Common Granny Square Mistakes and How to Fix Them

Almost every granny square problem traces back to one of three things: too many stitches or chains, too few of them, or tension that changes partway through. Once you can tell which of the three you are looking at, the fix is usually a small one. The table gives the quick diagnosis; the sections below explain each mistake and how to correct it.

What You See	Most Likely Cause	Quick Fix
Rounds lean or spiral	Every round worked in the same direction	Turn the square after each round
Edges ruffle or wave	Too many stitches or chains	Recount; use fewer chains between clusters
Square cups like a bowl	Too few stitches or tight tension	Check corners; loosen up or go up a hook size
Sides are different lengths	A cluster added or skipped	Count each side before joining
Corners round off	Missing corner chains or cluster	Two clusters and a chain 2 in every corner
Center will not take the stitches	Starting ring too small	Chain one or two more, or use a magic ring
Gap where rounds join	Thin starting chain, low join	Join into the top chain; move the join

The stitch names here are US terms: dc means double crochet (the UK treble), ch means chain and sl st means slip stitch. A cluster is a group of 3 dc worked into one space.

The Square Twists or Leans

A leaning square looks as if someone has turned the middle a few degrees: the corners of each round sit a little to one side of the corners below. It happens because a crochet stitch does not stand exactly on top of the stitch or space it is worked into, and when every round travels in the same direction, the small offsets add up.

Fix: turn the work over after joining each round, so that alternate rounds run in opposite directions. The lean of one round is cancelled by the next. This matters most on a solid granny square and on large many-round squares, where the drift is easiest to see. A mild lean in a small square can also be pinned straight when blocking.

The Edges Ruffle

Ruffling means the outer round is longer than the square has room for, so the edge waves instead of lying flat. Look for these causes:

• An extra cluster on a side, often two clusters worked into one ch-1 space.
• Ch 2 or ch 3 between side clusters where the pattern says ch 1.
• Corners with more than two clusters, or a corner chain longer than the pattern calls for.
• A hook that is too large for the yarn, which makes every chain long and loose.

Fix: pull back to the last round that lay flat and count. If the count is right and the square still waves, reduce the chains: some crocheters work no chain at all between side clusters, or ch 1 at the corners, because their chains run loose. Either change is fine as long as every square in the project uses it.

The Square Cups

Cupping is the opposite problem. The outer round is too short, so the edges pull up toward you and the square forms a shallow bowl.

• A skipped ch-1 space, leaving one side a cluster short.
• Forgotten corner chains, so the corner cannot open out.
• Tension that tightened as the square grew, which is common when concentrating on a new pattern.
• Chains worked much tighter than the dc stitches.

Fix: count first. If nothing is missing, the cause is tension: loosen your grip, pull each chain up to the full width of the hook shaft, or move up one hook size.

The Sides Are Uneven

If one side is visibly longer or the square looks like a kite, a cluster has been added or dropped. In a classic square, each side of a round holds the same number of clusters as the round number, counting the corner cluster at each end. Round 3 has 3 per side; round 5 has 5. In a solid square, every side must have the same number of dc, and the stitch most often missed is the first dc after a corner, which hides against the corner stitches.

Fix: count all four sides before making the joining sl st. If you need a refresher on the counts, the classic granny square tutorial lists them round by round.

The Corners Disappear

A square that is turning into a circle has lost its corners. Each corner needs two clusters with a ch 2 between them, all in the same space. One cluster in a corner, or two clusters with no chain, will not turn the edge sharply enough.

Fix: hold the square by its starting corner and check that the four corner spaces line up on the diagonals. If you tend to lose track, slip a stitch marker or a scrap of contrasting yarn into each ch-2 corner space as you make it.

The Starting Ring Is Too Tight

Fitting 12 dc into a ch-4 ring can be a squeeze, particularly with thick yarn or tight chains. Stitches overlap, the center bulges and the first round is hard to count.

Fix: begin with ch 5 or ch 6 for a roomier ring, or use a magic ring, an adjustable loop you crochet into and then pull closed with the tail. If the opposite happens and the center hole looks too big, use the starting tail to tighten it: thread it on a yarn needle, run it around the base of round 1 and draw it in gently before weaving it away.

There Is a Gap at the Join

A beginning ch 3 is thinner than a real dc, so the place where each round starts can show as a narrow gap or a visible line running out from the center.

• Join into the top chain of the ch 3, not into its side.
• Try ch 2 instead of ch 3 if your chains are tall and loose, keeping the stitch count the same.
• When you change color, start each round in a different corner so the joins do not stack.

When the stitch count is right and the square is only a little off, blocking the square usually finishes the job. And if finished squares are flat but do not match each other, the granny square size guide covers how to bring them to the same measurement.