Granny Square Letters to Crochet

Granny squares are the perfect crochet project. Small enough to that you can complete them quickly. Versatile enough that you can add rounds of colors for subtle shading or bold effects. Practical to use up all that leftover yarn you have hanging around. And happy to play nicely together. These granny square letters from The Great Granny Crochet Book (1979) make the most of virtues of this time-tested and beloved motif.

Eleanor Denner, the project designer geared these floppy, squishy granny square letters towards kids, with primary colors in the center and the black borders to define the letter shape. Would it work in more subtle shades with hand dyed yarn? Definitely. But having a strong color to outline the letter seems important. Imagine white edging with light ombre centers.

These are definitely not just for kids. They would be would be delightful spelling out a meaningful word on a couch. Or as a monogram on a bed. It’s a project without literary limits that you can add to over time.

The pattern specifies Aunt Lydia’s Heavy Rug Yarn, like so many awesome patterns from the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s do. You can buy it online from vintage sellers, but you should be able to substitute any bulky weight yarn. Your granny square letters are going to be somewhat floppy by design, so you might not want to choose a soft yarn. Look for something a little stiffer.

Also, the directions are for those making an entire alphabet. You will not need multiple skeins and 11 lbs of polyester stuffing for one or two letters.

How to shape the letters, well, there aren’t charts. But you don’t really need them with this photo reference. They’re all pretty straight forward, but the “Q” is not great. Although, lacking a better idea, it will do.

You might want to consider adding a lining. Granny squares are quite open, you can see the bits of polyester stuffing peeking out. Hand tacking a fabric shape to the front and back pieces might be a good idea and might make the letters more machine washable.