Crochet a granny-square scarf from your yarn stash

Grannies galore

Let the grannies give you, or someone who needs it, a warm snuggly hug. All those lovely leftover yarns in your stash can be used in this fun, colourful project.

project ELSBETH EKSTEEN

DIFFICULTY: easy (medium if you are not familiar with 'join as you go' technique) TIME: week and a half

SIZE Crochet squares scarf: 22cm x 150cm YOU WILL NEED ♥ mix of yarns, but the main ones are: ‒ Scheepjes Ombré, Murderous Mint (hold inside and outside ends together for a lovely variegated green) ‒ African Expressions Soul, Neon Coral to use in the 'join as you go' ‒ Greta 45 ‒ Loopy #6 Chloe, Mint Green ‒ Scheepjes Colour Cake, Wild Strawberry (start from outside yarn end) ‒ African Expressions, Freedom 5024 x 2 ♥ The others are: ‒ Nurturing Fibres, Durable,

Scheepjes and Vinnis mini balls ‒ African Expressions, Desire and Vinnis black held together ‒ African Expressions Soul, Neon Yellow ‒ Our Tribe, Old Bewick ‒ Scheepjes Cotton, Sapling ♥ 10 tassels made from Cowgirl Blues

Aran, Ruby Grapefruit ♥ 3,5mm or 4mm crochet hook, depending on your tension ♥ tapestry needle ♥ scissors ♥ blocking mat ♥ T-pins to block scarf with

ABBREVIATIONS ch ‒ chain cont ‒ continue dc ‒ double crochet rep ‒ repeat rnd ‒ round sl st ‒ slip stitch sp ‒ space st(s) ‒ stitch(es) tr ‒ treble

NOTES The granny squares are joined as you go for a delicate lace-like detail between the squares. Make all your granny squares, join them together, add the row of granny stitches on one side, and make the border. 4 : This is the symbol for the block you are crocheting. 2 : This is the symbol for a finished block that you are joining to the 4 block. The crochet squares scarf measures 22cm x 150cm. You can adjust the length and width to your own liking by making more or fewer granny squares.

TO CROCHET Make 32 granny squares consisting of 4 rows. Make a few in one colour and others with multiple colour changes. Have fun with your colour combinations.

HOW TO CROCHET A GRANNY SQUARE With crochet hook and yarn, make a magic circle. Rnd 1: ch4 (count as 1 tr and 2 ch), (3tr, ch2) 3 times into the magic circle, 2tr and sl st into the ch-sp to close the rnd. Bind off if you are doing a colour change or just cont with next rnd. Rnd 2: ch4 (count as 1 tr and 2 ch), 3tr into the corner-sp, make (3tr, ch2, 3tr) in all the corners (in last rep, end with 2tr), sl st to close the rnd. Bind off if you are doing a colour change or just cont with next rnd. Rnd 3: ch4 (count as 1 tr and 2 ch), 3tr into the same corner-sp, *3 tr in between the previous granny clusters, (3tr, ch2, 3tr) into corner-sp;* rep from * to * 3 times, into last corner-sp work 1 tr less, sl st to close the rnd. Bind off or cont. Rnd 4: ch4 (count as 1 tr and 2 ch), 3tr into same corner-sp, *make 3tr in between the granny clusters of rnd 3, (3tr, ch2, 3tr) into corner;* rep from * to * 3 times, into last corner-sp work 1 tr less, sl st to close rnd. Bind off.

JOIN AS YOU GO LACE METHOD Set up square: Join Neon Coral yarn to any corner of the granny square, ch5 and dc into the same corner, ch3 and dc in between the next granny-cluster; rep to the next corner, (dc, ch5, dc) into the corner, cont until you reach the end, sl st into the starting ch-sp.

JOINING SQUARES TOGETHER Crochet one side of the (4) square with the join as you go lace method and stopping after the first dc into the 2nd corner. Place the first finished square (2) behind the square you are currently working on (4), making sure the right sides of your squares are facing outwards, ch3 and sl st around the corner sts of (2), ch3 and dc into the (4) square in front of you, ch2, sl st around the ch3 on the (2) square so that the squares are joined, ch2 and dc into the next sp in the (4) square in front of you, cont to join until the next corner. After making a dc into the corner of the (4) square, ch3 and sl st around the corner ch of the (2) square, ch3 and dc into the (4) square, cont working all around. Please watch some join as you go lace method videos to see how it is done if you are a visual learner. Join all the squares.

EDGING Rnd 1: Using Scheepjes, Wild Strawberry, unwind 20m and wind a ball of yarn. Use 2 strands together and crochet a granny st border all around. Join yarn into corner of scarf, ch4 and 3tr into same corner, 3 tr into next ch-sp of the join as you go. *In the corners of the join as you go squares that are next to each other you can make a tr into cornerch, a tr into the sp between the squares and a tr into the adjoining squares corner. Cont with the 3tr into the next 4ch-sps;* rep from * to * until the next corner of the scarf, 3tr, ch2, 3tr into the corner and cont around the whole scarf. Rnd 2: Scheepjes, Bright Ocean and Murderous Mint held together, rep rnd 1. Rnd 3: Scheepjes, Ocean Blue, rep another rnd.

GRANNY STITCH EDGE One edge of the scarf has 10 rows of granny sts and crocheted with the following colours: Durable, Bright Green and Scheepjes, Murderous Mint held together, Durable Mini, Indigo Scheepjes, Catona, Vintage Peach Bright Acrylic Pink African Expressions, Neon Coral and Scheepjes, Wild Strawberry held together. Row 1: Join yarn into corner of scarf and ch2, 2tr into same sp, *skip 2 sts, 3tr into next st;* rep from * to * until end of row, finish the row by making 3tr into last st. Row 2: ch3, *3 tr in between next granny sts, skip 2 sts;* rep from * to * until last sp is filled with 3tr, tr into top of last st. Rows 3‒10: rep rows 1 and 2, changing colours every second row.

FINISHING With Cowgirl Blues Aran, Ruby Grapefruit, make 10 tassels and sew 5 onto the granny stitch edging. Work away all the loose yarn ends and wet block the scarf. This will enhance the beautiful lacy look in between the blocks. Finish the other edge with tassels.