The Granny Square Book: Timeless Techniques and Fresh Ideas for Crocheting Square by Square (32 page)

FELTED COASTERS AND HOT PADS

Crochet any granny square with non-washable wool yarn. Then felt it by washing in hot water in your washing machine. The yarn shrinks and thickens and forms a thick, cushiony fabric that will protect your furniture. These coasters are #61 Isabella Square (
page 96
). Make them in a larger size to use as hot pads or trivets.

GRAPH IT OUT

Granny squares are fun to make and are usually one of the first things a crocheter learns to do. Taking the granny square out of the afghan/blanket mode and into fashion requires some ingenuity. Here are some diagrams to show some possibilities for using squares. Many of the garment projects designed for this book began as graphed sketches like these. I am sure that you will come up with more of your own ideas. By studying the illustrations, you will begin to see how to construct a garment from granny squares. The possibilities are endless. Playing with square placement is like working a jigsaw puzzle.

In order to come out with a garment that fits, you have to do some math and some gauge testing. If, for instance, you want a garment to end up being a 40" (101.6 cm) finished width, you would experiment with yarn and hook, and come up with a square that would be about 5" (12.7 cm). Then proceed to make a front and back, each being four squares across, and however many squares long that you want. You also have to use some imagination.

SQUARE-NECK PULLOVER. Leave the top two center squares open for the neck.

BOAT-NECK PULLOVER. Make the front and back identical or fill in two squares across the back neck.

V-NECK PULLOVER. Make half squares for the top center front.

DIAGONAL VEST. Make half squares for the arm openings, neck, and down the front opening. Make full squares that wrap from front to back at the sides and shoulders.

By using half squares, you could make a V-neck shaping, either pullover or V-neck cardigan. If you prefer a more shaped garment, you could work one band of the granny squares using a smaller hook. Another shaping possibility is to work some rows of single crochet at the waistband.

ADDING TO THE SIZE OF A SQUARE

You can change the size of a square quite easily. Let’s say you need a square that is 5 1/2" (14 cm), and the square that you love works out to be only 5" (12.7 cm). If working another whole row of the pattern will make the square too large, you can work one row of single crochet all around the outer edge of the square, adding the needed half inch (1.3 cm).

DIAGONAL V-NECK CARDIGAN. Make full squares that wrap from front to back at the sides and sleeves. Half squares for the center fronts and back neck.

Make a triangle shawl leaving the step edging.

Fill in with half squares along the edges.

BUTTERFLY GARDEN TWO-WAY SHAWL

The Butterfly Garden Square used for this shaped shawl is an original granny square used with permission from designer Chris Simon. Handpainted cotton yarn has subtle color variations that give the shawl a rich, organic look. I’ve designed this rectangular shawl with a bit of shaping by sewing shoulder seams and leaving armhole openings. In this configuration, the front edges drape naturally into bias folds, a popular look that can be casual or dressy.