Crochet Podcast 181: Granny Blanket, Yarn Room Tour, Hearts

Crochet Podcast 181: Granny Blanket, Yarn Room Tour, Hearts

Some crochet projects feel good while you’re making them, then feel even better once they’re finished. This week is all about that kind of win, including a no border granny stitch blanket crochet pattern that looks polished straight off the hook, a yarnery refresh that makes hot-weather crocheting possible, and a brand-new set of heart ideas that are getting tested for Valentine’s.

Watch the crochet tutorial:

The “Perfect Start” granny stitch blanket that doesn’t need a border

The finished project this week is a Granny Stripes Blanket designed to look complete without any edging. The best part is the top and bottom edges match, so there’s no “starting edge looks different” problem, and you don’t have to hide anything with a border if you don’t want to. This happens naturally with a foundation chain that’s a multiple of 3 + 2, letting you adjust the width to customize the size just right.

This blanket is also a real stash buster. The color plan was simple: six different colors plus white, with two rows of white between each color so every stripe stays crisp and separate. In total, it used six balls of colored yarn and half a ball of white (two 100-gram balls of each color were used across the blanket, plus 50 grams of white overall). Instead of counting rows, the approach was to crochet each color until there wasn’t enough yarn left to complete another full row, then switch.

That “use it until it’s gone” method does two helpful things. First, it keeps the project moving (no second-guessing yardage). Second, it minimizes leftovers that are too small to be useful later. There were only a couple tails left to weave in at the end, since most color changes happened naturally at row finishes.

A big design decision came down to one question: border or no border? A simple granny border was tested, but it changed the whole look. Instead of clean stripes, the border treatment made the blanket read like boxed sections inside a white frame, and that wasn’t the goal. The blanket looks more modern and stripe-forward without it, and the edges stay straight thanks to the one row repeat pattern. This easy-to-memorize design relies on a three double crochet cluster worked into each cluster space; you skip 2 stitches between clusters, then flip your work and chain up with 3 double crochet to start the next row.

If you like repetitive blankets that are easy to memorize, you might also enjoy a similar one row repeat pattern in the Easy Dirty Granny baby blanket tutorial, especially if you want that “crochet while watching TV” rhythm.

Community finished objects: your projects are the best kind of inspiration

One of the highlights of each podcast episode is seeing what the community has been finishing. The shared projects are the kind of gallery that makes you want to grab a hook immediately, lots of color, lots of texture, and plenty of “I never would’ve thought of that” combinations.

If you want your finished project to be included in a future episode, tag @secretyarn2026 on Instagram or Facebook. It’s a fun way to celebrate your progress, and it also helps other crocheters who are looking for crochet pattern ideas (color palettes, yarn choices, project sizes, and all the little details that photos show so well).

If you’re posting a blanket like the one featured this week, a quick tip is to take one photo that shows the edge clearly. Straight edges and matching ends finished with a tapestry needle are hard to describe in words, but instantly obvious in a close-up.

Yarnery makeover: portable AC, a new layout, and more space to crochet

A practical upgrade changed everything in the yarnery: a portable air conditioner. It was a Christmas gift, and it solves a very real crochet problem, the kind that shows up as soon as you start thinking, “I’ll just add a border,” and then realize it’s too hot to keep yarn in your lap.

There was a catch though. The AC unit has to sit within a certain distance of a window because of the hose that vents outside. That requirement forced a room re-think, because the original setup had the TV close to the bed, and the AC placement would have ended up cooling the wrong spot. The goal was clear: the AC needed to point toward the crochet bed (the favorite place to sit and work).

So the yarnery got rearranged. The result is more open floor space, a better flow through the room, and a setup that supports long crochet sessions even in summer heat. A new “bistro-style” dining table is now part of the space too, which makes it possible to sit comfortably with a project, have coffee or dinner, and still watch TV.

Here are a few standout details from the new layout:

• The AC now aims directly at the crochet bed, so border season is officially possible.

• The dining table setup creates a stable work surface (great for joining, weave in ends, and measuring).
• A simple “WIP station” still exists, with more breathing room around it.
• Rico (the dog) has a step made from an upside-down terracotta pot.
• A “used yarn” station holds partially-used balls of worsted weight yarn sorted by color, making it easy to find the right shade without digging.
  
  That last part is worth pausing on, because used yarn can get messy fast, especially with remnants from a yarn eater like the current blanket project. A partial ball tends to roll away, collapse, or turn into a tangle if it gets moved around too much. If you like the idea of keeping partial balls neat and ready, winding them helps a lot. This tutorial on how to wind yarn into a center-pull ball fits perfectly with a color-sorted “used yarn” bin system.

To soften the look of the big vent hose by the window, a simple hack was added: a couple of artificial plants placed around the unit, turning it into a “little jungle with an AC.” It’s a small touch, but it changes the vibe from “temporary appliance” to “crochet oasis.”

The yarn wall is real yarn (and why organizing by color makes choosing easier)

A surprising conversation popped up in the comments recently: some viewers thought the yarn wall backdrop was a green screen. The reason is funny and flattering, it’s organized by color so cleanly that it can look too perfect on camera.

To clear it up, the yarn wall is real. Skeins can be grabbed straight from the shelves, and yarn gets pulled regularly when picking palettes. That color-based organization is also why yarn shopping in stores can feel different, because many shops sort by yarn type first, and color second. When your shelves are arranged by color, choosing shades is fast because you can see light-to-dark and warm-to-cool at a glance.

Two viewer comments captured it perfectly:

• Mara shared that the yarn looked fake until seeing it pulled off the wall.
• Beth (Paint Stitch Dig) said she was convinced it was a green screen until watching yarn get grabbed from the shelves.
  
  Color organization is especially helpful when you’re planning stripes or trying to build a gradient. It’s also handy when you want to compare very close shades that would normally be split across different brand sections in a store.
  
  If you’ve ever wanted to make a granny stripes stitch blanket that reads clean and modern (like the finished blanket this week), seeing colors lined up together can save you from accidental “almost the same” stripes. For another reference point on granny stripe construction, this Easiest Granny Stripe Blanket crochet pattern tutorial is a helpful example of the classic stripe structure, especially if you’re comparing border options.
  

Podcast Q&A: family life, crochet students, and staying connected

A few thoughtful questions came in, and the answers gave a nice peek behind the scenes.

What does family think about “fame”?

The short version is that it doesn’t feel like fame at all. Recognition happens rarely, but when it does, it’s sweet. A couple of moments stood out: being recognized once at a restaurant, and another time having someone message after spotting her at the grocery store (but not saying hi).

Locally, the more common “known for” identity is simply being the white woman with a bunch of kids. The family includes three biological children and three adopted children, and her husband is Indian. Their kids come from different tribes, so the family stands out. That’s the kind of recognition that happens more often, people asking where the kids are if she’s out without them.

When the crochet recognition did happen, her husband and kids gave space for the interaction, and afterward her husband seemed proud that someone knew her work.

Do you keep in touch with crochet students?

Yes, and the stories are the kind that make you smile. There’s occasional chatting on WhatsApp, and some students have moved abroad for studies.

In class, students learn or refine basics starting with the slip knot, single crochet, and double crochet, as well as more complex techniques involving four loops on the hook.

One student, Maya, called recently looking for yarn, and some cakes were set aside for when she’s back in the country.

Another standout is Rachel, originally from the UK, who moved to Uganda 17 years ago and Kenya 10 years ago. She’s a prolific crocheter and arrived at crochet class already knowing how to crochet. The class still mattered as a place to connect and make friends, and her granny square output is legendary: she came back one week with 124 cotton granny squares made with a 4 mm crochet hook (and many ends already sewn in). That’s the kind of productivity that makes everyone else stare at their four squares and laugh.

There’s also Litza, remembered by many from a live chat where she stayed shy and only showed her hand on screen. She’s still crocheting constantly and working on Northern Diamond Squares, nearly finished and moving toward joining with single crochet. She’s adding one extra row around the edge, but she’s also now feeling the reality of a long, detailed project that includes double crochet shells worked with four loops on the hook, the same reason it was suggested the project might be a big commitment.

A new yarn shop is expected to open at the end of February, and the exciting part is practical: it should have parking, which makes it much easier to visit compared to other yarn spots in Nairobi.

Dark purple that reads as black: color wheel ideas that can help

A great question came in from Elizabeth: what do you do when you love a super dark purple, but it looks black once it’s crocheted, especially on camera?

That problem is real. Dark purple can look rich and obvious in person, then disappear into “black” under filming lights, or even in certain rooms at home. This effect is more noticeable in single crochet, where the shorter stitch height creates a denser fabric that absorbs light, compared to double crochet with its taller stitches that reflect more light and help colors pop.

The first workaround that helped was pairing it with a lighter purple. When a light purple sits next to dark purple, your eye reads the dark shade correctly as purple, not black.

To dig deeper, a color wheel was brought out. Looking at dark violet on the wheel suggests bold, high-contrast neighbors like lime green, bright yellow, and bright orange. The pansy example was a helpful visual: dark purple with yellow is a classic flower pairing, and it works because it forces contrast.

If you want a deeper dive into how crocheters use the color wheel for palettes, this guide on choosing colors for crochet projects is a solid reference, especially for thinking beyond “matching” and focusing on contrast and value.

The key takeaway from the discussion is simple: if your dark purple turns black, it usually needs either:

• A lighter shade right beside it (a “same-family” fix), or\
• A high-contrast partner (yellow, lime, or orange) that pushes it back into purple visually
  

Valentine’s crochet hearts in progress: heart motif, puff pillow, or heart granny square?

February means hearts, but not everyone wants a “granny heart.” This week’s focus was designing a crochet pattern for a heart that looks like a heart, with a solid center (no messy gaps), a clean point at the bottom, and a repeat that’s easy to remember.

Several prototypes were made while refining the shape. Early versions started with a solid granny square base, but that approach left holes that didn’t feel right for the look being chased. New versions improved the stitch count, tightened the center, and sharpened the point so the finished heart reads clearly. Key details included working chain three at corners, single crochet for smooth edges, and double crochet to build height.

Once the heart shape was working, the fun part started: what should it become?

Here are the three directions being explored right now:

The heart pillow idea is especially cute because it’s simple and forgiving. Two matching hearts, a fast join, and a little stuffing gives you a puffy decoration that can hang on doors, sit in a bowl, or become a whole wall display. There’s also a small tweak planned for the top point, likely using an extended double crochet variation and chain five to refine the shape even more, plus skip 2 stitches before clustering stitches together.

The heart granny square had an interesting development. The first version was technically correct, but it felt lumpy. The improved version was flatter, cleaner, and built with three double crochet cluster and double crochet cluster per round, along with single crochet joins and chain three spaces, which matters because it means it can mix with traditional granny squares without fighting your stitch counts.

If you want a heart granny square pattern to compare approaches, there’s a helpful tutorial already available: Easy Heart Granny Square Tutorial for Beginners, complete with a printable pattern PDF. And if you love heart-shaped accessories, this beginner crochet heart bag pattern is another fun way to use the theme beyond Valentine’s week.

A sweater is also being planned using this heart square concept, and the join is being teased as something special.

If you’re following along on YouTube, you can also find the channel links mentioned in the episode here: subscribe to Secret Yarnery, join the channel membership, grab the free crochet cheat sheet, or browse the left-handed crochet tutorials.

Conclusion

This episode had the best mix: a finished no border granny stitch blanket, a both sided pattern that looks complete on its own, a yarnery refresh that makes summer crocheting realistic, and new heart designs that are being tested into something you can actually use (or gift). If you’ve battled dark purple that turns black, the color wheel chat is worth trying with your own stash. And if you had to pick, would you want the next crochet tutorial to be the heart motif, the puff heart pillow, or the heart granny square?

FAQs

1) What is a granny stripes (granny stitch) blanket?

A granny stripes blanket uses classic granny clusters (groups of 3 double crochet) worked in rows to create clean, horizontal stripes. It is fast, beginner-friendly, and easy to memorize.

2) Why doesn’t this granny stitch blanket need a border?

This version looks finished without edging because the stitch repeat keeps the sides straight and the top and bottom edges match. The stripe pattern stays clean and modern without a framing border.

3) What foundation chain do I need for granny stripes?

Use a starting chain that is a multiple of 3 + 2. That makes it easy to adjust the width for a baby blanket, throw, or larger blanket without rewriting the pattern.

4) How do you keep the top and bottom edges looking the same?

By building the row structure so the “start edge” mimics the “finish edge.” In practice, this comes from how the first row is set up and how each row begins and ends with the same cluster rhythm.

5) How do I plan colors for a stash-buster stripe blanket?

A simple plan is: pick several main colors, then separate each color with a couple rows of a neutral (like white) so the stripes stay crisp. This post uses two rows of white between each color for strong contrast.

6) Do I have to count rows to make the stripes even?

No. You can crochet each color until you do not have enough yarn left to finish a full row, then switch. This helps use up partial balls and reduces tiny leftovers.

7) How do I keep yarn scraps and partial balls from getting messy?

Wind partial skeins into neat center-pull balls and sort them by color so they are easy to grab later. This tutorial shows a simple method:
https://secretyarnery.com/blogs/blog/easiest-way-to-wind-a-bunch-of-yarn-into-a-center-pull-ball

8) Why does dark purple sometimes look black in crochet (or on camera)?

Very dark purples can lose their color identity in low light or on video, especially in dense stitches like single crochet. Taller stitches (like double crochet) can show more light and make color read better.

9) How can I make dark purple look purple again?

Try one of these:

• Put a lighter purple right next to it so your eye reads the dark shade as purple.
• Pair it with a high-contrast color like yellow, lime, or orange.

10) What’s the fastest Valentine crochet heart project from these ideas?

The puff heart pillow is usually the quickest finish because you make two hearts, join them, add a bit of stuffing, and you can hide ends inside.

11) Is the heart granny square beginner-friendly?

It can be, especially if you are comfortable with double crochet and basic shaping. If you want a reference pattern with a printable option, this one is a good comparison:
https://secretyarnery.com/blogs/blog/easy-heart-granny-square-tutorial-perfect-for-beginners-in-2025

Christa Patel is the creator behind Secret Yarnery, where she shares simple, practical crochet help for everyday makers. She teaches with clear steps, realistic tips, and patterns you can actually finish, even if you are working from a mixed stash or crocheting in short pockets of time.

Christa’s content focuses on beginner-friendly stitches, cozy blankets, smart yarn organization, and colorful project ideas that feel fun (not fussy). You’ll often find her testing new motifs, sharing real-life crochet wins, and showing how small changes in color or setup can make a big difference in the final look.

Find more crochet tutorials, patterns, and resources at secretyarnery.com.