How to Join Granny Squares With Whip Stitch to Make a Blanket or Other Project

So you crocheted a pile of granny squares, and now you want to join them together to create a project — perhaps a blanket, pillow, table runner or other useful object. Wondering how, exactly, you go about the joining process? Check out this free tutorial.

How to Join Granny Squares to Make a Blanket

How to Join Granny Squares to Make a Blanket

What I’m about to show you is simply one possible way you could approach the task of joining granny squares to make a blanket. There are bunches of possible ways you could do it. The following is a tutorial on how to use whip stitch for joining granny squares.


Whip stitch is a method of joining you’d want to use if you’re hoping for relatively flat seams joining your squares. Whip stitch isn’t totally invisible; it actually has an interesting, decorative look that’s quite appealing. But if you’re hoping for totally invisible seams, this isn’t the joining method you want to use. In that case, you might want to consider holding the right sides of your squares together and joining them with slip stitch.


If a whip stitch join is what you want, here’s how to do it:

Decide What Color to Use for Joining Your Granny Squares. Then Thread a Tapestry Needle With Yarn in the Same Weight As Your Squares.

How to Whipstitch, Step 1: Thread a Tapestry Needle With Yarn.

How to Whipstitch, Step 1: Thread a Tapestry Needle With Yarn.

Arrange Your Squares for Joining:

Arrange the squares you want to join on your table or working surface. This is relatively quick and easy if your squares are all the same; if they’re all different, you’ll have to figure out how you want them to be arranged before you do the joining.


I have two different projects I’m going to use for demonstrating this process to you. The first project involves multiple granny squares that are all identical. The second project involves squares that have to be alternated, so it’s important to pay more attention when laying them out. I’ll start by demonstrating the joining process using the identical granny squares.


To start, choose the first 2 squares to be joined and align them so that one is positioned over the other with the lower edge of the top square and the upper edge of the bottom square touching each other. If you’re right-handed, you’ll want to start on the right-hand side and work from right to left. If you’re left-handed, you’ll probably find it more comfortable to start on the left-hand side and work from left to right.


The next step: Figure out which loops you want to work through. You could work through all 4 loops, which would result in a sturdy join but a thicker seam. Or you could work through 2 loops. If you work through the back loop of the lower square and the front loop of the upper square, the free loops you don’t work through will leave attractive, decorative looking ridges on either side of the join.


Another alternative is to work through the front loops of the lower square and the back loops of the upper square, which would result in a different look without those ridges.


In the following tutorial, I’m working through the back loops on the lower square and the front loops on the upper square. I’m working in a contrasting color (dark red) so you can see the join clearly.

With your granny squares aligned, insert your tapestry needle into the loops you want to work through:

How to Whip Stitch: Choose the Loops to Work Through and Insert Your Needle Into Those Loops.

How to Whip Stitch: Choose the Loops to Work Through and Insert Your Needle Into Those Loops.

Pull your needle through the loops. Don’t pull it all the way through; leave a tail of at least 6 inches at the end to be woven in later.

Pull your needle through the loops. Don't pull it all the way through; leave a tail of at least 6 inches at the end to be woven in later.

Pull your needle through the loops. Don’t pull it all the way through; leave a tail of at least 6 inches at the end to be woven in later.

Insert your needle into the next set of loops to be stitched.

Insert your needle into the next set of loops to be stitched.

Insert your needle into the next set of loops to be stitched.

Pull the needle and thread all the way through to complete the stitch. You’ll want to pull your yarn tight, but not too tight.

Pull the needle and thread all the way through to complete the stitch. You'll want to pull your yarn tight, but not too tight.

Pull the needle and thread all the way through to complete the stitch. You’ll want to pull your yarn tight, but not too tight.

From here on, you keep repeating the same steps over and over — inserting your needle into the next set of loops to be worked, then pulling your needle and thread through to complete each stitch.

Insert Your Needle Into the Next Set of Loops to Be Stitched.

Insert Your Needle Into the Next Set of Loops to Be Stitched.

Pull the needle through to complete the stitch; again, pull the yarn tight, but not too tight.

Pull the needle through to complete the stitch; again, pull the yarn tight, but not too tight.


Insert Your Needle Into the Next Set of Loops to Be Stitched.

Insert Your Needle Into the Next Set of Loops to Be Stitched.


Pull your needle all the way through to complete the stitch. Be sure to pull the yarn tight, but not too tight.

Pull your needle all the way through to complete the stitch. Be sure to pull the yarn tight, but not too tight.

Keep repeating the same steps as many times as you need to to complete your seam.

Keep repeating the same steps as many times as you need to to complete your seam.

When you’ve stitched through all the loops on the two squares you’re joining, don’t end off, because you will continue joining additional squares.

I will demonstrate that process shortly. First let’s take a look at how multiple squares look if you whipstitch them using the main color of yarn, rather than a contrasting color as I just demonstrated:


If you do the stitching with the same color yarn as the main color of your granny squares, the seam will be much less obvious. Here you can see how a completed whip stitch seam looks.

If you do the stitching with the same color yarn as the main color of your granny squares, the seam will be much less obvious. Here you can see how a completed whip stitch seam looks.

OK, so that’s how you do the whip stitch to join crochet granny squares. Whipstitch makes a lovely join for granny squares, don’t you think?

Next, let’s take a look at the process for laying out a whole bunch of crocheted squares to make a blanket. I’ll be demonstrating this using squares from the gingham check baby blanket pattern. These technically aren’t granny squares, because they’re crocheted in rows rather than rounds, but no matter. The process of joining them is exactly the same as the process of joining granny squares. Check it out:

You can start by laying out 4 or more squares to be joined. Start on the right-hand side (if you’re right-handed) and work from right to left; start on the left-hand side (if you’re left-handed) and work from left to right. Don’t end off in between squares; just make one long, horizontal join.

I started by laying out only 4 squares because I have an extremely small work space. If you have a large table to work on, you could lay out more squares than this.


When Joining Crocheted Squares, Consider Doing the Horizontal Joins First. Here you can see I've laid out 4 squares and whip stitched the horizontal joins between them.

When Joining Crocheted Squares, Consider Doing the Horizontal Joins First. Here you can see I’ve laid out 4 squares and whip stitched the horizontal joins between them.


Here I've added another couple of squares to be joined to this blanket, and I'm getting ready to whip stitch horizontally across. I completed that task before taking the next picture. In the next photo, you'll see that I've also rotated my work to facilitate working the next bit of stitching. If you're following along with your own blanket, you might need to rotate your work, too.

Here I’ve added another couple of squares to be joined to this blanket, and I’m getting ready to whip stitch horizontally across. I completed that task before taking the next picture. In the next photo, you’ll see that I’ve also rotated my work to facilitate working the next bit of stitching. If you’re following along with your own blanket, you might need to rotate your work, too.


Here's how my blanket looks at this point in the joining process. The next step will be to stitch the unfinished seams all the way across horizontally.

Here’s how my blanket looks at this point in the joining process. The next step will be to stitch the unfinished seams all the way across horizontally.


Here's how it looks after that last bit of whipstitching has been completed. There's another bit yet to be completed above it; I finished that before taking the next picture.

Here’s how it looks after that last bit of whipstitching has been completed. There’s another bit yet to be completed above it; I finished that before taking the next picture.


Next, you rotate the work again if necessary and align another row of squares to be joined.

Next, you rotate the work again if necessary and align another row of squares to be joined.


Here's how the blanket looks after that bit of stitching has been completed. Next up: Rotate the work again and complete the last bits. This particular blanket only has 9 squares; you'll have to continue in this manner for as long as it takes to join every square that's intended to be part of your blanket.

Here’s how the blanket looks after that bit of stitching has been completed. Next up: Rotate the work again and complete the last bits. This particular blanket only has 9 squares; you’ll have to continue in this manner for as long as it takes to join every square that’s intended to be part of your blanket.


Here's how my blanket looks now that all 9 squares have been attached.

Here’s how my blanket looks now that all 9 squares have been attached.

Add the Edging of Your Choice to Complete Your Blanket

The next step in this process is to add an edging to finish off your crocheted blanket. If you don’t already have an edging picked out, you are welcome to see if any of our blanket edgings would work for the project you have in mind. You can click here to see our crochet blanket edging patterns.

So there you have it: That’s How to Join Granny Squares With Whip Stitch to Make a Blanket. You can also use the same method for making other granny square projects like table runners, curtains, etc.

I hope you found the tutorial helpful, and that you’ll be able to use this information to finish your crocheted blankets like a pro. Happy crafting!

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I’m excited about this book, Delicate Crochet by Sharon Hernes Silverman! ! I am super proud of the 2 patterns I contributed to this pattern collection. I hope you’ll check out the fingerless gloves and the beaded necklace I designed for this book. Thanks for taking a look at them!


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More About Crochet Granny Squares:

Granny Squares: Over 25 Creative Ways to Crochet the Classic Pattern by Stephanie Gohr, Melanie Sturm and Barbara Wilder, Published by Trafalgar Square Books

Granny Squares: Over 25 Creative Ways to Crochet the Classic Pattern by Stephanie Gohr, Melanie Sturm and Barbara Wilder, Published by Trafalgar Square Books

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Page last updated on 10-16-2024. Thanks for visiting!