The Vintage Granny Square: Your Guide to a Beautiful, Textured Crochet Square

Hello, fellow makers! Are you ready to fall in love with a granny square pattern that’s a little different from the rest? I’m excited to share this unique and detailed pattern for the Vintage Granny Square. This design is a modern take on a classic motif, featuring a lovely raised floral texture at its center and crisp, clean corners that make it perfect for joining into blankets, cushions, bags, and more.

What makes this square so special is its clever construction. We’ll start with a circular, textured center and then build the square shape around it, finishing with bold color blocks. This pattern is great for using up small amounts of yarn and is a fantastic way to practice a variety of stitches, from half-double crochets to double crochets and a clever elongated single crochet. Let’s get started on this delightful project!

Why You’ll Love This Square:

Visually Stunning: The unique floral-like center and crisp corners create a beautiful, eye-catching design.
Skill-Building: You’ll practice a variety of stitches and color-changing techniques.
Perfect for Scraps: This is an excellent pattern for using up smaller amounts of yarn in different colors.
Versatile: The finished squares are ideal for joining into larger projects like blankets, pillows, or shawls.
Beginner-Friendly: While it looks complex, the steps are broken down into easy-to-follow rounds.

What You’ll Need:

Yarn: Light worsted / DK (Category 3) yarn is recommended for a nice drape and stitch definition. You can use as many colors as you like. This pattern is designed for two or more colors.
Crochet Hook: A 3.5mm (US E/4) or 4.0mm (US G/6) hook, or the size recommended for your yarn.
Yarn Needle (Tapestry Needle): For weaving in all those ends.
Scissors:
Stitch Markers (optional): To mark corners or the beginning of a round.

Essential Crochet Abbreviations:

ch: chain
sl st: slip stitch
sc: single crochet
hdc: half-double crochet
dc: double crochet
elongated sc: elongated single crochet (insert hook into a stitch from a previous round, pulling up a long loop to the current round before completing the single crochet)
st(s): stitch(es)
sp: space
magic ring: a method for beginning a project in the round
FO: fasten off

The Pattern: The Vintage Granny Square

This pattern is worked in the round, from the center outwards.

Color 1: The First Round

Round 1: Create a magic ring. Make 12 dc stitches separated by 2 ch inside the ring. Pull the yarn tail to close the magic ring tightly and finish with a sl st to the top of the first dc.
FO Color 1, leaving a tail to weave in later.

Color 2: The Petal Frame

Round 2: Attach Color 2 yarn in any of the two-chain spaces from the previous round.
Work a group of 3 dc in each of the twelve two-chain spaces around the square.
Finish with a sl st to the top of the first dc.
FO Color 2, leaving a tail to weave in later.

Color 1: The Long Stitch Detail

Round 3: Attach Color 1 yarn to the middle of any three-double-crochet group from the previous round.
Make an elongated sc stitch (by inserting your hook into the middle dc of the 3-dc group), followed by 3 ch.
Repeat this pattern (1 elongated sc followed by 3 ch) in the middle of each three-double-crochet group around the square.
Finish with a sl st to the first elongated sc stitch.

Color 2: The Square’s First Edge

Round 4: This round creates the foundation for the square’s corners. Attach Color 2 yarn in any of the three-chain spaces.
In the current 3-ch space, create a fan stitch: 3 dc, 3 ch, and 3 dc. (This forms your first corner!)
In the next 3-ch space, make 3 hdc. (This forms your first side!)
Repeat these two steps around the entire square. You will have four corners and four sides.
Finish with a sl st to the top of the first dc.

Color 1: The Final Frame

Round 5: Attach Color 1 yarn in any of the three-chain corner spaces from the previous round.
In the corner 3-ch space, create a fan stitch: 3 dc, 3 ch, and 3 dc.
Work 3 dc in each of the spaces along the sides of the square, separated by 1 ch, until you reach the next corner.
Repeat this pattern all the way around the square.
Finish with a sl st to the top of the first dc.
FO Color 1, leaving a tail to weave in.

Finishing Your Square:

Weave in All Ends: This is the most important step for a neat and professional finish! Use your yarn needle to weave in every single yarn tail securely.
Blocking (Optional): To ensure your square is perfectly flat and the corners are crisp, you can gently mist it with water, pin it to a flat surface, and let it air dry completely.

Congratulations, you’ve created a beautiful and unique crochet square! You can stop here, or continue adding more rounds of double crochet for a larger square, or join multiple squares together to create a stunning larger project. Happy hooking!