How to crochet a flat border around solid granny squares (sort of tutorial, sort of pattern!)

When I finished crocheting the squares for the main body of my Totoro pixel blanket, I already knew I wanted a simple plain matching double crochet border to finish it off.

(ta dahh blog post for my Totoro blanket is coming soon but if you haven’t already seen it online, pop on over to my facebook page to see the pictures!)

Now normally when I finish a blanket, I launch straight into the border with a bit of a gung ho attitude and don’t stop to think about. After all, frogging is my friend. However, given the sheer SIZE of my Totoro blanket, the thought of getting half way round and finding the damn thing had a ruffled border and having to frog hours’ worth of work filled me with dread so I did something highly unusual. Well, 3 things to be precise.

1/ I googled it. Well, to be fair, that isn’t unusual for me, but what was unusual is that google did not supply me with any answers. What? Google why you fail me??? I just wanted to find a quick pattern or tutorial that told me how to add a border to solid granny squares that stayed flat. A bit like this tutorial that I used for my large granny square blanket border which kept everything nice and flat.

I tried various phrases: “how to crochet a flat border solid granny squares” “solid granny square border” “solid granny square border pattern” “double crochet border” blah blah blah. I got nada. Zip.  There were plenty of lovely granny square borders and plenty of double crochet borders but no direct patterns or tutorials for the effect I wanted. Damn. This meant I would have to engage my own brain for once!

2/ I had to think about it logically. Again, not one of my strong points.

3/ I made a test swatch. A TEST SWATCH! This literally never happens. Ever. I shy away from making clothing because of the need to faff around with swatches (and I reeeeeeallly want to make some clothing!) Ugh.

I felt like a proper grown up crocheter.

Needless to say that given I couldn’t find what I wanted on google, I thought I would save my test swatch and write up the pattern here just in case there were any other frequent googlers like me who were also looking for the same thing and coming up empty handed!

I did download a trial version of some fancy crochet chart symbol software but after 5 minutes, I gave up and scribbled with a big fat marker pen on some scraps of paper by my desk. If only I had some washi tape and cute accessories I could have photographed it all arty and deliberate like BUT I don’t so I have no cover for my laziness.

If there is anything in my crappy drawings that doesn’t make sense, please feel free to ask in the comments section!

Firstly, here is the pattern I used for my solid squares; 2 rounds, nice and quick.

Nothing new there, just a standard solid crochet square.  (Although, if I am going to nit pick, for my squares I did standing double crochets instead of chain3 ‘s but I didn’t know how to draw that in chart form haha FAIL)

For the border, I basically applied the same premise as in the aforementioned Granny Square border tutorial and did a bit of dc2tog action.

I did {2 double crochet, chain 3, 2 double crochet} in the corners, a double in every double from the square below and then, a double crochet 2 together over the chain spaces on the long straight sides. Does that make sense? I’m guessing not because I am useless at explaining things.  Hopefully this chart makes more sense than me!!

Once I had done my dc edging, I followed with a round of crab stitch to give it a nice, simple corded edge.

Done!

 xx