Can I just say that I LOVE crocheting granny squares? There’s just something sooo satisfying about the way those colors contrast, and the squares work up so quickly that it’s basically instant gratification. In fact, if I only have a few spare minutes available, granny squares are often my go-to craft because I know I can knock out at least a couple of rounds before I have to be on to the next task.
Once you have a nice stack of granny squares ready to join into an afghan or other finished project, you must answer the dreaded question all yarn lovers face–to block or not to block? When it comes to grannies, I’m a big fan of blocking because it straightens out those curled edges and makes the squares more manageable during the joining phase.
Wet blocking usually involves pinning an item to a foam piece (or a folded towel) and then spraying with water and letting the item dry. I always found the task a bit time consuming for all those little grannies, and then I saw a crochet magazine that included a free giveaway–a blocking board for granny squares. And that’s when I had the idea for this little gadget.
This is a Martha Stewart loom set that can be configured in a variety of shapes, and I use it for loom knitting. I grabbed a few pieces of the loom pieces and added pegs to create a square that’s just the right size to block my grannies. I just slip on one granny, spray with water, then add another granny and repeat. I can fit up to three grannies on the blocker.
With this system, it takes me only about 60 seconds to set some grannies to block, and then I just take them off the blocker a few hours later or the next day. This will make the joining process much easier, and I love it when my craft supplies can pull double duty! By the way, if you’re wondering, this pattern is the Harmony Blanket from Attic 24. I’ve made 10 out of 14 sets so far, and I can’t wait to see how this lovely comes together.