 DC, CH 2, 1 DC, 2 HDC, 3 SC in the same space.
3 SC, 2 HDC, 1 DC, CH 2, 1 DC, 2 HDC, 3 SC in each remaining CH 7 space and join with a SS to the first standing SC, fasten off and weave in ends. (12 Petals (6 SC, 4 HDC, 2 DC & 2 CH))

Round 5

Using Colour Four.

Join with a standing HDC x 5 PC in any CH 2 space.
Chain 7 and HDC x 5 PC in each ch 2 space
Join with a SS to the first PC, fasten off and weave in ends. (12 HDC x 5 PC, 84 CH)

Round 6

Using Colour Two.

In this round you will be working behind the rounds you have just finished. You will be working in round 2 for this round, I find it easier to fold my work so I can reach the space much easier!

Working from behind, join with 5 DC cluster between any 2 PC from round 2, CH 1.

5 DC in the FPSC of round 2 (shell created).

Join with a SS to the first 5 DC cluster, fasten off and weave in ends. (12 x 5 DC cluster and 12 x 5 DC shells)

The front of your work should look like this:

The back of your work should look like this:

Round 7

Using Colour Two.

Join with a FPSC around any PC from round 5.
2 SC in the CH 7 space, working in front of the CH 7, 1 FPTR around the second, third and fourth DC of the 5 DC shell directly below from round 6, 2 SC in the chain space.
*1 FPSC around the next popcorn from round 5. 2 SC in the CH 7 space, working in front of the CH 7, 1 FPTR around the second, third and fourth DC of the 5 DC shell directly below from round 6, 2 SC in the chain space.* Repeat until end of round.
Join with a SS to the first FPSC. (36 FPTR, 48 SC, 12 FPSC)

Row 8

SC 1, HDC 1, DC 1,
DC 1, CH 2, DC 1 in the next stitch.
DC1, HDC 1, (corner made),
SC 18.
Repeat three more times.
Join with a SS to the first SC. (76 SC, 8 HDC, 8 DC, 4 corners)

Row 9

SS to corner CH 2 space.
CH 3 (counts as 1 DC), DC 1, CH 2, DC 2.
Skip the hidden stitch, HDC 5, SC 14, HDC 5. (40 HDC, 56 SC, 4 Corners)

Row 10

SS to corner CH 2 space. SC 1, CH2, SC 1.
*SC1, SC 2 together, HDC 4, SC 2 together, SC 10, SC 2 together, HDC 4, SC 2 together, SC 1.
SC 1, CH 2, SC 1 in the corner space*
Repeat from *to * three more times, omitting the final corner space. (32 HDC, 8 SC2 together, 48 SC, 4 corners)

Row 11

SS to corner CH 2 space. SC 1, CH2, SC 1.
Skip the hidden stitch. SC 25. SC 1, CH2, SC 1 in the corner space. Repeat 2 more times. Join with a SS to the first SC 1, fasten off and weave in ends. (100 SC, 4 corners).

UK Terms (US Terms above).

Hints & Tips:

Popcorns in round one and two are created with 4 x treble crochet.

Popcorns in round five are created with 5 x half treble crochet.

Starting popcorn stitch (UK Terms):

Chain 3 (counts as first treble crochet), 3 treble crochet into the same space. Remove the hook from the stitch and pull up the loop slightly. Insert the hook in the top of the starting chain 3, pick up the loop that you pulled up earlier and pull through.

Popcorn (UK Terms):

Pull up the yarn slightly on your hook to make the loop larger and remove your hook. Insert your hook into the first of the four treble crochet and then pick up the loop you just made larger (tighten it again once on your hook). Pull the last loop through the first loop, chain one to close your popcorn stitch.

5 x Half Treble Crochet Popcorn (US Terms):

Pull up the yarn slightly on your hook to make the loop larger and remove your hook. Insert your hook into the first of the five half treble crochet and then pick up the loop you just made larger (tighten it again once on your hook). Pull the last loop through the first loop, chain one to close your popcorn stitch.

5 Treble Crochet Cluster (US Terms):

Yarn over and insert your hook into the stitch, yarn over and pull back through, yarn over and pull through 2 loops (2 loops on the hook).

Yarn over and insert your hook into the same stitch, yarn over and pull back through, yarn over and pull through 2 loops (3 loops on the hook).

Yarn over and insert your hook into the same stitch, yarn over and pull back through, yarn over and pull through 2 loops (4loops on the hook).

Yarn over and insert your hook into the same stitch, yarn over and pull back through, yarn over and pull through 2 loops (5 loops on the hook).

Yarn over and insert your hook into the same stitch, yarn over and pull back through, yarn over and pull through 2 loops (6 loops on the hook).

Yarn over and pull through all hoops on the hook, chain one to close your cluster.

Stitches used and abbreviations:

CH - chain

SK - skip stitch

SS - slip stitch

DC - double crochet

HTC - half treble crochet

TR - treble crochet

FPDC - front post double crochet

FPDTR - front post double treble crochet

PC - popcorn

HTC x 5 PC - popcorn stitch created with 5 half treble crochet