Which round is black used on a traditional granny square afghan?

[tiniree]

I had an idea on how to "bust" some of my stash. I had both my boys and my husband look thru my yarn and had each pick out a favorite color. I then went and bought a couple skeins of black. No...I really did not have any black!

 

My plan is to end up with an afghan full of squares that each represent a family member by color: black & their individual color.

 

My question? I know that black is used (or was used) as the traditional "binding" color on the last round, but I would like to know if it was used on any of the other rounds...like the first & last?

 

Marie

[warmfuzzies]

The most common granny square motif is made up of four rounds, with round four being the one crocheted in black. Hope this helps!

 

Happy crocheting,

 

Juli from Texas

[tiniree]

Thanks! I was laying out the yarn and am thinking to make the grannies look "not so one colored", I may use the black for the first and fourth round and the "family" colors for the second and third? Or the black for 2nd & 4th rounds? I just don't want the squares to look "too one colored". Does that make sense?

[warmfuzzies]

Yes, I get "it"........I love your idea.........make the granny your own....you might want to make a few different motifs with the varying "rows" in the square, then play with them (arrange and rearrange). There is NO "right" or "wrong"........it's your creation,and, after all, this IS supposed to be fun.

P.S. I made a huge "Granny" for my grandson - each row was: black, white, red, and royal blue. He loves it and sleeps with it every night!

Enjoy!!!

 

Juli from Texas

[magiccrochetfan]

You could also do each square in 2 shades of the same color. Here's my version of that

[Real Deal]

The traditional center color is red. I presume it stood for a red heart.

[Flia]

I wonder.... where do you find any traditional colouring of Granny Squares ?

 

As far as I know they've been made since yarn was invented. Colours and colour patterns would originally show where the piece came from (at least here in Scandinavia).

[RoseRed]

My Grandmother loved her grannies but she hated sewing them together. She'd make her squares about 12 inches and border them in white.

 

Your blanket is your own. Do whatever makes you happy. I think the colors might be better if you blended (in the same or different order) the family colors into each block. This way they're not all separate - they're all together.

[kittyloverdeb]

You could also do each square in 2 shades of the same color. Here's my version of that

I love your blanket! I love the idea of 2 shades of the color! I have been wanting to do a hexagon with the traditional black for so long ~ this has inspired me to do it! Thanks!

[lizdini]

My grandma made us all granny square blankest as kids, and makes them for the VA hospital. Based on them I've always assumed "traditional" granny squares were whatever was available, with usually the binding and last round the the same color. Really whatever you think looks good is "right". Personally I think the the 2nd and 4th rounds in black would be pretty...

[magiccrochetfan]

I love your blanket! I love the idea of 2 shades of the color! I have been wanting to do a hexagon with the traditional black for so long ~ this has inspired me to do it! Thanks!

 

Thanks, Deb:hook your plan sounds very pretty!

[Debbi-a1]

Yes, I get "it"........I love your idea.........make the granny your own....you might want to make a few different motifs with the varying "rows" in the square, then play with them (arrange and rearrange). There is NO "right" or "wrong"........it's your creation,and, after all, this IS supposed to be fun.

P.S. I made a huge "Granny" for my grandson - each row was: black, white, red, and royal blue. He loves it and sleeps with it every night!

Enjoy!!!

 

Juli from Texas

I agree with Juli, whatever works for you. I did a scrap yarn afghan with a white boarder. Right now I'm working on a traditional granny square, each round a different color. I'm only doing 3 rounds and then the 4th round in black.

 

I like the idea of doing different motifs and seeing which square color combinations you like.

Debbi

[tiniree]

A Big THANK YOU to all of you for your help! Kathy your pictured afghan is gorgeous!

 

Now that I have my "color plan", I went to all my books and discovered that it seems that not only are there infinite ways of melding colors, but the spacing issue (ie: how many chains between each dc grouping) also seems to be a "whatever you like" issue

 

Do any of you have a favorite spacing for your grannies?

 

Marie

[darski]

Personally, I don't put any chains between groups but I use 2ch in the corners. This makes a granny with less open space. I like them that way but it is a very personal thing for each to decide.

[tiniree]

Darski -

 

Thanks! I have always wondered about making them that way as I too hate all the big open holes on some of the patterned grannies. I think I will give your way a try!

 

I actually have an old 70's crochet book that has a "basic granny square" pattern that uses....get this!.....2ch in between side groups and 3chs between corner groups! I can only imagine how "holey" that afghan would be

[magiccrochetfan]

A Big THANK YOU to all of you for your help! Kathy your pictured afghan is gorgeous!

 

Now that I have my "color plan", I went to all my books and discovered that it seems that not only are there infinite ways of melding colors, but the spacing issue (ie: how many chains between each dc grouping) also seems to be a "whatever you like" issue

 

Do any of you have a favorite spacing for your grannies?

 

Marie

 

Thank you:)

 

I agree completely with Darski on the spacing, it really depends on the look you want, how tight or loose your chains are, and the yarn you are using. I think I usually do 1 ch between dc groups, and 3 in the corners, but i'm liable to change that any time:lol

 

also you can make your dc groups 2 dc, or 4, or whatever works. of course there are also solid granny squares, granny hexagons, granny circles......

[RoseRed]

I use groups of 3dc with 1ch between and 2 chs in the corners.

 

I also turn each round or it ends up wonky.

 

I don't suggest using a big hook for grannies. Even a J is pushing it. Stick with an I or H for a nice solid fabric.