Giant, Giant Granny Square Blanket
As a child we often travelled to my maternal grandparent’s house for the holidays. I loved my Grandma Cordelia’s old house, especially all of its treasure-filled nooks and crannies and all of the big beds deep with homemade blankets, quilts and coverlets.
Sleeping in the cozy attic bedroom with my teenaged cousins, Marci and Shelly, was always the highlight for me. I loved eavesdropping on them talking about Leif Garrett, Shawn Cassidy and other exciting grown up stuff.
This holiday, in memory of Cordelia’s snug house, I worked up my Giant, Giant Granny Square Blanket that would be equally at home in her house as in a Williamsburg, Brooklyn artist’s loft. I used our new Super Soft Merino in each of its 12 colors for a super soft, super warm and super welcoming blanket, perfect for all of your holiday guests!
Here’s to a house full of cozy guests! –Joelle
Designed by Purl Soho founder and co-owner, Joelle Hoverson.
Materials
Giant, Giant Granny Square Size
To make the blanket in the same size as above, but all one color, you’ll need 53 skeins of Purl Soho’s Super Soft Merino.
To make the blanket exactly like the one here, you’ll need 58 skeins of Purl Soho’s Super Soft Merino in the following colors:
- 28 skeins of Heirloom White
- 1 skein Yellow Yellow
- 1 skein Extra Green
- 2 skeins Desert Blue
- 2 skeins Peacock Blue
- 3 skeins Timeless Navy (only wind two, I only needed a few yards of the third so you may not need it)
- 3 skeins Soft Black
- 3 skeins Toasted Charcoal
- 3 skeins Oyster Gray
- 4 skeins Red Zinnia (only wind three, I only needed a few yards of the fourth so you may not need it)
- 4 skeins Clementine Orange
- 4 skeins Super Pink
Very Large Size
To make the blanket in a Very Large Size, you’ll need…
- 16 skeins Heirloom White
- 1 skein Yellow Yellow
- 1 skein Extra Green
- 1 skein Desert Blue
- 1 skein Peacock Blue
- 2 skeins Timeless Navy
- 2 skeins Soft Black
- 3 skeins Toasted Charcoal (only wind two, you may not need the third)
- 3 skeins Oyster Gray
- 3 skeins Red Zinnia
- 3 skeins Clementine Orange
- 4 skeins Hot Pink (only wind three, you may not need the fourth)
Throw Size
To make the blanket in a Throw Size, you’ll need…
- 12 skeins of Heirloom White
- 1 skein of the first stripe color
- 2 skeins of the second, third and fourth colors
- 3 skeins of the fifth and sixth colors
Baby Size
To make the blanket in a Baby Blanket Size, you’ll need…
- 6 skeins of Heirloom White
- 1 skein of the first stripe color
- 2 skeins of the second and third stripe colors
All Sizes
You will also need…
- A size N crochet hook
Gauge
Approximately 2¾ double crochets = 1 inch
Sizes
Baby, Throw, Very Large, Giant Giant
44 x 44 (68 x 68, 92 x 92, 108 x 108) inches
Note
This blanket is simply an enormous granny square! To learn how to make a basic Granny Square, visit our Tutorial right here. Then…
Patterns
Begin
Begin by making 10 rounds with Heirloom White.
Then work 2 rounds of each of the following colors, with 2 rounds of Heirloom White in between:
Yellow Yellow, Extra Green, Desert Blue, Peacock Blue, Timeless Navy, Soft Black, Toasted Charcoal, Oyster Gray, Red Zinnia, Clementine Orange, and Super Pink. Finish with two rounds of Heirloom White.
Variation 1: Very Large Blanket
The original blanket ended up being truly giant! If you want a very large blanket but not a giant blanket we promise that the version below is quite enough! Finished measurements: approximately 92 x 92 inches.
For a blanket in the same colors as above, begin by doing only 2 rounds of Heirloom White in the center instead of 10.
Variation 2: Throw Blanket
For a throw size blanket, use your 6 favorite stripe colors from the pattern above:
Begin with 10 rounds of Heirloom White, then alternate 2 rows of color with 2 rounds of Heirloom White, ending with 2 rounds of Heirloom White.
Variation 3: Baby Blanket
For a baby size blanket, use your 3 favorite stripe colors from the pattern above:
Begin with 10 rounds of Heirloom White, then alternate 2 rows of color with 2 rounds of Heirloom White, ending with 2 rounds of Heirloom White.
How would you make this blanket with 4 ply yarn (thin yarn)
Hello Lois!
What a lovely idea! Take a look at our granny square tutorial here: https://www.purlsoho.com/create/2007/03/30/granny-squares/
In this link, they give you the dimensions to make granny squares with many different weights of yarn. Once you get the basics started, you simply continue building up on the same granny square until your blanket is your desired size! Hope this helps and happy stitching! -Alyson
How did you get the x in the white middle section?
Hi, Kayla!
Thank you so much for your question! The X that you see in the middle arises naturally from the granny square pattern. You can see a smaller X in these small granny squares from our tutorial: https://www.purlsoho.com/create/2007/03/30/granny-squares/. The bigger the square, the larger the X. If you have further questions, please let us know!
Best wishes,
Kumeko
What are the measurements for this Afghan!? I am currently working on one like this, but I think it might be weird to have a perfectly square Afghan.
Hi Megan,
Thank you for writing in! This is in fact a square afghan! It measures 108 x 108 inches. It looks great spread over a bed or on couch to snuggle under!
I hope that this is helpful!
Cassy
Is this on a queen size bed? I am looking to make one that will fit on a queen size bed an droop close to the floor on the sides.
Hi Lynda,
Thanks for reaching out! While I’m not sure what size bed we used for the photos, this blanket should be just about the right size for your needs! A typical queen size coverlet with a 21 inch drop measures 102 by 101 inches, so our 108 inch square blanket will have just an extra bit of drop. You can always make the blanket larger or smaller by working a few less or more rows.
I hope that helps!
Julianna
How can I make 50 x 50 to 50 x 70 for my tall son? Thank you so much
Hi Granny Nanny,
Thanks for your interest in this pattern! Unfortunately the granny square pattern can only make square blankets, but the beauty of crochet is that you can insert your hook and add on length from an edge to make a blanket rectangular. I suggest you crochet in pattern until you reach 50″x50″ and then add on 10″ to opposite ends to get a 50″x70″ blanket. Good luck and happy knitting!
Best,
Adam
If you start the afghan with a larger circle and crochet ch 3, 2 dc, chain one 3 dc, ch 1 x 5, then 3 dc, ch 1, 3 dc, ch 1 for a corner, 3 dc x 1, 3 dc, ch 1, 3 dc, ch 1 for another corner, 3 dc, ch 1 x 5 down the other side, and finish with 2 corners, join to beginning chain 3 with slip stitch. Would this not create a rectangle rather than a square? I’ll have to try it out to be sure, but it’s just a thought.
There are lots of patterns for a rectangular granny “square” on the web. It would be easy to adapt these color changes for that pattern.
Hi Pamela,
Thanks for writing in. Yes, there are many granny rectangles out there, but being that this is a square pattern it will have to be adapted to become rectangular. This is rather simple if you’d like to add a border at either end. Good luck!
Best,
Adam
This granny square bed spread is beautiful. I also have many great memories of my paternal grandmother. She did fabulous crochet work and many other crafts. Thank you for sharing.
How many oz. to a skein? 3, 4, 6 oz
Hi Rene,
Thanks for writing in! Our Super Soft Merino comes in 100 gram skeins, which is roughly 3.5 ounces.
I hope that this helps and happy knitting!
Cassy
how big is the throw size.
thanks Glenda
Hi Glenda,
Good question! I did some math and I believe the throw size will come to approximately 33-36″ square. I hope this helps!
-Adam
I too remember going to my grandmothers house and she had beautiful crochet bedspreads on all her beds. We were not allowed to sit on the beds until bedtime. She was very good with crafts of all sorts. This was my paternal grandmother.
I’m going to try and make this, even if I only have one grandson and the truth is that young people now do not appreciate work like this. It is a beautiful piece of work and the colors are out of this world. Good luck with future projects.
Hi Elenita!
Thanks for the wonderful comment! I’m so glad you love crafting. Help keep it alive!
-Adam
I have 5 grandsons ages from 7 – 18 and the 2 oldest ones and the youngest have all asked for an Afghan made by me. I made my son and daughter afghans when they were at home yet and they use them all yet today. They are now 38 and 40 years old. Their sons asked me if I would make them one. The youngest will get for his birthday next week.
Using the link you gave that yarn ON SALE would cost about 1100 dollars !! Normally 1500 bucks, and then you still have to do the work to make it. While I love Merino and its my favorite, current costs make it only for the ultra rich I guess. Of course one could use even a super saver for this pattern, but even that is so costly these days its sad. I love big blankets and have made several. Unless I win the lottery, I wont be making this sadly.
Hi Andy,
We totally understand that sometimes our yarn suggestions are more of an inspiration than a reality for many people, and there’s no doubt that this particular pattern can be extremely expensive to make with our recommended yarn. The reason for the hefty price tag in this case is the sheer size of the largest option. This blanket is truly gigantic, coming in at 108 inches, or 9 feet, square, (which is much larger than your standard throw) so it requires a significant amount of yarn.
To help make this project more affordable, we also provide instructions for three other size options, Very Large, Throw, and Baby, which use up far fewer skeins while still being generously sized! Another way forward, if you’re interested in making the largest size, would be to use a thinner yarn. Thick yarns, like Super Soft Merino, will generally work up to a smaller surface area compared to thinner yarns, since they have less yardage per skein. If you make this pattern in a thinner yarn, then you will not need to purchase as many skeins to complete it.
I hope this helps shed some light on the yardage requirements for this pattern, as well as provide you with some ways forward, if you’re interested in making the blanket!
All the best,
Lili
Where is the actual pattern?
Hi Wallie,
Thanks for writing in. We use the tutorial for making granny squares as the pattern. You can find the link for the tutorial in the notes section of the pattern or you can click here. Best of luck and let us know if you have any questions!
-Adam
Hi what weight yarn would that be for this in uk as I’m new to this usually use 4ply double knitting chunky look forward to your reply thankyou
Hi Sharon,
Welcome to the knitting world! Our Super Soft Merino is roughly a Super Bulky or 14 ply weight in UK knitting terms.
I hope that this helps!
Cassy
Thankyou. Cassy
How many stitches to start it?
Hi Donna,
Thanks for the question! For this pattern we are referring to our Granny Square tutorial. In that tutorial we chain 4 and join in the round to start. Best of luck!
-Adam
I made the large bed blanket using a K hook and doubling the rounds in your instructions (i.e. 10 became 20, 2 became 4).
The amount of yarn was greater but I used Red Heart Super Saver yarn and the project was not that expensive and the worsted weight yarn gave the blanket some “backbone.” Also, I had a blanket for my bed and I kept warm on the cold winter nights (Yes, there are cold winter nights even in Arizona).
Paul Gray
gray1948@gmail.com
Hi Paul,
Thank you for writing in, we are always delighted to hear how folks’ projects turned out!
Best,
Kumeko
How big is your very large size roughly?
Hi Cheyenne,
Thanks for the question. We are not sure of the exact size of the very large size but it will fit for a queen size bed. Happy crafting!
-Adam
Please can you tell me how to prevent the giant Granny from being wavy and and flaring out at the corners?
Hi maypole,
Thanks for writing in! If your granny square is curling, it may be that your tension is too tight. Try loosening up or going up a hook size to mitigate this. Additionally, with something as large as a blanket, as you continue on, the weight of the yarn should flatten out the corcheting a bit. I would try crocheting a few more rounds and see if that helps!
Best,
Cassy
I’m making a granny square throw. I’m happy with the current width but want it longer. I want to know if it would work to just go back and forth on one end rather than to go all the way around the square?
Hi Crystal,
Thanks for writing in! You certainly can! The great thing about crocheting is that you can give it a try and if you don’t like the result, you can always easily pull it out. Give and a go and see how you like the look!
Best,
Cassy
are granny square blankets warm if there are holes?
thanks
Erna
Hi Erna,
Great question! I find that my granny square blankets are warm despite the holes. Crochet is quite a bit denser than knit so the holes don’t really have a large affect on the warmth provided!
I hope that this helps!
Cassy
very nice
thanks for thanks for the idea
I finished my blanket with this pattern and it’s lovely! Yay! I really enjoy your patterns and yarns. ❤️ Now, I’m wondering how it should be washed since it’s wool. I’ve heard of blocking things but never tried it and not sure if that’s needed here or not. Thank you so much!
Hi Michelle,
Thanks for reaching out! I am so glad to hear that you finished this blanket and have enjoyed out patterns and yarn! For Super Soft Merino we recommend hand washing with cold water and laying flat to dry! Blocking is a great way to even out and redistribute stitches but it is a totally optional process and definitely not needed for every project. It is totally up to you if you choose to block or not! I recommend checking out our Blocking tutorial, it is an excellent resource to use and explains the process in depth.
I hope this helps!
Warmly,
Gianna
how do I print out the Giant Granny Square blanket in my computer?
Hi Beth,
Thanks for reaching out! If you’re on a desktop version of the site, you will find a “print” icon in the right column just below the “Save To Favorites” button.
Follow the easy on-screen instructions to delete whichever parts of the pattern you don’t want to print or save. For example, you may decide to shorten the pattern by omitting certain images or the list of materials. To remove images, click the drop down next to the image icon and change from 100% to 0%.
I hope this helps!
Warmly,
Gianna
Hi there,
How much of the linen quill yarn would I need if I wanted to make a throw size?
Hi Amy,
Thanks for reaching out! You could use Linen Quill for this pattern, however, it was designed for a bulky weight yarn (Super Soft Merino) and Linen Quill is a fingering weight that is much, much lighter. If you are up for a bit of a challenge, you could definitely re-gauge the pattern for a fingering weight yarn but it may be easier to use a thicker yarn!
Warmly,
Gianna
It’s a beautiful blanket and your yarn is ravishing but 58 skeins at $23 per skein equals $1,334. Maybe if I save my pennies, I can make the throw or baby blanket version.
Hi Annie,
Thank you for writing in. We totally understand that sometimes our yarn suggestions are more of an inspiration than a reality for many people. We are always happy to recommend less expensive (but still beautiful!) alternatives. In this case, our Giant, Giant Granny Square Blanket is actually easily modifiable to any other yarn we carry! This is because all you’ll need to do is repeat the standard granny square round until your blanket is as large as you want it to be. Personally, I think that either Partridge or Linen Quill Worsted would make a lovely (and more cost-effective) blanket.
Thank you again for asking. We’re sure that lots of other readers will thank you, too!
All the best,
Lili
This pattern would also be pretty using your left over yarns from other projects, just adding a different color when you come to the end of a color. Would be very colorful.