How to Join Granny Squares: 8 Methods Compared

You have spent weeks crocheting beautiful individual granny squares, and now you face the part that many crocheters dread: putting them all together. Joining granny squares is a crucial step that affects the look, feel, and durability of your finished blanket or project. The good news is there are multiple methods, and each has specific advantages depending on the look you want and the level of effort you are willing to invest.

I have assembled over 40 granny square blankets in my career, and I have used every joining method on this list multiple times. Here is my honest assessment of each one, including the pros, cons, and which projects each method suits best.

8 Joining Methods Compared

1. Whip Stitch (Easiest)

Thread a yarn needle with matching yarn. Hold two squares together with right sides facing. Stitch through both layers, going from front to back repeatedly along the edge. This creates a visible ridge on the wrong side and a neat seam on the right side. Space stitches about 1/4 inch apart for strength without bulk.

Pros: fastest method, requires only a yarn needle, very beginner-friendly. Cons: creates a visible seam ridge on the wrong side, slightly less flexible than crocheted joins. When to use: baby blankets, charity blankets, any project where speed matters more than invisible seams.

2. Mattress Stitch (Invisible)

Lay squares side by side with right sides facing up. Using a yarn needle, pick up horizontal bars between edge stitches alternating between the two squares. Pull snug every few stitches. The seam disappears completely into the fabric, creating a truly invisible join. This is the technique used by professional crocheters and in published pattern samples.

3. Join-As-You-Go (JAYG)

JAYG eliminates the separate joining step entirely by connecting each new square to the previous ones during the last round. On the final round of each subsequent square, replace chain spaces with slip stitches into the corresponding chain space of the adjacent square. This creates a clean, consistent join with no sewing required.

JAYG is my preferred method for blankets with 50+ squares because it saves an enormous amount of time. Instead of crocheting all squares, then spending days joining them, each square is connected as soon as it is finished. The satisfaction of seeing the blanket grow square by square is motivating too. Use our Granny Square Calculator to plan your layout before starting JAYG.

Tips for Perfect Joins

Block squares first. Always block individual squares to uniform size before joining. Unblocked squares of varying sizes create a wavy, puckered blanket no matter which joining method you use.

Consistent tension. Keep your joining tension even throughout. Too tight and the blanket won't lay flat; too loose and the seams will gap.

Plan your layout. Arrange all squares on a flat surface before joining to finalize color placement. Take a photo for reference.

Join in strips first. For large blankets, join squares into horizontal strips, then join the strips together. This is easier to manage than trying to join individual squares in a grid pattern.