Checkered Granny Crochet Blanket Square

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Yarn for this project was provided by Yarnspirations.

The only thing better than crocheting is crocheting with friends. I was super excited when my friend Tamara, from MooglyBlog, asked me to join in the MooglyCAL for 2023. The CAL (crochet along) is a year-long crochet along, featuring 24 afghan squares or blocks, designed by 24 different professional crochet designers. This design is block number 19.

If this is your first time hearing about it, don’t worry. All the patterns for the previous blocks are still available.

Jump to Pattern

Is it a Granny or Isn’t It?

Technically, a granny square is made by using groups of 3 double crochet stitches. According to that definition, this isn’t a true granny square. However, the term “granny square” often gets used to describe any mostly solid crochet afghan square – and this one certainly fits that description.

Choosing Yarn Colors

I wanted soft colors for this square. I chose Caron One Pound yarn in the colors Fig, Azure, and Soft Grey Mix. Tamara made her square using in monotones. It’s amazing how different colors can play together in this square to make such a great combination.

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This blog post contains the pattern for the square, written without abbreviations. This pattern is available as a PDF file download.

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Checkered Granny Crochet Blanket Square Pattern

For symbol diagrams and the pattern written with standard abbreviations purchase the Pattern Pack

SKILLS USED

This pattern uses the following crochet skills and techniques:
Basic stitches: slip stitch, chain, double crochet, half double crochet, single crochet, treble crochet
Magic ring
Working in rounds
Working into skipped stitches on rounds below
Color changes: changing colors at end of rounds

This pattern uses US crochet terminology.

MEASUREMENTS

Width: 12 inches
Length: 12 inches

YARN

Worsted weight yarn:
blue: 70 yds
purple: 55 yds
grey: 45 yds
Sample shown in Caron One Pound in #10523 Azure, #10643 Fig, and #10616 Soft Grey Mix

HOOKS

US size J/10 [6mm] crochet hook or size need to obtain gauge

NOTIONS

Yarn needle, scissors

GAUGE

Rounds 1-2 = 3.25 inches square

UNDERSTANDING THE STITCH PATTERN

The multi-colored checkerboard look in this pattern is achieved by strategically skipping stitches and working into some stitches 2 rounds below.

PATTERN NOTES

To change yarn colors at the end of a round, work the last slip stitch with the next color as follows: insert hook in indicated stitch, drop old color, yarn over with new color and draw through all loops on hook. The slip stitch is completed and you now have the color for the next round on your hook. Fasten off the old color.

Stitch counts are the number of stitches on each of the 4 sides between the corner chain-2 spaces. Stitch counts do not include chain-2 corner spaces.

For a video tutorial on how to make a magic ring, visit https://youtu.be/TpCBLLZjpVU .

To join, work a slip stitch in the indicated stitch.

CHECKERED GRANNY SQUARE CROCHET PATTERN

Round 1: With blue make a magic ring, chain 3 (counts as first double crochet here and throughout), 2 double crochet into ring, (chain 2, 3 double crochet into magic ring) 3 times, chain 2, join in top of beginning chain-3. (3 double crochet each side)

Round 2: Chain 3, double crochet in next 2 double crochet, (2 double crochet, chain 2, 2 double crochet) in corner chain-2 space, *double crochet in next 3 double crochet, (2 double crochet, chain 2, 2 double crochet) in corner chain-2 space, repeat from * 2 more times, join in top of beginning chain-3. (7 double crochet each side)

Round 3: With grey, chain 3, double crochet in next 2 double crochet, *chain 3, skip 2 double crochet, (double crochet, chain 2, double crochet) in corner chain-2 space, chain 3, skip 2 double crochet, double crochet in next 3 double crochet, repeat from * 2 more times, chain 3, skip 2 double crochet, (double crochet, chain 2, double crochet) in corner chain-2 space, chain 3, skip last 2 double crochet, join in top of beginning chain-3. (5 double crochet and 2 chain-3 spaces each side)

For rounds 4 through 9, any instruction to skip stitches refers to stitches on the previous round. Any instruction to treble crochet into skipped stitches refers to stitches 2 rounds below. For example, when working round 4, you will skip some stitches on round 3, and make treble crochets into stitches on round 2.

When working in skipped stitches 2 round below, work in front of chain spaces. The only chain spaces that will be worked into are the corner chain-2 spaces.

Round 4: With purple, chain 4 (counts as chain space here and throughout), skip first 3 double crochet, *treble crochet in next skipped double crochet, 2 treble crochet in next skipped double crochet, chain 1, skip next double crochet, (double crochet, chain 2, double crochet) in corner chain-2 space, chain 1, skip next double crochet, 2 treble crochet in next skipped double crochet, treble crochet in next skipped double crochet **, chain 3, skip next 3 double crochet, repeat from * 3 more times ending last repeat at **, join in first chain of beginning chain-4. (6 treble crochet, 2 double crochet, 1 chain-3 space, 2 chain-1 spaces each side)

Round 5: With blue, chain 2 (does not count as a stitch here and throughout), treble crochet in skipped beginning chain-3, treble crochet in next 2 skipped double crochet, chain 3, skip 3 treble crochet, treble crochet in skipped double crochet, double crochet in next double crochet, *(2 double crochet, chain 2, 2 double crochet) in corner chain-2 space, double crochet in next double crochet, treble crochet in skipped double crochet, chain 3, skip 3 treble crochet**, treble crochet in next 3 skipped double crochet, chain 3, skip 3 treble crochet, treble crochet in next skipped double crochet, repeat from * 3 times ending last repeat at **, join in top of first treble crochet. (5 treble crochet, 6 double crochet, 2 chain-3 spaces, each side)

Round 6: With grey, chain 4, skip first 3 treble crochet, treble crochet in next 3 skipped treble crochet, chain 3, skip next 3 stitches, double crochet in next double crochet, *(2 double crochet, chain 2, 2 double crochet) in corner chain-2 space, double crochet in next double crochet, chain 3, skip next 2 double crochet, skip next treble crochet, treble crochet in next 3 skipped treble crochet**, chain 3, skip 3 treble crochet, treble crochet in next 3 skipped treble crochet, chain 3, skip next 3 stitches, double crochet in next double crochet, repeat from * 3 more times ending last repeat at **, join in first chain of beginning chain-4. (6 treble crochet, 6 double crochet, 3 chain-3 spaces each side)

Round 7: With purple, chain 2, treble crochet in first 3 skipped treble crochet, chain 3, skip 3 treble crochet, treble crochet in next 3 skipped stitches, chain 3, skip 3 double crochet, *(2 double crochet, chain 2, 2 double crochet) in corner chain-2 space, chain 3, skip 3 double crochet, treble crochet in next 3 skipped stitches, chain 3, skip next 3 treble crochet**, treble crochet in next 3 skipped treble crochet, chain 3, skip 3 treble crochet, treble crochet in next 3 skipped stitches, chain 3, skip 3 double crochet, repeat from * 3 more times ending last repeat at **, join in first treble crochet. (9 treble crochet, 4 double crochet, 4 chain-3 spaces each side)

Round 8: With blue, chain 4, skip first 3 treble crochet, treble crochet in next 3 skipped treble crochet, chain 3, skip next 3 treble crochet, treble crochet in next 3 skipped double crochet, chain 3, skip 2 double crochet, *(double crochet, chain 2, double crochet) in corner chain-2 space, chain 3, skip next 2 double crochet, treble crochet in next 3 skipped double crochet**, [chain 3, skip 3 treble crochet, treble crochet in next 3 skipped treble crochet] twice, chain 3, skip 3 treble crochet, treble crochet in next 3 skipped double crochet, chain 3, skip 2 double crochet, repeat from * 3 more times ending last rep at **, chain 3, skip 3 treble crochet, treble crochet in next 3 skipped treble crochet, join in first chain of beginning chain-4. (12 treble crochet, 2 double crochet, 5 chain-3 spaces each side)

Round 9: With grey, chain 2, treble crochet in first 3 skipped treble crochet, chain 3, skip 3 treble crochet, treble crochet in 3 skipped treble crochet, chain 3, skip 3 treble crochet, treble crochet in skipped double crochet, 2 treble crochet in next skipped double crochet, chain 1, skip next double crochet, *(double crochet, chain 2, double crochet) in corner chain-2 space, chain 1, skip next double crochet, 2 treble crochet in next skipped double crochet, treble crochet in next skipped double crochet**, [chain 3, skip next 3 treble crochet, treble crochet in next 3 skipped treble crochet] 3 times, chain 3, skip 3 treble crochet, treble crochet in skipped double crochet, 2 treble crochet in next skipped double crochet, chain 1, skip next double crochet, repeat from * 3 more times ending last rep at **, chain 3, skip 3 treble crochet, treble crochet in next 3 skipped treble crochet, chain 3, skip 3 treble crochet, join in first treble crochet. (15 treble crochet, 4 double crochet, 4 chain-3 spaces, 2 chain-1 spaces each side)

Round 10: With purple, chain 1, half double crochet in each of first 3 treble crochet, [treble crochet in next 3 skipped treble crochet, half double crochet in next 3 treble crochet] twice, treble crochet in next skipped double crochet, half double crochet in next double crochet, *(double crochet, chain 2, double crochet) in corner chain-2 space, half double crochet in next double crochet, treble crochet in next skipped double crochet, half double crochet in next 3 treble crochet**, [treble crochet in next 3 skipped treble crochet, half double crochet in next 3 treble crochet] 4 times, treble crochet in next skipped double crochet, half double crochet in next double crochet, repeat from * 3 more times, ending last repeat at **, treble crochet in next 3 skipped treble crochet, half double crochet in next 3 treble crochet, treble crochet in next 3 skipped treble crochet, join in first half double crochet. (33 stitches each side)

Round 11: With blue, chain 1, *single crochet in each stitch across to next chain-2 corner space, 3 single crochet in corner chain-2 space, repeat from * 3 more times, single crochet in each remaining stitch across, join in first single crochet. (144 single crochet)

If needed work additional rounds of single crochet, working 3 single crochet in the center single crochet at each corner, until square measures 12 inches.

If you do not meet gauge you may find that working the 11 rounds above results in a square that is too large. In that case, work Round 9 as follows:

Alternative Round 9: With grey, chain 2, treble crochet in first 3 skipped treble crochet, half double crochet in next 3 treble crochet, treble crochet in next 3 skipped treble crochet, half double crochet in next 3 treble crochet, treble crochet in next skipped double crochet, 2 treble crochet in next skipped double crochet, half double crochet in next double crochet, *(double crochet, chain 2, double crochet) in corner chain-2 space, half double crochet in next double crochet, 2 treble crochet in next skipped double crochet, treble crochet in next skipped double crochet**, [half double crochet in next 3 treble crochet, treble crochet in next 3 skipped treble crochet] 3 times, half double crochet in next 3 treble crochet, treble crochet in next skipped double crochet, 2 treble crochet in next skipped double crochet, half double crochet in next double crochet, rep from * 3 more times ending last repeat at **, half double crochet in next 3 treble crochet, treble crochet in next 3 skipped treble crochet, half double crochet in next 3 treble crochet, join in first treble crochet. (31 stitches each side)

Proceed to Round 11. If needed work additional rounds of single crochet, working 3 single crochet in the center single crochet at each corner, until square measures 12 inches.

Finishing

Weave in ends. Use with love.

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