Flower Granny Square: An Easy Flat Petal Pattern in Four Rounds

The simplest flower granny square is a ring of eight rounded petals, each one a small cluster of double crochets, framed by two rounds of ordinary granny clusters. The petals are part of the fabric, so the square lies flat, joins like any other square and has no loose edges to catch. Change three yarn colors and the same four rounds become a rose-pink bloom, a violet, a poppy or a plain cheerful motif for a blanket.

What You Need

• Worsted weight (4) yarn in three colors: A for the flower center, B for the petals, C for the background.
• Crochet hook US H-8 (5 mm).
• Yarn needle and scissors.

Only a few yards of A and B are needed for each square, which makes this a practical way to use leftovers. With this yarn and hook, the four-round square should come out at roughly 4 in (10 cm), and about 5 in (13 cm) with the optional fifth round. Treat both numbers as estimates and measure your own first square, because tension changes the result.

Abbreviations and Special Stitches

The pattern is written in US crochet terms (a US double crochet is a UK treble).

• ch = chain
• sl st = slip stitch
• dc = double crochet
• st(s) = stitch(es)
• sp = space; ch-sp = chain space, the gap under a chain
• yo = yarn over
• rnd = round
• rep = repeat

Magic ring: wrap the yarn once around two fingers to make a loop, insert the hook through the loop, pull up the working yarn and chain to secure it. Work the first round into the loop, then pull the tail to close the hole. If you prefer, ch 4 and join with a sl st to make a ring instead.

Cluster (3-dc cluster): [yo, insert hook in the sp, yo, pull up a loop, yo, pull through 2 loops] 3 times in the same sp. Four loops are on the hook. Yo and pull through all 4. Three half-finished dc are gathered into one petal.

Beginning cluster: ch 3, then [yo, insert hook in the same sp, yo, pull up a loop, yo, pull through 2 loops] twice. Three loops are on the hook. Yo and pull through all 3.

Flower Granny Square Pattern

1. Rnd 1 (color A): Make a magic ring. Ch 4 (counts as dc plus ch 1). [Dc in the ring, ch 1] 7 times. Join with a sl st in the 3rd ch of the beginning ch-4. Pull the ring closed and fasten off. (8 dc, 8 ch-1 sps)
2. Rnd 2 (color B): Join B with a sl st in any ch-1 sp. Work a beginning cluster in the same sp, ch 3. [Cluster in the next ch-1 sp, ch 3] 7 times. Join with a sl st in the top of the beginning cluster. Fasten off. (8 clusters, 8 ch-3 sps)
3. Rnd 3 (color C): Join C with a sl st in any ch-3 sp. Ch 3 (counts as dc), (2 dc, ch 2, 3 dc) in the same sp for the first corner. *3 dc in the next ch-3 sp, (3 dc, ch 2, 3 dc) in the next ch-3 sp; rep from * 2 more times. 3 dc in the last ch-3 sp. Join with a sl st in the top of the beginning ch-3. (36 dc, 4 ch-2 corner sps; 9 dc on each side)
4. Rnd 4 (color C): Sl st in the next 2 dc and into the corner ch-2 sp. Ch 3 (counts as dc), (2 dc, ch 2, 3 dc) in the same sp. *[3 dc in the next sp between 3-dc groups] twice, (3 dc, ch 2, 3 dc) in the next corner sp; rep from * 2 more times. [3 dc in the next sp between 3-dc groups] twice. Join with a sl st in the top of the beginning ch-3. Fasten off. (48 dc, 4 ch-2 corner sps; 12 dc on each side)

Optional Rnd 5: Work as Rnd 4, but with three side groups between corners instead of two. (60 dc, 4 ch-2 corner sps; 15 dc on each side)

Checking the Count

Rnd 3 is where the circle becomes a square, and it is the round most likely to go wrong. The eight ch-3 sps are used alternately: corner, side, corner, side. Each corner sp holds two groups of 3 dc, and each side sp holds one. That gives four corners and four sides, with nothing left over. If you finish the round with a spare space or run out before the last side, a petal space was skipped or used twice.

Swapping Colors for Different Flowers

Because the shape stays the same, color does all the work. A few combinations to try:

Two more variations need no new stitches:

• Add leaves. Work Rnd 3 in green and Rnd 4 in the background color. The green round reads as foliage behind the petals.
• Two-tone petals. Use a variegated or gradient yarn for Rnd 2 only, so each petal shades slightly differently.

High contrast between petals and background matters more than the exact shades. Pale petals on a pale background lose their outline once the square is a few feet away. For a white-petal version with long, narrow petals, the daisy granny square uses a different petal construction, and the sunflower granny square has a textured center and pointed petals.

Finishing and Using the Squares

Each square has three colors and therefore six yarn tails. Weaving them in as you go is far less tiring than facing a full stack at the end; the guide to weaving in ends on granny squares shows how to anchor them so the flower center stays closed.

Keep the background color the same across a project and vary only A and B, and a mixed set of flowers will still look planned. Since the outer round is a standard cluster round, these squares can be mixed with plain ones of the same round count and joined by any of the usual methods in how to join granny squares.