This granny star crochet pattern has such a sweet story to go with it! A few months ago, a reader named Lori sent me an e-mail and shared a wonderful memory of her grandmother and gifted me a pattern. And to keep the spirit of her message going, I asked her permission to gift it to you all as well.
Throughout the year, Lori’s grandmother saved little balls of yarn scraps in a Kraut jar next to the chair where she crocheted. All the grandchildren would watch the jar of brightly colored yarn scraps grow and grow as they waited excitedly for Thanksgiving when Grandma would gather them around and teach them to make granny squares. Grandma would say “Haken op donderdag!” “Een granny deKen“! “Crochet on Thursday! A Granny Blanket!”
When dinner was finished and the dishes were clean, Grandma would give each child five small balls of yarn from the special Kraut jar and help them begin their squares. Then she would encourage them to be creative and make it there own. They played with colors, mixing them into different variations and amazing themselves and each other with the colorful combinations they came up with.
Small little squares filled the room. The grandchildren loved this time and thought it was just fun time spent with their grandmother. Lori and her siblings didn’t know, until many years later, that grandma and her lady friends at church lovingly sewed all the grannies together into blankets for people who needed help, either through hard times or illness. Those little grannies were not only Grandma’s gift of love to her grandchildren, but also her gift to others.
Lori worked up a little granny star crochet pattern for me and in her note to me she wrote,
“It is my gift to you to use, and as Grandma used to say, ‘Make it your little gift of love’ Grandma gave us this little gift and now it can be many! “
So, in the spirit of Lori’s grandmother, I added my own touch to the crochet granny star and wrote up the pattern to share with you. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.
Thank you so much, Lori, for your sweet gift and for sharing your story! Granny Star Crochet Pattern
Here’s what you need:
- worsted weight yarn (from your Kraut jar!)
- H-8 / 5.00 mm crochet hook
- tapestry needle
Resources and tutorials you may find helpful in following this crochet pattern: Crochet Abbreviations, U.S. to U.K. Crochet Conversion Chart, How to Make a Magic Ring {photo & video tutorial}.
Click here to add this pattern to your Ravelry queue.
With first color, make a magic ring (as an alternative to the magic ring, you can ch 4 and join with a slip stitch in furthest chain from hook to form a ring).
Round 1: Ch 3 (counts as dc here and throughout), work 2 dc in ring, ch 1, *3 dc, ch 1, rep from * 4 more times, join and fasten off — 18 sts.
Round 2: Join next color in any ch-1 sp, ch 3, work [2 dc, ch 2, 3 dc] in same sp, ch 1, *[3 dc, ch 2, 3 dc] in next ch-1 sp, ch 1, rep from * 4 more times, join and fasten off — 36 sts.
Round 3: Join next color in any ch-1 sp, ch 1, work 1 sc in same sp, [3 dc, ch 3, 3 dc] in next ch-2 sp, * 1 sc in next ch-1 sp, [3 dc, ch 3, 3 dc] in next ch-2 sp, rep from * 4 more times, join and fasten off — 42 sts.
Ana from Lana & Hilos has created a helpful stitch diagram for this granny star crochet pattern. Click here to open the diagram.
Click here for more of my free Christmas patterns.
I love the story! I made these for family ornaments, white center with red or variegated green or variegated dark blue for the next two rows and then a row of white sc with 2 sc, ch2, 2 sc in the ch3 spaces from round 3. The 2 sc, ch2, 2 sc really makes a good point.
Having trouble with row 3. I don’t end with 42.
How do u end up with 42 sets on row3. I guess I am not doing something right.
why not the star tutorial I need hands on it get it my husband was in service 28 years I need to get this pattern so I can make many red white and blue stars
Carolyn Lance
Just google star tutorial I am sure someone has one…
This is my next years project! you see I make 650 Christmas ornaments for a school and I’ve been searching for a simple crochet ornament to make and I’m so glad I ran across this one thank you for posting this one.
So glad you found it! That’s an impressive amount too 🙂
Thank you for the pattern and the history. I had to make it right away. I did it in white cotton and red and white cotton twist. I did the center and row three in white and row two in the red and white twist. As soon as I find my green cotton yarn I will try it that way, too. Deena
I really enjoyed the story and pattern of the granny star. I’ve been teaching my grand daughter to crochet. I think she would like this.I would like to try making these with cotton thread and enlarging the pattern to make small decorated stars for the tree.
That sounds lovely, Denise 🙂
Apparently I’m going to spend all day on your webpages!! Cute star ornaments, already made 1.. now to go hunt down some more yarn from the stash!! Thank you!! And thanks for sharing a great story.
i was looking for a star to put on a afghan for a military support project. this will be perfect. thank you for the story and the pattern. it is perfect.
What a wonderful idea! I am so glad to hear how you are using it 🙂
Thank you! These are easy enough for a beginner, yet look quite fancy. I did mine all white, and they easily pass for snowflakes. These are to be used as coasters and, if I have time, I’ll make up some more to sew up into table runners.
I have a question, the first round when done as directed leaves 5 points, yet the picture showes 6….which is right? I am one of those that uses pictures along with my crocheting to help keep track of where I’m at a lot of times.
Hi Lisa 🙂 Round 1 should give you 6 points as written and shown. The beginning ch 3, 2 dc counts as 1, then you work 3 dc, ch 1, and repeat that part 4 more times, for a total of 6. Make sense?
That made sense haha. I was reading it wrong I guess, I just couldn’t get it worked out! 🙂 Thanks for the reply and thanks for all the patterns and such, love it!!
I read it wrong the first time, too. Then, I read it slowly and I finally got it. Also, I was missing the sc in the third row. Gotta do that row over again! Guess I’m just in too much of a hurry and “think I know it all!” Ha! I need to slow down and smell the roses! Love the pattern. Thanks so much for sharing! 🙂
what a great story! I too keep a large mason ball jar next to my spot with all my favorite needles, notions, and such. Thank you for the pattern, I really like it.
Thank you for sharing this lovely pattern! Do you know if there’s a way to make it the center of a granny square? It would be perfect for a blanket idea I have in mind, but I’m new enough to crocheting that I’m not sure how to figure it out on my own.
Oooh … that is such a great idea! I will have to play around and see 🙂
Ooh I look forward to hearing if you think it’ll work:)
Thank you for the pretty star ornament pattern! I think it will be the perfect addition to give with our baked goods this year. I’m teaching my sister how to crochet and I’m sure that once she sees these, she will want to make some too 🙂
Thank you for the story and the pattern. I plan to make this in blue and white as its a six pointed star which is also known as the Star Of David to the people of the Jewish faith. I have a friend who I will make this for as a Hanukkah gift!
That’s a fabulous idea, Ruth!
very cute! Super excited to try this. Pinned it! EMily
…and this is one of the reasons I totally love your site. What an awesome story and so generous of Lori to share it all with you. It’s Grandmothers like that who shaped what Lori has become today. What a great story to tell. Thank you so much for sharing!
wonderful story and will pay it forward! Hugs!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it 🙂
Kara, Thank you for sharing Lori’s story and pattern. What beautiful memories of a sweet caring grandmother. I am thinking I might try this pattern with thread instead of yarn.
My husband is a pastor and each year we give a gift to our deacons and their wives at the Christmas appreciation dinner we have for them. As money has gotten tighter, I have been looking for ideas of things I can make. I thought I might make a “bunch” of these and hang them from branch trees as center pieces and then let the couples take them home.
I’ll let you know how they turn out. I know January and February are a little early to start thinking “Christmas” with so many things coming between.
Thank you again and thanks to Lori!!
Oh my goodness, what a wonderful story, Kara! And to think a reader of your’s gave that to you and shared that story. That is just PRICELESS and I love what you did with the colors. Thanks for sharing at Hookin On Hump Day!
I love this pattern! Saw it on Merry Messy Life’s hump day link party.
What a great story and the pattern is beautiful.
Thanks so much for sharing this at Artsy Corner. Hope to see you again this week 🙂
What lovely, sweet memories of a kind and wonderful grandmother. Brought tears to my eyes. Thanks to you both for sharing the pattern. Blessings, Tammy
Thank you for sharing the pattern! You can see mine here: http://creativechaosart.blogspot.co.uk/2012/12/crochet-granny-stars.html
Helen x
What sweet memories!! Thank you so much for sharing the story and the pattern!! I am planning to make these as Christmas presents for my sisters. I also think I’ll take some yarn and hooks to our family Christmas and see if any of the cousins would like to learn to make this! Maybe we’ll start a new tradtion…thank you!!! 🙂
Thanks so much for sharing the story and the pattern. Both are delightful!
This is so cute and the story is very sweet! I would like to make it in all one color, instead of joining a second color in the spaces how would you continue the pattern? Thanks for sharing!
Hi Carmela! If you would like to do the stars in one color and don’t want to fasten off after each round, you can slip stitch over the stitches until you reach your next space. You can also reconfigure the way you work each round by including the chains for the space in your for stitch, for example, in Round 1 you could Ch 4 (counts as dc and ch 1 space), *3 dc, ch 1, rep from * 4 more times, 2 dc, join in 3rd chain of beginning chain. Make sense?
Kara, I was thinking of drawing a graphic pattern of this granny star. That could be my way of sharing this and paying it forward. Would yopu and your friend give me permission to do so?
Let me know…
Love ♥,
Ana BC (Lanas Hilos)
How pretty! Thank you very much! 🙂
______
Lee Ann H
Crochet…Gotta Love It! Blog
Crochet…Gotta Love It! Website (crochet names and rosary patterns)
Lovely story!!! And thanks for passing on the gift to us. I want to make some stars to give away.
What a wonder “share” God bless.
janie
How many chains for the magic ring?
The first chains made in the pattern is the chain 3 for Round 1. For directions on the magic ring itself, see here: http://www.petalstopicots.com/2011/11/how-to-crochet-magic-ring.html.
Thanks 🙂
I am confused on the magic ring too. The instructions on the magic ring tutorial say do the number instructed and your instructions say chain 3 for round 1. Is the magic ring round 1?
Hi Kathleen 🙂 yes, so for this pattern you would start making the magic ring as in the tutorial and then chain 3 and continue with Round 1. As an alternate, you can chain about 4 or 5 and join to form a ring, then chain 3 and follow Round 1 as written. Hope that helps:)
Thanks for the pattern. Hope it’s ok that I use it because I’m a man.
Best Part time Online Jobs without any investment, Just click the Website and Earn.
Free Earning
Aw that is so sweet. Thank you both for sharing the pattern;)
What a lovely memory for your friend Lori. Thank you both for sharing the granny star pattern. 🙂
What a sweet story, thank you (both) for sharing this!!
What a wonderful story! I think I will make up a bunch of these and add them to my Christmas gifts this year 🙂
Thank you for the pattern. I will have to try this.