Although its name defies its beauty, the granny square is one of the most delicious, versatile and addictive patterns that exist in the world of the crochet divas. Its possibilities are seemingly endless and with that, the granny square becomes a creative mind’s dream. Combining colors, textures and different yarns into an ever-growing pile of delightfully crafted squares is a joy to dive into. Their timeless design and their crafty appearance, combined with seemingly endless color combination transform, dress or make a statement in every room. A cleverly colored blanket will add a splash of color to your living room. A cozy throw can add comfort to your outside porch bench and a romantic quilt adds tranquilly to your bedroom.
But the design has many more applications than the mere blanket. The world of fashion design heavily borrowed the square to arrange intriguing garments like sweaters, bikinis, ponchos and skirts. The pattern swirls, subdues and challenges every piece of clothing in a different way. A creation formed out of granny square is always unique and a treasure to have.
One of the wonderful advantages of creating with granny squares is their mobility. You can fill your little baggy with a few balls of yarn and take it along for the ride. Idle time can be filled with popping out a new square no matter where you are. If you are waiting at the bus stop, at a restaurant, in line for whatever reason or to pick up your kids from school, you can create a quick square while you stand still. If you are at a social gathering with friends or taking a break in the park, the little granny square will fill your time nicely and keep your hands busy. At the end of the day you can add the newly formed treasures to the basket and your blanket will be done quickly.
The granny’s square origin is dated back to the early 1800s. It became an easy design to use up left over yarns and create a blanket or garment using a multitude of colors and textures. What used to be a necessity became a fashion statement. If you grew up in the 70’s, chances are you owned a garment made out of the granny square. It enjoyed its famous resurgence, its way to the spotlight and its awesome days of glory in the world of the 70’s hippie culture. Beautiful colored squares adorned everything from skirts to blouse to scarves and headbands. Its overuse constituted its fall from grace and the square was shunned as old fashioned and well yes, something grandmas and old people have laying around on their couch. The beautiful square retreated to the musty and dusty old couch and was forgotten. With the resurgence of the knitting crazy in the year 2000, the granny square also celebrated a glorious comeback. Now more popular than ever, new colors, designs and variations on the pattern adorn once again the garments and homes of our time. What was once dismissed as old-fashioned is now antique chic. Satisfy the most seasoned crochet and knit diva yet. I hope you enjoy making your own beautiful heirloom using the trusty and tried pattern of the granny squares and friends.
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