My love affair with granny squares

A blue and grey one to kick of Project Spectrum 2.

I'm really not sure if the passion is still there... I was making granny squares using leftover DK yarn way back hoping to make an afghan and here's the pile. The tally, 24 squares with black borders, 23 squares without borders and 1 odd one in another stitch pattern because I'd wanted to try something else. Crocheting them is not really a problem, and assembling them is tolerable, I foresee, but then there the ENDS. Urgh. I don't know if I should go on.

Anyway, just some granny square projects for fellow granny lovers from Japanese craft books. From the earlier Knitting Items at Home.

A granny bag from this other book.

Or this granny bag from this book.

Or a granny scarf from this book.

Or a kerchief from here? Maybe not, a triangle shawl maybe.

Comments

[cindy]

I always admire the beauty of Japanese crafts. Perhaps not so much just beauty but the 'appreciation and refine of beauty' the crafts shown.

The afghan looks great. Actually I am planning to make one with my yarns as well. Eventually :-)

[jacqueline]

oh wow. those projects are so cute. i would love to see the afgan come together...however i have to admit those ends look mighty scary.

[lauray]

I always loved seeing granny squares in a pile. There's always so many possibilities. :)

[handknit168]

The end look of granny squares is always wonderful so u should go on knitting the granny squares. The combination of the granny squares are very colourful and beautiful. The patterns from the books are very gorgeous. I once have knitted a shawl made up by 120 different patterns of granny squares and cost me 3-4 months to complete it, for most of time is to construct the patterns. Click this link to see the shawl :

http://handknitisfun.blogspot.com/search/label/shawl

[carrie]

I used to crochet almost exclusively, so there is a special place in my heart for granny squares. I say keep going, pick a project (or three) and do it as a sort of long-term thing. As you assemble them, weave the ends in, but only do a couple at a time at most. That way the ends will not overwhelm your desire to see a completed granny sqare something.

[bernie]

Check out the Anthropologie website; they have a granny square bag for $148.00!! You could make it for a fraction.

http://www.anthropologie.com/jump.jsp?itemID=15226&itemType=PRODUCT&iSubCat=327&iMainCat=325

can't wait to see what you'll make.

[Nicole]

Craft Magazine has a granny square bag this issue that has as interesting shape:
http://craftzine.com/magazine/

Another interesting take on granny squares is the shawl in Rowan's Vintage Knits book using the whisper thin Kidsilk Haze:
http://www.royalyarns.com/ptrn/RNW/rowanvinatgestyle/CHANTEL.html

I love granny squares!

[vanessa]

oh my goodness! you've made so many of them. I love that bag with wooden handles. But then the shawl and cushion cover is cute to.

[Agnes]

I know ... the issue of weaving in the ends! But you got to do it ... maybe one or two squares a day? Using those odd minutes when you can't get any knitting or crocheting done?

[Marcia]

I think your granny square color choices are great (except for the orange/I'd lose the orange!). I've been checking back for a year to see if you've continued.
The ends are not all that bad. Don't think of the total -- just one at a time! Thus it will get done.

I'll be sending lots of encouraging thoughts your way. And checking back!

[SmurfPop]

Granny squares are fabulous ^_^ I do hope you find something to turn them into - it would be an awful shame to have done all that to then leave it! x

[Sue]

I like the granny squares with the black borders around them, very nice. My aunt is a wonderful crocheter, and she said if I crocheted for a while I would pick it up quite easily (this was after a 10 minute granny square practice mind you). I think crocheting looks very nice, and if you can do it go for it. I like the first bag too, so what are you going to make out of all of your granny squares.

[Oiyi]

Your squares look lovely. They would make a wonderful afghan.

I don't mind crocheting the squares, it's the assembling that scares me. The pictures from the Japanese book almost convinced me to give it a try, "almost".

[erin]

You've got so many pretty squares, don't give up. No need to weave in ends if you crochet over the yarn ends as you join the squares :)

[joy]

I'd make a bunch of smaller projects instead of one big afghan with those squares. ;-)

[Dorothy]

I love Granny squares too. Way back when I was first married I made a Granny square afghan for our first apartment. The apartment was all beiges - very drab, so I made the afghan in multicolor with black borders. I loved that afghan, but don't know what became of it because I no longer have it. I vote for smaller projects - love the bag, and maybe some scarves?

[Peggy]

Oooooooooh. I love granny squares! Making something small, like a pillow will be less painful, no?

[Alisha]

I love them! I also really like the pillow. So cute and always a good gift for a friend if it doesn't work anywhere in your house. My grandma used to make quilts and other crafts with yarn. I miss seeing them.

[domesticshorthair]

Your granny squares are just beautiful! My grandmother was an avid crocheter and she made dozens of huge (and very heavy acrylic) afghans throughout the 1970s and 1980s, but I have to say she never used color combinations like yours. I'm a knitter, but you cause me to think about returning to the crocheting my grandmother once taught me.

[Linda]

Love the granny squares with the black borders. Thank you for showing pictures of the Japanese craft books. I enjoy seeing your photos since I can't get the books here.

[Sybil]

It's true, the ends are daunting. I certainly recommend weaving them into each square as you go. Then you only have what's left from sewing them together. I did not do that on a baby blanket and had to do them all at one time. Nasty.

[Dove]

I don't envy you, having all those ends to weave in. I like the pillow, though. And the scarf. And the bags -- especially the one with the wooden handles.

Despite the ends, I'm very partial to granny squares, myself. They're just so happy!

[courtney]

I love the granny squares! There is something so comforting about them, they just LOOK warm. I think anafghan is a great idea. It can be one of those long term projects where you only work on it in betweeen other things or when you only have a few minutes here and there...

[gray la gran]

when i crochet my squares, i crochet over the ends of the new and old yarn so there aren't any to sew in afterwards (kinda like i do when i'm joining a new ball of yarn in the middle of a knit row ... i work over the end of the upcoming yarn, make the switch, and then work over the old yarn). then, the last end where you snip the yarn is the only one you have to weave in ;)

[Ellen Bloom]

My mantra: Granny Squares are the building blocks to fashion.

I absolutely LOVE granny squares. I absollutely LOVE Japanese crochet and knit books. I buy them all the time, just to be inspired by the gorgeous photos!

Embrace your inner Granny!!!