Mar
Making the Starburst Granny Square
So I made like twenty of these back in spring 2022 when I was supposed to be organizing my closet but obviously that didn’t happen. I was watching old episodes of The Office for the millionth time and just kept going with these squares because they’re actually pretty addictive once you get the rhythm down.
The starburst pattern is basically a granny square but instead of the usual corner clusters you’re making these pointed petal things that radiate out from the center. It looks way more complicated than it actually is which is great for when you wanna look like you know what you’re doing.
What You Actually Need
You need worsted weight yarn, I used Red Heart Super Saver in that bright yellow color (Bright Yellow I think?) for the center and then some teal color for the outer rounds. The Red Heart works fine even though people always say it’s scratchy or whatever, I honestly don’t notice that much. You could also use Caron Simply Soft if you want something that feels a bit nicer but it’s more expensive.
Get a 5mm hook, maybe a 5.5mm if you crochet really tight. I use a 5mm and my tension is pretty average I guess.
Scissors and a yarn needle for weaving in ends which is the worst part but we’ll get to that.
Starting the Center
Make a magic ring. If you don’t know how to do a magic ring just chain 4 and slip stitch into the first chain to make a ring, it works fine. The magic ring is neater but honestly who cares.
Chain 3, this counts as your first double crochet. Then make 15 more double crochets into the ring. So you should have 16 total double crochets counting that chain 3. Pull your magic ring tight if you used one, slip stitch to the top of your starting chain 3.
That’s your center circle done.
Round 2 Where the Starburst Actually Starts
This is where it gets interesting and also where I messed up like five times the first square I made because I wasn’t paying attention to which stitches I was supposed to skip.
Chain 3 again (counts as double crochet). You’re gonna make 2 more double crochets in the same stitch where you just slip stitched. So that’s a 3-dc cluster.
Chain 2.
Skip the next stitch, then make 3 double crochets in the next stitch. Chain 2. Skip a stitch, 3 double crochets in the next stitch. You’re basically making these little fan shapes with chains between them.
Keep doing that pattern around – 3dc, chain 2, skip 1 stitch, repeat. You should end up with 8 of these fan sections because you’re skipping every other stitch from your previous round.
Slip stitch to the top of your starting chain 3.
Round 3 Making the Points
This round makes the starburst points more obvious. Chain 3, make 2 more double crochets in the same spot. You’re working into the top of those 3-dc clusters from the previous round, not into the chain spaces.
Chain 1.
In the chain-2 space from the previous round, make this cluster: 3 double crochets, chain 2, 3 double crochets. That’s your corner basically, or well, your point.
Chain 1.
Make 3 double crochets into the top of the next 3-dc cluster from round 2. Then chain 1, and repeat the whole thing around. You should have 8 points sticking out now and it actually looks like a starburst.
The thing that really annoyed me about this pattern is that the points never seemed totally even no matter how careful I was with tension. Like some would stick out more than others and I kept ripping it out thinking I did something wrong but eventually I realized that’s just kinda how it goes and once you make a bunch of them for a blanket or whatever, you don’t really notice.
Round 4 If You Want a Bigger Square
You can stop at round 3 if you want small squares. I usually did one more round to make them more substantial.
Chain 3, 2 double crochets in the same stitch. You’re working in the top of the 3-dc groups from the previous round again.
Chain 1, skip the chain-1 space.
In the chain-2 space (your point), make 3 double crochets, chain 2, 3 double crochets. That’s keeping your point sharp.
Chain 1, 3 double crochets in the next 3-dc group, chain 1, skip the chain-1 space, 3 double crochets in the next 3-dc group. Then you’re back to the next point.
Keep going around like that. It’s pretty repetitive once you get going which is why it’s good for watching TV shows you’ve already seen because you don’t have to think too hard.
Changing Colors
I usually changed colors after round 2 or 3. To change colors, when you’re doing your last slip stitch of the round, pull through with the new color instead of the old one. Cut your old color leaving like a 6 inch tail.
My cat kept trying to attack the yarn tails while I was working on these which was super annoying because she’d pull the whole square off my lap.
You can also just tie on a new color at the beginning of a round if you want, it doesn’t matter that much. Some people are really particular about invisible joins and stuff but I never bothered with that.
Making it Actually Square
So the thing about the starburst pattern is it naturally wants to be an octagon because of those 8 points. If you want it to be more square-shaped for joining with other squares, you gotta add corner rounds.
After your last starburst round, pick four of the points to be your corners. I usually picked every other point so they’re evenly spaced.
Chain 3, double crochet in each stitch and chain space around, but when you get to your designated corner points, make (2 double crochet, chain 2, 2 double crochet) in that chain-2 space. That creates an actual corner.
At the other points that aren’t corners, just make 3 double crochets in the chain-2 space like normal.
You might need to do 2 or 3 rounds like this to get it properly square. I usually did 2 rounds of just making it square which made the starburst pattern less obvious but more practical for actually using.
Joining Squares Together
If you’re making a blanket or something you gotta join these together. I used the whip stitch method because it’s fast even though it’s not the prettiest.
Line up two squares wrong sides together. Thread your yarn needle with whatever color you want the seam to be, I usually used the main color or just whatever I had most of.
Push your needle through both loops of the edge stitches on both squares, pull through, move to the next stitch and repeat. It’s boring but it works.
You could also do slip stitch joining or single crochet joining if you want. The single crochet joining makes a ridge on the front which some people like for the decorative look but I think it’s kinda bulky.
Weaving in Ends
This is the worst part and there’s no way around it. Each square has at least 4 ends if you changed colors once, more if you changed multiple times.
Thread your yarn needle with a tail, weave it through the back of several stitches going in one direction, then back through a few stitches in another direction. Cut close to the work. That’s it.
Some people say to weave in as you go but I never remember to do that so I always end up with like 50 ends to weave in at once while watching a movie or something.
Actual Projects I Made
That spring 2022 I made a baby blanket with these squares for my friend’s kid. Used 20 squares in different colors, mostly Red Heart because I had a bunch of it. The yellow center with different colored outer rounds looked pretty cheerful I guess.
I also made a cushion cover with 4 big squares. That actually turned out nice because the starburst pattern looks good when it’s larger and you can see the detail.
You could make a bag with these too, like line up a bunch of squares and fold it over. I keep meaning to try that but haven’t gotten around to it yet.
Common Mistakes
The biggest mistake is not keeping track of where your round starts. Use a stitch marker or just a piece of different colored yarn to mark your first stitch of each round. Otherwise you’ll end up with uneven rounds or you’ll lose count of how many points you have.
Another thing is making your starting chain 3 too loose or too tight compared to your other stitches. It’s gonna be visible as the first stitch of each round so try to keep it consistent with your tension. I still struggle with this honestly.
Skipping the wrong stitches in round 2 will mess up your whole pattern. You gotta skip every other stitch to get 8 sections. If you skip two stitches or don’t skip enough, your points won’t line up right.
Yarn Amounts
For one square that’s about 6 inches across after blocking, you need maybe 30-40 yards total depending on how many rounds you do. That’s rough estimate because I never actually measured.
For a baby blanket with 20 squares I used probably 3 or 4 skeins of Red Heart Super Saver total. Those skeins are like 360 yards each I think?
Just buy more yarn than you think you need because running out in the middle of a project is the worst and dye lots can be different even in the same color.
Blocking These Squares
You should probably block these to get them to lay flat and be actually square-shaped. I’m lazy about blocking most of the time but with these it does make a difference.
Get them wet, squeeze out extra water in a towel, pin them to a blocking board or just a folded towel on the floor. Pin them into shape, making sure the corners are at 90 degree angles and the sides are straight. Let them dry completely before unpinning.
If you’re using acrylic yarn you can steam block instead which is faster. Hover your iron on steam setting above the square, don’t actually touch it to the yarn or it might melt. The steam relaxes the fibers and helps it hold its shape.
Variations You Can Try
You can make the center bigger by doing more rounds before you start the starburst pattern. Or make the points really long and dramatic by doing extra rounds of just the point increases.
Use a gradient yarn like Caron Cakes or something for the whole square and it’ll automatically shade from one color to another as you work outward which looks cool with the starburst pattern.
Make tiny ones with thread and a small hook for coasters. I tried this once but my eyes hurt so I gave up after two.
Use different stitch heights for each round like single crochet in the center, then half double crochet, then double crochet, then treble crochet. That makes the points really dramatic and spiky.
You can also just make one giant starburst square instead of joining a bunch of small ones. Keep going with the pattern until it’s blanket-sized. Takes forever but it’s gonna be impressive when you’re done.
Stuff That Might Help
If your squares are coming out wonky or not flat, check your tension. Crocheting too tight makes things curl up, too loose makes them floppy and the stitches look messy.
Count your stitches at the end of each round especially when you’re first learning the pattern. It’s annoying but better than getting to round 4 and realizing you missed a whole section back in round 2.
The pattern looks more impressive in solid colors or with high contrast between the center and outer rounds. Variegated yarn can make the starburst pattern harder to see because there’s too much going on visually.
If you mess up just rip it out and start over, these squares work up pretty quick so it’s not a huge time loss. I probably ripped out my first three attempts completely before I got one that looked right.
Take a picture of a finished square so you remember what it’s supposed to look like. I always think I’ll remember the pattern but then I come back to it months later and have no idea what I did.
