Make a Rainbow Afghan

Granny Squares are easy to do and making them is a great way to use up left-over yarn. I'm not going to explain how to make a Granny Square. There are hundreds of websites that explain it much better than I ever could.

How to Crochet a Granny Square

How to Make a Granny Square (with video)

The Granny Squares for my afghan have five rounds. I was thinking flowers when I first started so the centers are all yellow. The next two rounds are a variety of colors. I tried to stay with the light and the bright, but mostly I used whatever I had on hand.

The fourth and fifth rounds were a problem. My original plan was to use just left-over yarn, but I have a need for consistency. I chose to make the fourth square a navy blue and the fifth cream color. (I don't like hooking together two different colors.) I ended up buying yarn but I use the navy and the cream color for a lot of different projects.

There's rarely any left-over.

When I start a project, I like to see some results. Constantly switching yarns was a problem. Rather than fight with that, I started doing a dozen centers first, and then crocheting the next two rounds on all of them. I had close to fifty small multicolored squares before I started crocheting with the navy blue and the cream.

Granny squares can be worked with any gauge crochet hook. As with most new crocheters, I tend to crochet tight. The H hook works best for me.

Size: Size in optional. I plan to use mine as a throw on the sofa so it's a little smaller than the usual afghan. It is 9 squares by 10 squares.

Hooking the Squares Together: My sister prefers to slipstich. I prefer crocheting the squares together. Either will work.

If you like to crochet and are at a loss as to what to do with all the half-skeins and bits of left-over yarn, consider making a Rainbow Afghan. You can make it for yourself or give it away as a gift. I have one, and am currently working on a second. It will be a gift. I just don't know who will be the recipient.