Feb
The Time I Actually Finished a Granny Square Top
So I made my first wearable granny square top in July 2022 when I was stuck at my parents’ house for like three weeks and needed something to do with my hands while watching trashy reality TV. I used Red Heart Super Saver because that’s what the craft store had and honestly it worked fine even though everyone on the internet acts like you need fancy yarn for garments.
Measuring Yourself Without Losing Your Mind
You gotta measure your bust, waist, and the length from shoulder to wherever you want it to end. I just used a soft tape measure and added like 2 inches to the bust measurement because granny squares don’t stretch the same way as regular crochet fabric. Write these numbers down somewhere you won’t lose them because I’ve measured myself like four times for the same project when I forgot.
The thing that really annoyed me was figuring out how many squares I actually needed. Every pattern says something different and they never account for the fact that your tension might be completely different from theirs.
Making Individual Squares
Start with a basic granny square if you’ve never done one. Chain 4, slip stitch to form a ring. Then chain 3 (counts as first double crochet), do 2 more double crochets in the ring, chain 2, then repeat that three more times so you have four corners. Slip stitch to the top of your starting chain.
For round 2, slip stitch to the corner space, chain 3 again, do 2 double crochets in same space, chain 1, then in the next corner space do 3 double crochets, chain 2, 3 double crochets. Keep going around. Each corner gets the 3dc-ch2-3dc combo, and the sides just get 3dc with chain 1 between them.
I made squares that were about 4 inches each because that seemed manageable. You can make them bigger but then you need fewer squares and sometimes the proportions look weird on your body.
How Many Squares You’ll Need
For a basic top that covers your chest and back, I needed 24 squares total. That was 6 squares across the front (3 for each side of the bust area) and 4 rows going down. Same for the back. But honestly this depends so much on your size and how cropped or long you want it.
My cat kept sitting on my finished squares which was super annoying because then I’d have cat hair woven into them and I had to lint roll everything before joining.
Joining Methods That Don’t Suck
There’s like a million ways to join granny squares but I just used slip stitch joining because it’s fast. Put two squares wrong sides together, insert hook through both loops of both squares, and slip stitch across the edge. It creates a little ridge on the right side which I actually think looks intentional and decorative.
Some people do the join-as-you-go method where you attach squares as you make the last round but that always confused me because then if you mess up the layout you’re screwed.
Layout Planning
Before joining anything permanently, lay out all your squares on the floor or bed. Take a picture so you remember the arrangement. I usually do the shoulder seams first, then join the front panels, then the back panels, then connect front to back at the sides.
Leave gaps under the arms obviously. I left about 3-4 squares worth of space on each side for armholes.
Straps and Finishing
For straps you can either make long chains or do a row of single crochet that’s like 12-15 inches long and about 1 inch wide. I made mine adjustable by adding buttons at the back shoulder seams so I could move them if the fit was weird. Used some random wooden buttons from Joann Fabrics.
You could also do thick straps that are basically just rectangles of granny squares but that uses more yarn and takes longer.
Yarn Choices That Actually Matter
Red Heart Super Saver works but it’s acrylic and can be kinda hot in summer. For my second top I used Lily Sugar’n Cream cotton yarn which was way better for hot weather. It’s meant for dishcloths but who cares, it’s cheap cotton and it breathes.
I’ve also used Caron Simply Soft which is nice and drapey but still acrylic. Lion Brand 24/7 Cotton is good too if you can find it on sale because it’s usually kinda pricey.
The cotton ones take forever to dry after washing though which is something to consider if you’re gonna actually wear this regularly and not just—anyway cotton is better for summer, that’s the point.
Sizing Problems I Ran Into
My first top ended up being too loose in the bust area because I didn’t account for the weight of the squares pulling everything down. So for the second one I made the bust area slightly smaller than my actual measurement and it fit way better.
Also the armholes were too big at first and looked sloppy. I fixed this by going back and doing a round of single crochet around each armhole opening to tighten it up and make it look more finished.
Color Combinations
You can do all one color which is honestly the easiest and looks clean. Or do each square in different colors if you want that festival/bohemian look. I did one where each square had a different color center but the same color for the outer rounds and that looked pretty coordinated.
Just buy enough yarn before you start because dye lots are real and your colors won’t match if you have to buy more later. I learned this the hard way.
Variations On The Basic Design
You can make it cropped or longer. I’ve seen people extend it into a whole dress by just adding more rows of squares. You could also do a halter neck style by joining the straps behind your neck instead of going over the shoulders.
Some people leave the sides partially open and just connect the front and back at a few points which looks interesting and is more breathable.
Adding a Lining
If you’re worried about the holes being too revealing you can sew a fabric lining inside. I used some cheap cotton fabric from Walmart and just hand-stitched it to the inside edges. It’s not gonna be perfect but it works fine and you can’t really see the stitches from the outside.
Time Investment
Making all the squares took me maybe two weeks of crocheting while watching TV for a couple hours each night. The joining and finishing took another few days. So like three weeks total but I wasn’t rushing.
If you already have squares made from other projects you can repurpose those which saves time. I had like 8 squares left over from an abandoned blanket project that I incorporated into my top.
Washing and Care
I throw the acrylic ones in the washing machine on delicate and lay flat to dry. The cotton ones I hand wash because they get really heavy when wet and I’m worried about them stretching out. Haven’t had any problems with either method so far.
Don’t put them in the dryer unless you want a shrunken mess or melted acrylic.
Why Granny Squares Work For Tops
The open design is actually perfect for summer because air can flow through. You’re basically wearing strategic holes which sounds weird but keeps you cool. Plus if you mess up a square you can just remake that one square instead of frogging an entire garment.
The modular thing means you can adjust the fit as you go by adding or removing squares before you join everything. Way easier than trying to follow a fitted pattern with increases and decreases.
