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Dolphin Blue Granny Square Blanket

This is a beautifully simple Granny Square blanket, made with 64 single-colour Granny Squares joined together using the join-as-you-go joining method. The combination of soft, muted colours and the contrasting blue joining colour gives the finished blanket a simple, modern look.

The blanket uses DK weight yarn in seven colours, with each Granny Square worked in a single colour. I’ve used six colours for the squares and a contrasting seventh colour for joining and the border, but you can easily adapt the colour combination to suit your own style or use up yarn from your stash.

The finished blanket measures approximately 107cm x 107cm, but the size can easily be adapted by making more or fewer Granny Squares.

For this sample I used Paintbox Simply DK Acrylic yarn.

Crochet Level

Suitable for beginners. You will need to be comfortable making a basic Granny Square. The squares are joined using the join-as-you-go method, although you can sew or crochet the completed squares together instead.

Materials

Crochet Hook:  4mm or size needed to achieve gauge 

Yarn: DK weight yarn in seven colours: 276m for each of six colours and 828m of a joining colour.

The sample uses Paintbox Simply DK Acrylic in:

Seafoam Blue (131) (A) – 100g/276m
Washed Teal (132) (B) – 100g/276m
Pistachio Green (124) (C) – 100g/276m
Stormy Grey (104) (D) – 100g/276m
Pale Lilac (145) (E) – 100g/276m
Banana Cream (120) (F) – 100g/276m
Dolphin Blue (136) (G) – 300g/828m

Notions: scissors, needle for sewing in ends

Finished Size

Approximately 107cm x 107cm.

Gauge

5 rounds in pattern = approximately 11cm x 11cm. Adjust your hook size if necessary.

Gauge is not critical for this project, but differences in tension may affect the finished size and yarn quantities.

Gauge: 5 rounds 11cm x 11cm

Abbreviations/Crochet terminology

  • UK terms are used throughout. 
  • Ss – slip stitch
  • Tr – treble crochet (equivalent to a US double crochet)
  • Ch – chain
  • Beg-ch – beginning chain
  • *to* – instructions between asterisks will be repeated as specified
  • Treble cluster – a group of 3 treble crochet stitch worked in the same stitch or space

Notes on the Granny Square

The pattern is based on the traditional Granny Square, worked using groups of treble crochet to form treble clusters. It’s a simple technique and makes this a good project for beginners.

There are many different ways to crochet a Granny Square. In this pattern, each corner has two chain stitches. I also turn the work over after each round, which I find helps the square stay even and gives it a neat, reversible finish.

How to crochet a single colour Granny Square

Video tutorial can be found here.

Written Instructions

Foundation ch4, join with ss in first ch to form a ring (alternatively you can use a magic ring).

Round 1 Ch3 (counts as first tr), 2tr in ring, (ch2, 3tr) 3 times, ch2, join with ss in 3rd ch of beg-ch.  Turn work over, ss into ch2 corner space that you just formed.

[4 treble clusters]

Round 2 Ch3 (counts as first tr), 2tr into same space, *(3tr, ch2, 3tr) in next ch2 corner space*, repeat from *to* twice more, 3tr in corner space where you started, ch2, ss into 3rd ch of beg-ch. Turn work over ss into ch2 corner space that you just formed.

[8 treble clusters]

  • Round 1
  • Round 2

Round 3 Ch3 (counts as first tr), 2tr into same space, *3tr in space formed between the treble clusters from round 2, (3tr, ch2, 3tr) in next ch2 corner space*, repeat from *to* twice more, 3tr in space formed between the treble clusters from round 2, 3tr in corner space where you started, ch2, ss into 3rd ch of beg-ch. Turn work over ss into ch2 corner space that you just formed.

[12 treble clusters]

Round 4 Ch3 (counts as first tr), 2tr into same space, *3tr in next two spaces formed between the treble clusters from round 3, (3tr, ch2, 3tr) in next ch2 corner space*, repeat from *to* twice more, 3tr in the next two spaces formed between the treble clusters from round 3, 3tr in corner space where you started, ch2, ss into 3rd ch of beg-ch. Turn work over ss into ch2 corner space that you just formed.

[16 treble clusters]

  • Round 3
  • Round 4

Round 5 Ch3 (counts as first tr), 2tr into same space, *3tr in each space formed between the treble clusters from previous round, (3tr, ch2, 3tr) in next ch2 corner space*, repeat from *to* twice more, 3tr in each space formed between the treble clusters from the previous round, 3tr in corner space where you started, ch2, ss into 3rd ch of beg-ch. Fasten off and weave in ends.

[20 treble clusters]

Round 5

You will need to make a total of 64 squares – 10 in A (Seafoam Blue) and B (Washed Teal) and 11 in C (Pistachio Green), D (Stormy Grey), E (Pale Lilac) and F (Banana Cream).

Arrangement of Granny Squares

Arrange the squares as follows:

Arrangement of Squares

Joining the squares

For this blanket I used the join-as-you-go joining method. The sixth round of each Granny Square is worked in colour G (Dolphin Blue), joining the square to its neighbours as you go using slip stitches.

Alternatively, you can complete the sixth round in G (Dolphin Blue) on each square and then crochet or sew the completed squares together.

Granny Squares being joined together with blue yarn

Border

The border is made with three rounds of treble clusters, worked in the same way as the Granny Squares.

Continue to turn the work over after each round. Start Round 1 of the border on the side that you consider to be the front of the blanket.

Border Round 1. Using Dolphin Blue (G)

Pull up a loop in any chain 2 corner space. Ch3 (counts as first tr), 2tr into same space, 3tr in next five spaces formed between the treble clusters from the round below, work 3 trebles in the slip stitch that joined the two squares below, continue working around the blanket working in this way and work (3tr, ch2, 3tr) in each corner.  

When you reach the corner you started work 3tr ch2, ss into 3rd ch of beg-ch, do not fasten off.

Border Round 2. Turn work over ss into ch2 corner space that you just formed. Ch3 (counts as first tr), 2tr into same space, work 3tr in each space formed between the treble clusters from the round below, continue working around the blanket working (3tr, ch2, 3tr) in each corner.  

When you reach the corner you started work 3tr ch2, ss into 3rd ch of beg-ch, do not fasten off.

Border Round 3. Repeat round 2. When you have completed the round, fasten off and weave in the ends.