The term “Granny Square” first entered the public lexicon around the 1930s, during the Depression, when every scrap of yarn was saved, and those who couldn’t work--the grannies--would use those scraps to make blankets. There is a deep history here of thriftiness and making something out of almost nothing.

Traditional Granny Squares start with a ring, into which twelve double crochets are worked, turning that circle into a square, which continues to grow from there. But there could be no perfect metaphor for “freedom within the form” than the Granny Square--changing colors, changing stitches, even changing shapes will create something entirely new and complex from such simple and humble beginnings.

As you work each Granny Square, consider what it will be--a potholder? A shawl? An afghan (as we’ve made here)? How will you grow each small piece to become a part of something larger?