Joining Granny Squares

As I am unable to use my camera until I get off my bum to get the batteries, I thought I would use this instructional post to be my 20 minutes worth for today. (I will be doing my normal crochet quota later on- I can't help it - I think it is an addiction!).

Anyway i noticed that some folks are making up blankets or afgans and are sort of stuck either because they don't know how to join their work or they think what they have done so far in the square count isn't enough.

I always find that if I join my squares as I go along,
a) that my piece is quite big
b) it can refresh my inspiration.

So here goes,

HOW TO JOIN GRANNY SQUARES

I will write this bit by bit so it should be easy to understand.

1) Make a Granny Square - phew that wasn't too hard.
(My Squares are usually 6rnds in depth and I work 3 posts to a cluster - a post is a stitch. When I work on the straight there are no chains between my clusters, when working a corner I do one cluster of 3 posts 2 chains and another cluster of 3 posts - this keeps the tension right for Square).

2) Make another Granny Square but STOP one Round (rnd) short - you will use the last round to join your squares together.

Work one length of you Square and work HALF of you corner (1 cluster and 1 chain st).

With your 2nd Square facing you, place the 1st Square behind it, but with its front to the back of the work (squares should be wrong sides together).

Put hook into the coresponding corner of the 1st SQ, wrap yarn and pull through. Pull the 1st stitch on hook thru 2nd st and make a Chain stitch.

Finish off 2nd cluster of corner. (this has joined the corners of both pieces)

Work the next cluster as normal.

Then put hook into the 1st space (this is the gap between cluster and cluster (not posts)= space) next to corner of the 1st SQ and again pull yarn through making a chain stitch that joins both SQ's together.

Continue along the length doing this method.

When you get to the corner again, work half then join as above for Corner Join. ( the corners should met up, if they don't then you have missed a space somewhere - go hunting for it).

Continue around your 2nd Square as normal.

You now have joined two squares together.

Well done :)

You can continue to join your work like so, remembering that as the squares build up you will have to join TWO sides.

I also join the corners diagonally once I have passed the first 2 squares.
Just lay your work on your lap laid out on the area you are working on and instead of working the opposite corner I work the diagonal. It gives a lovely cross stitch detail.

If you want to border your finished work using the same cluster detail that you have used in the Squares, you work as normal in the spaces provided, DO NOT work into the space where 2 sq's met, this will make the tension of the piece wrong.

I hope you can understand theses instructions, if not please comment and I will ammend where possible or try and explain better.

In the piece below (picture quality not so hot) - you can see how I have joined the Squares to make a scarf and hopefully work out from it the half corner working.



In the next picture if you look closely you can see the light colour chain stitch that has joined the pieces ( click the image to make it larger).