Free Granny Square Pattern - Mayanna - Best Crochet Life (2024)

In this post will find all the information you need to make a beautiful, large, free granny square! There is a full list of materials, a crochet stitch key, a list of speciality stitches with links to photos tutorials, additional notes, and full written step-by-step instructions for this intermediate-level crochet pattern in US terminology, with photos.

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About the Mayanna Granny Square Pattern

A popular and forever free crochet granny square pattern first published in 2022 on Ravelry

Thisfree 12 inch granny square pattern was originally designed in Red Heart With Love yarn (with 6mm hook) especially for the 2022 Moogly Crochet Along. I absolutely loved being involved in that CAL because I learned so much about crocheting in general, and granny squares in particular, from Tamara when I was was learning to crochet almost 10 years ago. So you can imagine how excited I was to be featured by her as a designer!!

All the squares in the annual Moogly CAL are forever free and I highly recommend you check them out. So much variety, so many talented people, so many new stitch combos to learn and colours to experiment with!

My own contribution to the 2022 CAL is Mayanna, an intermediate level free crochet granny square pattern that includes a number of specialty stitches and techniques. Since 2021, I’ve been including stitch photo tutorials in all thecrochet patternsI sell onEtsyandRavelry. You can now access those very same handy tutorials by clicking the links in the Specialty Stitches section below. So you don’t need to Google if you don’t know a specialty stitch; you can just get straight to hooking 🙂

Materials – Yarn

• Red Heart With Love (100% Premium Acrylic, 370yds/338m, 7oz/198g) apx 80g total; I used oddments of the following colours: (A) Bubble Gum, (B) Lettuce, (C) Tangerine, (D) Daffodil, (E) Tigerlily for the square pictured above, in line with CAL specifications.
• All Moogly CAL squares are designed in the same yarn for obvious reasons – every month 2 more squares are published by Tamara and they all need to be the same size ready for joining at the end of the year!
• However, I have also made this square multiple times in different cottons that are Aran weight (10ply, #4) like the Red Heart With Love, such as Paintbox Cotton Aran and Scheepjes Cahlista, both of which are just lovely yarns that are available in a huge range of vibrant colours (you know me and colour!🌈🌈😍)
• You can also make this granny square in DK (8ply, #3) with a 4mm hook! Just bear in mind of course that your square will come out smaller than 12 inches. It’s very easy to add another row or two though if you want to size up!
• I personally prefer cotton or cotton blend yarns for granny squares because I think the stitch definition is better but that’s just personal preference. You only have to look at all the amazing projects in the Moogly CAL Facebook group to see that premium acrylic yarns work up into beautiful blankets too!

Materials – Other

• 6mm/H crochet hook; I only use Clover Amours or Tulip Etimos
• Yarn needle; I prefer a bent tip
• Scissors

Gauge

Gauge is not important. Finished crochet mandala using recommended yarn and hook size measures 12″ (30.5 cm)

Stitch Key (US terms)

• yo = yarn over
• st(s) = stitch(es)
• sl st = slip stitch
• sk st = skip stitch
• ch = chain
• ch-sp(s) = chain space(s)
• sc = single crochet
• hdc = half double crochet
• dc = double crochet
• tr = treble crochet

Specialty Stitches

• Adjustable Loop (or ch4, join with sl st to form loop)
• Standing stitches
• Invisible joins
• BLO = work stitches in the back loop only
• FPsc, FPdc, FPtr = front post stitches
• bo = 3dcbobble stitch
• V-st = v stitch; (dc, ch1, dc) in same stitch or chain space

Free Granny Square Pattern Notes

• Experience Level: Intermediate
• Slip stitch joins may be used throughout, but invisible joins are recommended where indicated, for a neater finish
• Traditional chain starts may be used throughout, but standing stitches are recommended for best results
• From Round 9 onward your work will keep the same corners; therefore, stitch counts are given per side to make it easier for you to count
• Have questions? Email support is available: pam@bestcrochetlife.com

Free Granny Square Pattern Instructions

Round 1: Colour A: make adjustable loop (or ch4 and sl st join), ch2, 9 hdc into loop, make invisible join (10 hdc)

Round 2: Colour B: standing hdc in any st, hdc in same st, [2 hdc in next st] 9 times, make invisible join (20 hdc)

Round 3: Colour C: standing hdc in first hdc of any pair, hdc in next st, FPdc around same st, [hdc in next st, hdc in next st, FPdc around same st] 9 times, make invisible join (20 hdc, 10 FPdc)

Round 4: Colour D: standing BLOhdc in any FPdc, BLOhdc in next st, 2 BLOhdc in next st, [BLOhdc in next 2 sts, 2 BLOhdc in next st] 9 times, make invisible join (40 BLOhdc)

Round 5: Colour E: standing hdc in the first BLOhdc of any pair, hdc in next 3 sts, FPtr around R3 FPdc, [hdc in next 4 sts, FPtr around Rnd 3 FPdc] 9 times, make invisible join (40 hdc, 10 FPtr)

Round 6: Colour A: standing BLOhdc in any FPtr, BLOhdc in next 3 sts, 2 BLOhdc in next st, [BLOhdc in next 4 sts, 2 BLOhdc in next st] 9 times, make invisible join (60 BLOhdc)

Round 7: Colour C: standing hdc in any second BLOhdc after a BLOhdc made into a Rnd 5 FPtr, hdc in next 5 sts, FPtr around Rnd 5 FPtr, [hdc in next 6 sts, FPtr around Rnd 5 FPtr] 9 times, make invisible join (60 hdc, 10 FPtr)

Round 8: Colour C: standing BLOhdc in any any FPtr, BLOhdc in next 5 sts, 2 BLOhdc in next st, [BLOhdc in next 6 sts, 2 BLOhdc in next st] 9 times, make invisible join (80 BLOhdc)

Round 9: Colour D: standing sc in first BLOhdc of any pair, sc in next 12 sts, [hdc in next 3 sts, v-st in next st, hdc in next 3 sts, sc in next 13 sts] 4 times, omitting final 13 sc, make invisible join (13 sc, 6hdc per side + 4 corner v-sts)

Round 10: Colour A: standing dc in last hdc of any side, (ch 1, dc) in same st (= first v-st), [ch 2, sk st, bo in ch-sp, ch 2, sk st, v-st in next st, dc in next 2 sts, hdc in next 2 sts, sc in next 9 sts, hdc in next 2 sts, dc in next 2 sts, v-st in next st] 4 times, omitting final v-st, join with sl st to first st (9 sc, 4 hdc, 4 dc, 2 v-st, 2 ch2-sps per side + 4 corner bo)

Round 11: Colour B: standing sc in any v-st ch-sp to right of bobble, [sc in same ch-sp, sc in next dc, sc in ch2-sp, FPsc around bobble, sc in ch2-sp, sc in dc, 2 sc in ch-sp, sc in next 19 sts, sc in ch-sp] 4 times, omitting final sc, make invisible join (27 sc per side + 4 corner FPsc)

Round 12: Colour E: standing dc in any FPsc, (2dc, ch2, 3dc) in same st, [sk st, dc in next st, hdc in next 2 sts, sc in next 20 sts, hdc in next 2 sts, dc in next st, (3dc, ch2, 3dc) in FPsc] 4 times, omitting the final (3dc, ch2, 3dc), make invisible join (20 sc, 4 hdc, 8 dc per side + 4 corner ch2-sps)

Round 13: Colour C: standing sc in any corner ch2-sp, (sc, ch2, 2sc) in same sp, [sk st, BLOsc in next 31 sts, (2sc, ch2, 2sc) in ch-sp] 4 times, omitting final (2sc, ch2, 2sc), make invisible join (35 sc per side + 4 corner ch2-sps)

Round 14: Colour A: standing dc in any corner ch2-sp, (dc, ch2, 2dc) in same sp, [*ch1, sk st, dc in next st* 17 times, ch1, sk st, (2dc, ch2 2dc) in ch-sp] 4 times, omimtting final (2dc, ch2, 2dc), join with sl st to first st (21 dc, 18 ch1-sps per side, 4 corner ch2-sps)

Round 15: Colour D: standing dc in any corner ch2-sp, (2dc, ch2, 3dc) in same sp, [sk 2 st, *2 dc in ch-sp, sk st* 18 times, sk st, (3dc, ch2, 3dc) in ch-sp] 4 times, omitting final (3dc, ch2, 3dc), make invisible join (42 dc per side, 4 corner ch2-sps)

Round 16: Colour B: standing sc in any corner ch2-sp, (sc, ch2, 2sc) in same sp, [sk st, BLOsc in next 41 sts, (2sc, ch2, 2sc) in ch sp] 4 times, omitting final (2sc, ch2, 2sc), make invisisble join (45 sc per side, 4 corner ch2-sps)

And your Mayanna Granny Square is complete!! What will you do with yours; is there a beautiful granny square blanket in your future?? Let me know in the comments; and if you have any questions, I’m here 🙂

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