I've been playing with granny squares lately. And I want to talk about something that puts a lot of people off granny square garments - the joining. Most granny square projects need dozens of small squares that you then have to connect one by one, which takes forever and honestly isn't the fun part for most people.
My approach is different. Two large granny squares. That's it. You hold them up to your body with the corner peaks sitting on your shoulders as straps, seam the front and back, finish the neckline and straps in single crochet, and lace the straps at the back. I already used this exact construction for the Easy Boho Summer Dress, and this time I made a top with it instead.
What makes this one different
The stitch pattern is completely different from a classic granny square. This one is built on alternating puff stitch rounds and extended hdc rounds, and I worked them in two colors. The puff rounds are in orange, the ehdc rounds are in bright red. The color shift between the two stitch types makes the texture really visible and gives the whole thing a graphic, intentional look.
The puff rounds open the fabric up, the ehdc rounds close it back down. That back and forth is what creates the depth you can see in the square - it's not flat, it has real dimension.
The other things that set this apart from the dress are the length, the stitch pattern, and the hem. And the hem is finished with a ruffle worked in orange - ehdc with a small chain picot in every stitch around the bottom edge.
How it's built
Two large granny squares worked to your size. You try them on as you go with the corner peaks on your shoulders, mark the neckline, check the length, then seam the front and back. Straps are chained and laced at the back. The ruffle is the last step. Made to measure, any yarn works, no size chart needed.
Already made the granny square?
If you followed the blog post where I shared the puff stitch granny square pattern, you already know this stitch. This top is exactly what I was building toward. Time to put those squares to work. 🌿
Want all the pattern details?
See the pattern page for all available information for this design, like tutorial, photos, materials list, gauge, size guide, finished measurements, stitch key, specialty stitches, notes, FAQs and reviews.
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