Tips, Tricks and Tutorial Thursday - Granny Rectangle Blanket

For today's Tips, Tricks and Tutorial Thursday we are going to talk about Granny Rectangle Blankets (The Crochet Crowd has a great video on this). Most people have heard of Granny Squares but not really about Granny Rectangles. In my opinion, a Granny Rectangle is much easier to do than a Granny Square and is a great way to get into the pattern of the whole "Granny" world. 

Starting Chain: For the Granny Rectangle Blanket, you want to chain multiples of 3. A good number I stick to is 15 and then I would chain three. The chain three will act as your first double crochet in the "cluster". (Cluster refers to a group of stitches together.) You will work two double crochets in the fourth chain from the hook (keeping in mind the first three are part of the cluster.)

Clusters are usually formed of 3 double crochets. The first cluster of every round is the exception because of the chain. We want to create a corner here so you will chain 3 and then add a cluster of 3 double crochets to the next stitch. 

Next is just a regular cluster pattern, this pattern is chain one skip two stitches. So after you have made your corner you will chain one, and skip two stitches before working into the next stitch. You will continue this to the end of the chain. 

You will notice that at the end of your chain you will have one stitch left. Here you will make another corner (chain 3 and place a cluster in the last chain). This is side one. You will now work on the other side of the chain. Once the corner is done, chain three and work onto the chain of each cluster. Continue to the end of your chain.

Once there you will have to make the last corner. This is done by simply chaining 3 and then slip stitching into the original chain three. This is round one. 

Next chain three. As you will see you are not starting near a "whole" you are starting on the far side of a cluster so you will want to chain one more. The size of the first round is so small that the first "whole" you come to will be the corner. You want to place a cluster of 3 double crochets here and then chain three and place another cluster in the same whole. This is you will create the corners from now on.  

Once the corner is created, you will chain one and work into the next whole as normal. Continuing this pattern until you get back to your starting chain. Since you started on the far side of a cluster, you should end in a cluster, you will want to do two double crochets instead of three and let your starting chain act as the third. You will want to slip stitch in the third stitch making sure you leave the fourth one as the space. 

Then you would chain three again to start the next round. This time you should be chaining in a "whole" let the chain three act as the first double crochet and add two other double crochets to complete the cluster. Continue as before to the end. This time once your last cluster is made you will want to chain one before slip stitching into the third stitch of the starting chain.