Simply Crochet Magazine | Granny Square Day 2022

Hooray, hooray, it’s granny square day! A wonderful celebration that brings together our fabulous hooky community in a showcase of creative crochet!

© Simply Crochet magazine – Issue 126

If you’ve not heard about Granny Square day before it’s an international online celebration on instagram which this year falls on Monday 15 August 2022. Granny Square Day was started several years ago by US crocheter Susan Regalia, who recognised that Instagram’s grid format could be used to replicate the block arrangement of a classic granny square blanket online. Others soon joined in the fun and Granny Square Day was born! Simply Crochet magazine then took over the reins of Granny Square day in 2018.

Simply Crochet is thrilled to be celebrating a 4th year hosting this huge Instagram event resulting in the BIGGEST VIRTUAL CROCHET BLANKET IN THE WORLD! All you have to do is hook, snap and share! All Granny Squares use #grannysquareday2022 and all Granny Square related projects use #grannysquaremakes2022

© Simply Crochet magazine – Issue 126

As previous years Simply Crochet the latest issue of the magazine (Issue 126) comes with a very special bonus pattern booklet. You can get really creative with the ‘A year of Granny Squares’ pattern booklet, featuring 52 brand new designs – that’s one for every week of the year! And I’m really excited to say that you can find two new granny square blocks by me inside. You can actually spy one of them on the front cover!

© Simply Crochet magazine – Issue 126

The first design is the closest to a traditional granny square, it’s called ‘Daisy Daisy’ and features a little daisy on a lawn of green grass with a pretty border. It’s been classed as an easy peasy design – perfect for beginners.

For the granny square purists out there I tried to feature some of the customary granny square clusters in each of the designs. Though I also wanted to play on the traditional and come up with something fresh and new. I really like how this block turned out, it feels quite appropriate for a Spring / Summer project.

❤️ SAVE THE ‘DAISY DAISY’ SQUARE ON RAVELRY ❤️

In the supplement the blocks range in skill level; from the more simple to getting a bit more involved and my second design has been grouped in the slightly more tricky range – but I’d say it’s still an easy eough square for advanced beginners. It’s called ‘Rainbow Burst’ designed in part because I simply can’t resist a bit of a rainbow.

❤️ SAVE THE ‘RAINBOW BURST’ SQUARE ON RAVELRY ❤️

I used Rico Ricorumi for these blocks, with a 3mm hook (closest US size C/2 or D/3) which is a DK (Light Worsted) weight 100% cotton yarn that I had in my stash, but the designs would work equally well in any DK yarn or in fact with other fibres and yarn weights to make bigger or smaller blocks.

To me granny squares are nothing to do with ‘grandmas’ – they are just a super fun way to show how fun and versatile crochet can be! There’s something for everyone in the Simply Crochet squares and motifs supplement from more traditional looking squares to modern contemporary designs.

Simply Crochet issue 126 is available in most supermarkets and newsagents and digitally at www.pocketmags.com.

My Squares:

If you’re new to my blog you might not know that I’ve got several block patterns that are either fun square motifs or use the granny stitch in a more traditional design. Some are available to purchase from my pattern stores (links below) and some are free patterns available here on the blog.

Check out the links below for more Granny Square fun! Please note that most links are to Ravelry as that’s the most comprehensive list of all my patterns – not all squares are currently available from other sources. Free squares will link directly to my blog. Sizes of squares also differ, please see finished square size for full details.

Poppin Spades (FREE)Sherbert Star Granny (FREE)Autumn Turn (FREE)Perfect Puff Pillow (FREE)
Wish Upon a Star 10″ (FREE)Mod-Spot Block (FREE)Encompass Me (FREE)Granny’s Cabin (FREE)
Granny Likes Diamonds (FREE)Granny Likes Popcorn 10″ (FREE)Circle your Granny 10″ (FREE)Tri Tonal Traditional Granny (FREE)
Bubblegum Pop Granny 10″ (FREE)Half and Half Granny (FREE)Bavarian Beauty 12″ (FREE)Moroccan Window 12″ (FREE)
Humming BirdPumpkinBlooming FlowerSolomon’s Cross
Christmas BaubleThanksgiving TurkeyGingerbread ManSanta Square
Reindeer SquareJolly ClownMini Filet Cross (FREE)Octagon Garden
Shy VioletEagle OwlRussian DollSunset Square
Union Jack SquareSpring TrellisAmerindic SquareRobin Square
Easter / Flower BasketPolar Bear SquareSunflower SquarePin Wheel Square
Daisy Chain Square

And if you want even more patterns the list below are designs I’ve made with ‘squares’ or granny clusters whether they be granny squares or motifs.

Solstice Garden WrapMini Meditative Mandala (FREE)Stitch Story BlanketSuperbly Simple Baby Blanket (FREE)
Daisy Chain Flourish BlanketRiver Rose PillowChocolate Box Twist Baby BlanketInfinity Blanket
Everything is Cool and GroovyghanElephants on Parade Baby BlanketSpot the Giraffe BlanketRainbow Baby Poncho

Dear Ewe Granny Square Day Sale!

And to celebrate Granny Square Day further, over at Dear Ewe, we’re holding a flash sale with 20% discount on our chart themed items. Check out the Dear Ewe Blog post for all the details, or go straight to the shop and use code: GSD22 at the checkout – sale ends Thursday 18 August.

If you hook up any of the squares I hope you’ll share your photos with me on social media (facebooktwitter or instagram) or as a project on Ravelry – I love to see what you make! 

Until next time folks! Happy hooking and keep calm and crochet on my friends xx

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Simply Crochet Magazine | Granny Square Day 2020

Hooray, hooray, it’s granny square day!

If you’ve not heard about Granny Square day before it’s an international online celebration on instagram which this year falls on Saturday 15 August 2020.

Granny Square Day was started 6 years ago by US crocheter Susan Regalia, who recognised that Instagram’s grid format could be used to replicate the block arrangement of a classic granny square blanket online.

Others soon joined in the fun and Granny Square Day was born! Simply Crochet magazine then took over the reins of Granny Square day in 2015.

This year, to coincide with the 100th edition of Simply Crochet magazine, the magazine put together a special supplement of 100 granny square designs which featured some fabulous patterns by some awesome designers – and I’m really excited to say that you can find three new granny square blocks by me.

For the granny square purists out there I tried to feature some of the customary granny square clusters in each of the designs. Though what I wanted to do was play on the traditional and come up with something fresh and new.

The blocks range in skill level too from the more simple to getting a bit more involved so there’s something for every skill level.

The first design is the closest to a traditional granny square, it’s called ‘Summer Lawn’ and features classic granny treble (double) crochet clusters with a bit of surface crochet for a fun summery square.

❤️ SAVE THE ‘SUMMER LAWN’ SQUARE ON RAVELRY ❤️

The next design is called ‘Heritage’ and my inspiration for this one was actually Minton tiles. Mintons was a major company in Staffordshire pottery who founded his factory in Stoke-upon-Trent back in 1793 – there’s lots of places still locally where you can see examples of his tiles.

I wanted to create a timeless looking block that would look good in a variety of different colours to complement all types of interiors – just as the tiles were designed to do.

❤️ SAVE THE ‘HERITAGE’ SQUARE ON RAVELRY ❤️

And finally I designed the ‘Casablanca’ square which in my head is a romantic unisex type of block. I was really pleased with how this one came out – it could certainly have been inspired by an upscale club in a moroccan city don’t you think! Here’s looking at blue kid 😜

❤️ SAVE THE ‘CASABLANCA’ SQUARE ON RAVELRY ❤️

To me granny squares are nothing to do with ‘grandmas’ – they are just a super fun way to show how fun and versatile crochet can be! There’s something for everyone in the Simply Crochet squares and motifs supplement from more traditional looking squares to modern contemporary designs.

I used Rico Ricorumi for these blocks which is a DK (Light Worsted) weight 100% cotton yarn that I had in my stash, but the designs would work equally well in other fibres and yarn weights to make bigger or smaller blocks.

Simply Crochet issue 100 is available in most supermarkets and newsagents and digitally at www.pocketmags.com.

© Simply Crochet magazine – Issue 100

You can read more about it over on the Simply Crochet Magazine’s blog but it’s really easy to get involved (as long as you have an Instagram account). Just take a photo of your granny square and crop the photo so it fits the full square shape of an instagram post and use the hashtag #grannysquareday2020.

Your square will then be added to the virtual blanket! To see the blanket, search #grannysquareday2020 – you will need to be viewing in Instagram’s standard three-wide format to get the full effect. Or use hashtag #grannysquaremakes2020 for any granny square general photos.

From Wikimedia Commons, the free media repository

If you hook up any of the squares I hope you’ll share your photos with me on social media (facebooktwitter or instagram) or as a project on Ravelry – I love to see what you make! 

Until next time folks! Happy hooking and keep calm and crochet on my friends xx

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