Crochet Podcast Ep 5: Granny Square Tips, Yarn Ideas, & More

Crochet Podcast Episode 5: Granny Square Adventures and Creative Yarn Projects

Some weeks are neat and tidy, and some weeks are a basket tipped upside down. This one was the second kind, in the best way. I planned a small crochet meet-up, packed yarn for a handful of ladies, and ended up teaching granny squares to a crowd of 18 (with a whole lot of laughing, a little Swahili, and a lot of frogging).

By the end, I had 62 wildly mismatched granny squares on my hands, plus a new side project I cannot stop making, crochet tissue houses for my kids' school. I also have a few fun ideas for what these squares could become, and I want your input.

The crochet meet-up that turned into an actual party

I went into this meet-up thinking it would be calm and controlled. I was told eight ladies were coming, and I invited two more, so in my head I planned for ten (and assumed a few might not make it). To prep, I made eight parcels of yarn and a sample granny square so everyone could follow the same goal.

Then I got there and, surprise, I had 18 ladies.

Some of them did not speak English, which was honestly such a good time. My Swahili is not great. I can usually tell the topic, and I can count, but that is about where it ends. Still, we managed. There was a lot of smiling, a lot of hand motions, and a lot of counting out loud. Everyone was patient, and we laughed through it.

I also realized something important when you teach in a group like that: you need one very clear "target square." Mine was simple, four rounds, classic granny square shape, but with one big emphasis, leave longer tails than you think you need and weave them in securely. I want these squares to survive real life, which means washing, tugging, and time.

My big goal was not speed or perfection, it was making a granny square that stays together after "a million washes."

If you are newer to granny squares (or you want a clean reset on the basics), this step-by-step granny square tutorial for beginners walks through the foundation, the corners, and the finishing in a very straightforward way.

The setting: trees, mountains, and a day out

The location was just as memorable as the turnout. It was a beautiful, tree-filled place (a Baptist missionary spot) with the kind of shade that makes you want to unpack snacks and stay for hours. I heard it has over 1,000 varieties of trees, and while I am not going to quote exact numbers because I did not measure it myself, I can say this: it felt massive, green, and peaceful, tucked up near the mountains.

The plan was perfect for me, too. I could drop the kids at school, spend the day out, have lunch, chat with other parents, and also meet up with ladies connected through the crochet community here. It was one of those days where crochet is not just crochet, it is also friendship, learning, and a little bit of chaos.

Granny square lessons, zero-waste joins, and lots of frogging

I brought my sample square and explained what I wanted everyone to practice: a granny square with one, two, three, four rounds, keeping corners clean, counting clusters, and finishing in a way that would not come undone later.

Some squares came out great right away. Some were, well, "learning squares." I accepted a few that were not perfect (one had spots with only two double crochets in a cluster, and it was not quite square), but I also had several where we unraveled and redid the round together. That is part of the process, especially when everyone is working with different tension, different habits, and different experience levels.

The most fascinating part for me was seeing techniques I had never seen before. A few of the ladies joined yarn with less than a centimeter tail, basically zero waste. It was impressive, but it did not work for what we were doing, because I needed secure joins and tails long enough to weave in properly. I probably undid joins at least twenty times that day, no exaggeration.

Still, I love seeing how other crocheters solve problems. Even when the method does not fit my project, it reminds me there is not just one "right" way, there is the way that works for the job.

If you are looking for different ways to connect squares once you have a stack, this roundup of 17 ways to join crochet squares is a helpful reference, especially when you want to change the look and thickness of your seams.

The scrap yarn situation (it was serious)

I did not just bring neat, matching balls of yarn. I also raided my "scrap stash," and by scrap stash, I mean three big Rubbermaid totes full of yarn balls I started and abandoned. You know the kind. You pick a color, change your mind, start another project, and suddenly you have a tote of half-used balls that do not belong to anything anymore.

So I grabbed a basket of those oddballs and brought them along. My thinking was simple: let everyone practice color changes by switching yarn each round. In my head, this was a smart learning plan.

What I did not expect was ending the day with 62 granny squares in the most random color combinations you can imagine. None of them match. Not even close. Some are actually pretty cute, but as a group they look like a crayon box exploded.

What do I do with 62 mismatched granny squares?

Now I have a pile of squares in different sizes, different color families, and different vibes entirely. So I started brainstorming. One idea I like is joining them with white yarn to calm everything down. White can act like a frame, and it helps the eye rest.

I also had an idea for pillows, the kind where you fold and seam so one side looks like an X and the other side looks like a square front. That could be a fun way to use a few of the boldest squares without committing to a whole blanket of chaos.

Dog beds crossed my mind too, mostly because dog beds do not care if your colors match. They just want soft.

If you need a jumpstart on granny square project options in general, these lists are great for inspiration: top 20 free granny square projects (for a big variety) and 47 granny square project ideas (for even more ways to turn "a pile of squares" into something useful).

The other piece of this story is the people. All the ladies wanted to come back. That made me happy, but it also made me realize I need to narrow the group. For ongoing work, I would rather focus on about six ladies consistently than try to coordinate eighteen at once.

Yarn tails and a corner-to-corner plan

Toward the end of the meet-up, once everyone was getting the hang of the square shape, I asked them to start and end in a corner and leave a long tail. My thought was practical: if the tail is already there, I can sew squares together later without adding more yarn ends to manage.

Even with the wild colors, I still love the feeling of a stack of squares. Each one represents someone sitting under trees, counting stitches, and figuring it out.

Yarn parcels, Christmas balls, and quiet fidget "toys" for school

Since I had prepared yarn to share, I divided what I had based on how many squares someone completed and what they needed to keep going at home. Some ladies finished fast and made up to six squares during our time together, which is fantastic for a first session. Others made fewer, but they were eager and wanted to practice.

My original yarn plan for "homework squares" was structured: each person would take home nine balls, with three balls reserved for a final round color that would match across their own squares, plus three alternating colors for the earlier rounds. In practice, I adjusted as I went, because real life does not fit neatly into little yarn parcels.

One of the ladies, the one who was making Christmas balls, absolutely flew. She made 24 Christmas balls with the colors I gave her, more of that cheerful, Christmasy palette.

Then she did the best thing ever: she wanted my scrap yarn too. Yes please. Take it.

Why yarn balls are perfect for classrooms

Those crochet balls turned into a whole separate idea. Someone at the school (even the principal) mentioned they could use them in class as quiet fidget items. They are squishy, they keep hands busy, and they do not make noise. That is a win.

Another friend suggested using them in a kids' bowling game. Picture recycled plastic water bottles as pins, maybe with decorated lids, then the yarn ball as the bowling ball. Simple, cheap, and fun.

If you like the fidget idea and want more patterns in that direction, I found this helpful list of free crochet fidget toy patterns. It is nice to have options depending on what texture and movement you want.

My crochet tissue house solution for "no tissues at school"

Later, I walked into my daughter's classroom and got hit with one of my pet peeves. It was cold, kids had runny noses, and there were no tissues in sight. That means kids wiping noses with hands, touching supplies, and touching each other's stuff. It grosses me out.

The timing was perfect, though, because the school theme this term is "homes." Not just houses, but the whole idea of home: homes for humans, animals, different cultures, camping, nomads, all of it.

So I went home and crocheted a "house" that holds a toilet paper roll and dispenses tissue from the center.

How I built the tissue house (my notes, not a formal pattern)

This took a couple tries. My first attempt was a total fail, and I am not even sure if I will unravel it. The second version worked, and the idea is simple: make a sturdy base, build the sides, and shape a roof-like top so it looks like a little house.

Here is the rough structure of what I did:

• I made three rounds of a flat circle.
• Instead of chaining 12, I chained 14 to give a bit more height as it transitions upward.
• Then I worked 24 double crochets, and increased in a planned way over the next rounds (every other stitch, then every third stitch).
• To bring it back in for the "roof," I used back post stitches and decreased where the increases were.
• After that, I worked about seven rounds total for the body, with a single crochet round at the bottom edge to firm it up.

The "assembly" is the fun part. I pop a standard toilet paper roll inside, pull out the cardboard tube from the center, and then you can grab tissue from the middle just like disinfecting wipes. The roll stays contained, refills are cheap, and the kids are not all grabbing the same tissue box opening.

I have made three so far, and I need to make more, because I cannot send one to only one classroom.

For more house-themed tissue cover inspiration (especially if you want a true house look with roof details), this gingerbread house tissue box cover pattern is a cute reference point.

Community updates, the hexagon cardigan, and errands in the "everything gets made" part of town

I also have a quick community note. I run a Facebook group where we share projects, wins, and works-in-progress. If you want to join, it is the Secret Yarnery Crochet Group. I thought I had it set so anyone could join automatically, but it turns out people need approval. The upside is I set it so members can approve new members too, so if you are already in there and you see someone waiting, feel free to approve them.

On the project side, I am trying to get my battery charged so I can film again. I want to start the hug shrug tutorial soon, because I love having something cozy on the hook for the weekend.

And yes, the cardigan. I cannot believe I almost forgot to talk about it. I love it. It is comfy, it fits easily, and it is one of those wearables that makes you feel like a crochet wizard even though it is very doable. If you want the exact project, I have it written up here: Quick Hexagon Cardigan Tutorial.

The errand list: stools, paper bags, and wooden spoons

While my husband was away on business for the day, I sent my driver and my gardener (who is amazing at shopping errands) into a busy manufacturing area where local makers build everything right on the roadside. It is packed, loud, and full of skilled work. Think stacks of metalwork, wooden tools, and practical items being made all day long.

On my list:

• Chapatti stools (because they should be cheaper there)
• Paper bags (plastic bags are illegal in Kenya now, which I love, but yarn needs a cute alternative)
• Wooden spoons (for cat toys, I want to drill a hole in the end and use them like a handle, and they might be cheaper than buying dowels)

It is one of my favorite parts about living here, seeing how much can be made locally by hand, quickly, and affordably.

Conclusion: I need your best ideas for these chaos granny squares

So that is where I am, a happy mess of granny squares, tissue houses, and plans for the next tutorial. I still need to decide what to do with 62 mismatched granny squares, and I know you will have better ideas than I do.

If you were in my shoes, would you join them with white, turn them into pillows, make a pet bed, or do something totally unexpected? Drop your suggestion, because I am determined to turn this colorful pile into something I will actually use, and I am ready for a good plan.