Your basket is empty.
Continue Shopping
Sunny Day Granny Square Blanket
A beautiful, beginner-friendly crochet project to bask in the brilliant colors of our Cotton Chirp DK yarn, the Sunny Day Granny Square Blanket pattern is all clear skies ahead!
You crochet this blanket one granny square at a time, making it perfect for patio stitching and crocheting on the go. Just put a few colors and your hook in your bag, and you’re set! Using crochet’s most foundational motif, a truly brand-new crocheter can hook this up with ease, using our clear step-by-step pattern and our excellent How To Make A Granny Square Tutorial.
Easy to pick up and hard to put down, the 99 bright little squares will absolutely fly by! When you’re finished, you simply throw them all in the washer and dryer, arrange them just so, and then seam them together into a patchwork of joyful summer memories.
Cotton Chirp DK is a dream for crochet, a satisfyingly round and smooth cotton yarn at a generous light-worsted weight. Spun from totally irresistible 100% unmercerized Peruvian Pima cotton, this yarn is so silky-soft and brilliantly colored that your heart will soar with every stitch.
To crochet your own Sunny Day Granny Square Blanket, you’ll need one 100-gram ball of 9 Cotton Chirp DK colors, plus 4 balls of your main color. We went with a palette of golden sun, blooming flowers, and crystalline pools… Do the same or play with this yarn’s 32-color palette for a whole new take.
Savor relaxing stitches in a cheerful yarn as you crochet your Sunny Day Granny Square Blanket… Each new square an open window to a beautiful day!
Yarn lovers, if you adore the yarn used in this project, you’ll love exploring all of our other yarn collections! Discover over 55 thoughtfully designed yarns in nearly every natural fiber and in every spectacular color you can imagine. Only available here at Purl Soho’s online yarn store, where every skein is created with care and your creativity in mind!
Pattern designed and written by Purl Soho designer, Gaby Bush.
Story written by Andrea Lotz for Purl Soho.
Want to print this pattern? On desktop, find the “print” icon in the right margin, and on mobile, scroll to the end of the pattern for it. Use the on-screen instructions to remove anything you don’t want to print!
Materials
- Purl Soho’s 100-gram Cotton Chirp DK, 100% Peruvian Pima cotton yarn. Each ball of this light worsted/DK-weight yarn is 232 yards/ 100 grams.
- Main Color (MC): 4 balls; approximately 925 yards required. We used Heirloom White.
- Contrast Colors (CC’s): 9 balls (1 per color); approximately 180 yards required of each color. We used the colors Chartreuse Yellow, Firecracker Red, Fresh Guava, Golden Honey, Mineral Rose, Pink Ice, Pink Lily, Soft Blue, and Yellow Parakeet.
- A size F (3.75 mm) crochet hook
GAUGE
One Square = 4½ inches, unlaundered
NOTE: To check your gauge (and save yarn!), we recommend working Square A in a single color without cutting your yarn so you can reuse it. If your square turns out smaller, unravel and try a bigger hook, or if it turns out bigger, try a smaller hook!
SIZES
Finished Blanket Dimensions: 36 inches wide x 44 inches square, laundered
Finished Square Dimensions: 4 inches square, laundered
NOTES
GRANNY SQUARE BASICS
We provide directions below for making this blanket’s granny squares, but if you’ve never made a granny square, you may find a visit to our How To Make A Granny Square Tutorial helpful. It’ll equip you with more thorough step-by-step instructions!
GRANNY SQUARE PATTERNS: WRITTEN INSTRUCTIONS
NOTE: Because you’ll be referencing these squares throughout the pattern, you may want to print this pattern out so you don’t have to scroll back and forth. You’ll find some helpful tips for printing above the Materials section!
SQUARE A
With Contrast Color (CC), chain (ch) 5 and join into a ring with a slip stitch (sl st).
Round 1 (right side): Ch 3 (counts as dc throughout) and continuing to work in ring, 2 double crochet (dc), ch 2, [3 dc, ch 2] 3 times, slip stitch into third chain of beginning ch-3 to join (here and throughout). [4 ch-2 corners; 4 3-dc clusters]
Cut CC and fasten off.
With Main Color (MC), join to any ch-2 space with sl st.
Round 2: Ch 3, 2 dc in same corner space, [ch 1, (3 dc, ch 2, 3 dc) in next corner space] 3 times, ch 1, 3 dc into beginning corner space, ch 2, join. [4 ch-2 corners; 4 ch-1 spaces; 8 3-dc clusters]
Round 3: Ch 3, 2 dc in last corner space of previous round, [ch 1, 3 dc in next ch-1 space, ch 1, (3 dc, ch 2, 3 dc) in next corner space] 3 times, ch 1, 3 dc in next ch-1 space, ch 1, 3 dc in beginning corner space, ch 2, join. [4 ch-2 corners; 8 ch-1 spaces; 12 3-dc clusters]
Round 4: Ch 3, 2 dc into the last corner space of previous round, [ch 1, *3 dc into next ch-1 space, ch 1, repeat from * to next corner space, (3 dc, ch 2, 3 dc) into next corner space] 3 times, ch 1, **3 dc into next ch-1 space, ch 1, repeat from ** to next corner space, 3 dc into beginning corner space, ch 2, join. [4 more ch-1 spaces; 4 more 3-dc clusters]
Round 5: Repeat Round 4. [4 ch-2 corners; 16 ch-1 spaces; 20 3-dc clusters]
Cut MC and fasten off.
SQUARE B
Begin as for Square A and work Round 1.
Cut CC and fasten off.
With another CC, join to any ch-2 space with sl st and work Rounds 2-4 of Square A.
Cut CC and fasten off.
With MC, join to any ch-2 space with sl st and work Round 5 of Square A.
Cut MC and fasten off.
SQUARE PATTERNS: CHARTS
KEY
SQUARE A
SQUARE B
NOTE: Want to see it bigger? Download this chart (and key) as a PDF!
PATTERN
SQUARE A
Following the written or charted instructions for Square A (see Notes, above), make one Square A for each CC. [9 total Square A’s]
SQUARE B
Following the written or charted instructions for Square B (see Notes, above), make 10 Square B’s for each color pair below. [90 total Square B’s]
Here are the 9 color pairs we used for our squares, listing first the CC used for the beginning and Round 1 and then the CC used for Rounds 2–4. Make 10 of each.
- Chartreuse Yellow + Pink Lily
- Firecracker Red + Pink Ice
- Fresh Guava + Chartreuse Yellow
- Golden Honey + Firecracker Red
- Mineral Pink + Soft Blue
- Pink Ice + Golden Honey
- Pink Lily + Yellow Parakeet
- Soft Blue + Fresh Guava
- Yellow Parakeet + Mineral Pink
FINISHING
WEAVE IN TAILS + BLOCK
Weave in all ends and gently machine wash and dry squares.
ASSEMBLE
Arrange the finished squares however you like in a 9 x 11 grid, or follow along with the diagram below to make your blanket just like ours.
KEY
DIAGRAM
NOTE: Want to see it bigger? Download this diagram (and key) as a PDF!
Use MC to sew together your squares. We stitched ours with a whipstitch, and our Sewing Crocheted Squares Together Tutorial has a video that explains exactly how to do it!
Weave in remaining tails and your blanket is done!
Share your progress and connect with the community by tagging your pics with #PurlSoho. We can’t wait to see what you make!
Learn About Cotton Chirp DK + All Our Beautiful Yarns
This project absolutely glows in our Cotton Chirp DK yarn! A celebration of 100% Peruvian Pima cotton, this very special yarn is beautifully soft, amazingly strong, machine washable, and a real joy to crochet. It’s perfect for everything from warm-weather garments and baby gifts to colorful housewares and blankets! The 32 colors in the palette are as brilliant as tropical birds, with a silky glow that catches the light and delights the eye. For smaller amounts and creative color play, check out our Cotton Chirp DK Minis, 25-gram balls of the same yarn in the same colors!
More Free Knitting + Crochet Patterns
- Be sure to explore our growing collection of free Cotton Chirp DK knitting + crochet patterns and cast on!
More Light Worsted/ DK-Weight Yarns
- Shop our entire collection of light worsted/DK-weight yarns (What does DK-weight yarn mean, really? Our guide to DK yarn will answer your questions and demystify.)
- If you want to use a different yarn, be sure to take the time to get the correct gauge. Need help? Check our All About Gauge Tutorial, our Yarn Substitution article, and our Complete Guide To Yarn for lots of helpful information.
More Yarns With Similar Fiber
- Shop cotton yarn (What helps cotton keep its cool? Learn all about this soft, natural fiber in our guide to cotton yarn!)
- Shop plant-based yarn
- Shop machine-washable yarn
Looking for more inspiration? Explore all of our crochet patterns and crochet tutorials, buy one of our many kits and yarn bundles, and shop for beautiful yarn. We have over 35 gorgeous natural fiber yarns in 100’s of magnificent colors, designed to bring integrity, beauty, and joy to your next crochet or knitting project and only available at Purl Soho!
Is there a way to knit this adorable blanket, rather than crochet?
Hi Kerry,
Thank you so much for writing in. I’m glad to see our Sunny Day Granny Square Blanket spoke to you. This sounds like a really lovely idea!
I’m so sorry to share that this pattern is currently written for crochet only, and it would be an extensive rewrite to create a knit version. This would, sadly, be beyond the resources we have available at this time. Typically, in a knit style, these kinds of patterns might be made with a lace-style motif using yarn-overs and/or a center-out construction.
We definitely want to encourage you to be creative, though! We do have one pattern that features either a knit or a crochet style to achieve the granny square. It’s called the Fair and Square Blanket and might give you a great starting point for translating the crochet to knitting, here. You might also appreciate the look of the Chamomile Blanket as it features a design with squares delineated by bobbles.
I hope this helps, and that your next project is exactly what you’re hoping for! Please feel free to reach back out with any other questions you might have.
Happy knitting,
Hills
This blanket is adorable as it is! Is the yarn available as a kit?
Hi Adrian,
Thank you so much for reaching out! I’m so glad you’re loving the Sunny Day Granny Blanket as much as we do. While it isn’t currently available as a kit, I love this idea and would be so glad to share it with our team!
In the meantime, if you need any help picking out yarn or pairing colors, etc., we would love to help! I’ll keep an eye out for your reply here, or you can also email us at [email protected], where we would be able to send you some photos of colors paired together.
I hope this helps, and please let me know if you have any other questions!
Happy crafting!
Hills
How much of each yarn would I need to make a throw/afghan size? Thanks!
Hi Susie,
This sounds like a great idea, and I’m happy to help!
To reach throw size, you would want to aim for around 44 inches wide x 56 inches long. The original blanket is 36″ wide by 44″ long. Each square is 4″, laundered. You could most easily add 3 extra rows of granny squares to the length, and 2 extra columns to the width. This would result in a blanket 56″ wide and 40″ long. We used 2,545 yards to make the original blanket of 99 squares. You would be making an extra 55 squares (for a total of 154 squares in an 11 by 14 square grid.
If we used 2,545 yards for 99 squares, you would need 3,959 yards total: 1,425 yards of main color, and 282 yards of each contrast color for a total of 2,534 yards. There are 232 yards per skein, so you would need 7 skeins of main color, and 2 skeins of each contrast color (18 total for contrast colors).
Wishing you happy crafting!
Hills
Hello, this looks like such a fun project especially for warmer climates. Can you tell me how many squares you can get out of 1 mini skein?
I want to check out Cotton Chirp DK, small scale before buying the larger skeins.
Thank you so much for your help!
Hi Tamara,
This sounds like a great idea! Thank you so much for reaching out with this great question.
We used a total of 2,545 yards for 99 squares. That’s about 26 yards per square (not accounting for seaming). There are 232 yards in a ball of Cotton Chirp… so one ball could make 8 squares if you crochet in a single color.
If you want to try it out with contrast colors, you could pick up one main color and two different contrast colors. We used 1,620 yards of contrast color, which is 64% of the total yardage used. Each square is made of 64% contrast color and 36% main color. If each ball can make 8 squares, you’d be able to make 24-26 squares with two contrasting colors added. 696 yards total, 232 yards for the main color, and 464 yards for two contrast colors. 696 yards divided by the number of yards used per square (around 8) would give you 26 squares. With the percentage used for each color, you may be closer to 24 squares.
I hope this is helpful! Please feel free to reach back out with any other questions you might have! We can’t wait to see what you make!
Happy crocheting,
Hills
Hi! Is there an easy way to make the finished blanket bigger?
Hi Pamela!
Thanks for your great question! You can totally make this blanket larger by crocheting an extra row and column of granny squares… what a great idea!
The original layout was 9 squares by 11 squares for 99 total squares. To add an extra row of squares to the length and width, you would need to make an additional 21 squares for a total of 120 squares.
If we used 2,545 yards for 99 squares, you would need 3,085 yards for 120 squares. The blanket is about 36% main color and 64% contrast color. If you multiply this ratio by the new yardage, you’ll find you would need 1,963 total yards of contrast color, and 1,111 of main color. If you want to stick to 9 colors, you would need 1 extra skein of each contrast color (or 218 yards), and one extra skein of the main color. That means, 5 total of main color and 2 total of each contrast. You could also add a 10th contrast color; you would still need one extra skein of each color, plus 2 (total) of your new color.
I hope this helps… please feel free to reach back out!
Happy crocheting!
Hills
Thank you!
Only I can say it’s beautiful
Thank you so much, Parvin! I’m so glad you love the Sunny Day Granny Square Blanket.
Please feel free to reach out with any questions you might have!
Happy crafting,
Hills
I am very interested in making several granny blankets cuz. I have family members , i like to make them a warm granny blankets , it’s gets cold in Chicago THANK U
Would it work to make it bigger by doing an extra round of the both the center color and the 2nd color.
Hi Christine!
Thanks so much for this question. This would work!
Sadly, I don’t have yardage requirements to help with this modification, so I can’t suggest how much yarn you would need to complete the project or how much larger the project would be. With that in mind, I totally encourage you to try it out! We would love to see the results!
Happy crafting,
Hills
Do you recommend washing and blocking before or after sewing the squares together?
Hi Julie,
Thanks so much for reaching out with this great question! I’m so glad to see you’re working on the Sunny Day Granny Square Blanket!
We recommend blocking each piece before assembling the squares for seaming. This will help ensure your seams are nice and even! Smaller inconsistencies in pieces when assembled can lead to exponential effects…for pieces that require a lot of seaming, I would typically suggest blocking first to make these seams as even as possible.
I hope this helps! Please feel free to circle back with any follow-up questions.
Happy crocheting!
Hills
Thank you, Hllls. That’s really helpful.