Solid Granny Square Blanket

A hole-free take on the classic granny-square blanket. Each square is worked in plain double crochet with chain-2 corners—warm, modern, and easy to count. Make as many 6" (15 cm) squares as you need, join them, and finish with an optional simple border.

Skill level: Beginner
Craft: Crochet (US terminology)

Sizes

Finished measurements include a 3-round border of about 1¼" (3 cm) on each side. Skip the border and the blanket matches the grid size. To change size, add or remove whole squares; each square adds 6" (15 cm).

Yarn

Worsted weight (Category 4 Medium). Acrylic, wool, or a blend all work; a smooth, light-colored acrylic is easiest for beginners to see.

Estimated total yardage (squares + joining + border):

Allow extra if you change color often (more tails). One 6" (15 cm) solid square uses about 25 yd (23 m).

Color ideas

• One color for a clean, modern blanket.
• A different color per square (scrap / leftover friendly).
• Change color at the start of any round for concentric stripes.

Sample yardage in common 364 yd / 333 m skeins (e.g. Red Heart Super Saver): Baby 3 skeins, Lapghan 5 skeins, Throw 7 skeins.

Hook & notions

• US H/8 (5 mm) hook, or size needed to obtain gauge
• Yarn needle
• Scissors
• 4 stitch markers (optional, for corners)
• Blocking mats and pins (or a blocking board)

Gauge

One blocked square after Round 5 = 6" × 6" (15 × 15 cm).

If your square is larger than 6" (15 cm), try a US G/6 (4 mm) hook. If it is smaller, try a US I/9 (5.5 mm) hook. You may instead work fewer or extra rounds until the square measures 6" (15 cm); each round adds about ½–⅝" (1.5–1.5 cm).

Match gauge if you want the finished sizes above. If you are happy with a slightly different blanket, keep your hook and accept the new measurements (squares × 6" scaled to your actual square size).

Abbreviations (US)

Pattern notes

• Ch 3 at the start of a round counts as 1 dc.
• Join each round with a sl st in the top of the beginning ch-3. Do not turn.
• Corners are always (2 dc, ch 2, 2 dc) in the ch-2 sp. The ch-2 is the only gap; sides are solid dc.
• The beginning ch-3 of Rounds 2–5 is the first dc of the first corner. Do not work extra stitches into the same stitch as the ch-3.
• Count stitches at the end of every round. Each side has 4n − 1 dc after round n (Round 1: 3, Round 2: 7, Round 3: 11, Round 4: 15, Round 5: 19). Total dc = side count × 4.
• If the square cups (bowl-shaped), your stitches are too tight — go up a hook size or block firmly. If it ruffles, go down a hook size or check for extra stitches.
• Weave tails as you go when changing color: join the new color with a sl st in any ch-2 corner at the start of the next round, then ch 3 and continue.

Solid granny square

Make 30 (48, 80) squares.

Begin: Ch 4, sl st in first ch to form a ring.

(Tight-center option: make a magic ring and work Round 1 into the ring, then pull closed.)

Round 1: Ch 3 (counts as dc here and throughout), 2 dc in ring, ch 2, *3 dc in ring, ch 2; repeat from * 2 more times, join.
12 dc, 4 ch-2 sps (3 dc per side ✓; 4 × 3 = 12 ✓).

Round 2: Sl st in next 2 dc, sl st into ch-2 sp. Ch 3, (dc, ch 2, 2 dc) in same sp (first corner made = 2 dc, ch 2, 2 dc ✓), *dc in each of next 3 dc, (2 dc, ch 2, 2 dc) in next ch-2 sp; repeat from * 2 more times, dc in each of next 3 dc, join.
7 dc per side; 28 dc, 4 ch-2 sps (3 + 2 + 2 = 7 ✓; 4 × 7 = 28 ✓; 12 + 16 = 28 ✓).

Round 3: Sl st in next dc, sl st into ch-2 sp. Ch 3, (dc, ch 2, 2 dc) in same sp, *dc in each of next 7 dc, (2 dc, ch 2, 2 dc) in next ch-2 sp; repeat from * 2 more times, dc in each of next 7 dc, join.
11 dc per side; 44 dc, 4 ch-2 sps (7 + 4 = 11 ✓; 4 × 11 = 44 ✓; 28 + 16 = 44 ✓).

Round 4: Sl st in next dc, sl st into ch-2 sp. Ch 3, (dc, ch 2, 2 dc) in same sp, *dc in each of next 11 dc, (2 dc, ch 2, 2 dc) in next ch-2 sp; repeat from * 2 more times, dc in each of next 11 dc, join.
15 dc per side; 60 dc, 4 ch-2 sps (11 + 4 = 15 ✓; 4 × 15 = 60 ✓; 44 + 16 = 60 ✓).

Round 5: Sl st in next dc, sl st into ch-2 sp. Ch 3, (dc, ch 2, 2 dc) in same sp, *dc in each of next 15 dc, (2 dc, ch 2, 2 dc) in next ch-2 sp; repeat from * 2 more times, dc in each of next 15 dc, join.
19 dc per side; 76 dc, 4 ch-2 sps (15 + 4 = 19 ✓; 4 × 19 = 76 ✓; 60 + 16 = 76 ✓).

Fasten off, leaving a 6" (15 cm) tail if you will whip-stitch with the same yarn; or weave in now if you will join with a separate strand or JAYG.

Larger or smaller squares: Repeat the Round 5 method, always working 1 dc in each dc along the side and (2 dc, ch 2, 2 dc) in each corner. Every extra round adds 4 dc per side (Round 6 = 23 dc per side, 92 dc total ✓). Stop when the square is the size you want, and make every square the same number of rounds.

Block

Block every square before joining so the seams stay even.

Wet-block: soak in cool water, squeeze (do not wring), pin each square to 6" × 6" (15 × 15 cm), dry completely.
Steam-block (acrylic): pin dry to size and hover a steam iron above the fabric — do not let the iron rest on acrylic.

Layout

Arrange squares RS up in a grid:

• Baby: 5 wide × 6 long
• Lapghan: 6 wide × 8 long
• Throw: 8 wide × 10 long

Take a photo before joining if you are placing colors in a pattern. Join in strips first (along the short or long direction), then join the strips together — this is easier than joining a full grid at once.

Join method 1 — whip stitch (recommended for beginners)

Thread a yarn needle with a 30–40" (76–102 cm) length of matching yarn (or the dominant color).

1. Place two neighboring squares WS together (RS facing out), lining up the 19 dc on the shared sides and the corner ch-2 sps.
2. Starting in the corner ch-2 sps, whip stitch through both loops of corresponding stitches to the next corner. Work 1 stitch into each pair of dc and 1 stitch into the pair of corner ch-sps. Do not pull so tight that the edge gathers; the seam should lie as long as the 6" (15 cm) side.
3. Fasten off and weave in the tail.
4. Join squares into strips, then whip-stitch the strips together the same way, matching seams where four corners meet.

Neater option: Whip stitch through the back loops only of both squares. This makes a tidy ridge on the WS and a nearly invisible line on the RS.

Join method 2 — join-as-you-go (optional)

Make Square 1 complete through Round 5. For each following square, work Rounds 1–4, then join on Round 5.

Joining one side (the next square in a strip):
Work Round 5 until you reach the first corner of the side that will touch the completed square.

• In that corner ch-2 sp: 2 dc, ch 1, sl st in the corresponding corner ch-2 sp of the completed square, ch 1, 2 dc.
• Along the side (15 dc of Round 4): *dc in each of next 3 dc, sl st in the matching stitch of the completed square; repeat from * 5 times (15 dc ✓, 5 joins ✓). The sl st goes into the other square only — it does not replace a dc on the current square.
• In the next corner ch-2 sp: 2 dc, ch 1, sl st in the corresponding corner ch-2 sp of the completed square, ch 1, 2 dc.
• Finish the remaining unjoined sides as a normal Round 5, then join and fasten off.

Joining two sides (filling a corner in the grid): join the first side as above. At the corner where three or four squares meet, sl st into the existing corner join (the intersection), then join the second side the same way.

Keep JAYG slip stitches relaxed so the joined edge stays the same length as a whip-stitched edge.

Border (optional)

With RS facing, join yarn in any blanket-corner ch-2 sp.

Round 1 (sc): Ch 1, 3 sc in the same corner sp, then work around:

• 1 sc in each dc along every square edge
• 1 sc in each join between squares
• 3 sc in each of the 4 blanket-corner ch-2 sps

Join to first sc. Opposite sides must match.

Stitch counts, Round 1

If you used JAYG or a different square count, sc evenly instead, keeping opposite sides equal and 3 sc in each blanket corner.

Round 2 (hdc): Ch 2 (does not count as a st, or count it as the first hdc — pick one method and stay with it). Hdc in each sc around, working 3 hdc in the center sc of each 3-sc corner. Join to first hdc.

Round 3 (sc): Ch 1, sc in each hdc around, working 3 sc in the center st of each 3-hdc corner. Join to first sc.

Fasten off.

For a narrower edge, stop after Round 1. For a wider edge, repeat Round 2 once more before Round 3.

Finishing

Weave in every remaining tail on the WS. Block the finished blanket to the measurements for your size, pinning the edges straight and the corners square. Let dry completely.

Quick-count cheat sheet (one square)

Formula: dc per side = 4n − 1; total dc = 16n − 4, where n is the round number (for n = 5: 16 × 5 − 4 = 76 ✓).