How to Crochet the Shawl in a Ball® Granny Afghan/Shawl

by Tamara Kelly, www.mooglyblog.com

The Lion Brand® Shawl in a Ball® Granny Square Afghan/Shawl is such a fun pattern to make! Perfect for road trips, I loved working through all the gorgeous Shawl in a Ball colors while cruising along on a recent trip with my kids (don’t worry, I wasn’t driving!). And I snapped a few photos along the way, so you can make this fun fast pattern too!

Make the Granny Afghan/Shawl

To get started, you’ll want to download or print Lion Brand’s Granny Afghan/Shawl pattern. And gather your supplies: one ball of Lion Brand® Shawl in a Ball® Restful Rainbow, and two balls of Healing Tea. Or pick your own favorite color combo! AThis pattern calls for a US-I/9, 5.5mm hook.

Get Started

Then, it’s time to start crocheting! This pattern begins with a chain of 4. Slip stitch in the very first chain you made to create a circle.

Time for Round 1! This round is the “Right Side” of the pattern – make sure your beginning tail of yarn points out the back of this round. That way you’ll know that that side is always the “Wrong Side” of the project. Don’t worry if you get them mixed up, it’s pretty darn reversible when it’s all done. Round 1 is a typical granny square, so if you’ve made those before, you know what to do!

For the rest of us, start with a chain 3 (that will count as your first double crochet of the round), and work 2 dc in the circle. Then, chain 1 and make 3 double crochets in the ring, repeating this until you have 4 sets of 3 double crochet stitches with a chain in between each set. Join to the top of that chain 3 (aka your first double crochet), and that’s the end of Round 1!

Turning

To make Round 2, rather than continuing around in the same direction like you might usually do when working in rounds, flip it over! This pattern is turned each round, as if you were working in rows. This helps keep the finished project from having that “askew” or “spiraling” effect you can end up with in large granny squares.

To begin Round 2, slip stitch into the chain space you just made (the one right before the join) and continue with a standard granny square round. Start with a chain 3 and work 2 double crochets, followed by a chain 1 and 3 more double crochets all in that same chain space. Work 3 double crochets, then a chain 1, and 3 more double crochets, in each of the corner chain 1 spaces. Join when you’re done.

Turn again for Round 3! Each round is worked in the opposite direction of the one before. So then you slip stitch in the “space” between the two 3 dc groups, chain 3, and work 2 more double crochets in that space. (I put “space” in quotes because there’s no official chain space there – just the very visible gap between the sets of double crochet stitches. That’s where you work granny squares when you’re not in the corners.)

Keep Going

Continue around the square as usual for grannies – work the 3 double crochet, chain 1, 3 double crochet set in each corner chain 1 space, and then work 3 double crochets in each “space” between the double crochet groups along the sides.

Keep on growing your granny square for 23 rounds, turning and slip stitching into the space at the join just made at the end of the previous round before you chain 3 and take off on around the square.

Changing Colors

At the end of those 23 rounds, cut the yarn and weave in that last end (keep the first end one moment longer at least!)

With your second color, join with a slip stitch in the space to the left of any corner – working from the wrong side. (Remember – the wrong side is marked with that first tail!)

From there, it’s all the same. Make 3 double crochet groups between each set of double crochet groups, and work 3 double crochets, a chain 1, and 3 double crochets in each corner. Keep turning and granny-ing until you’ve made 40 Rounds total.

Finishing Off

Now for the sake of getting it all in the photo, I’m showing a tiny little sample in the next couple of photos – and it just goes to show, you can stop early or just keep going with this pattern! However many or few rounds you make, this pattern works!

Here I’ve finished the pattern and I’m ready to make the border. First, turn if you haven’t already – you want to be working from the Right Side for this round.

Next, work a slip stitch, chain 3, and a second slip stitch in between the last double crochet group and the next double crochet group. Then chain 3 and skip the next double crochet group (note that you only work into spaces in this pattern, even here at the border). Then start again – slip stitch, chain 3, and slip stitch between the groups, then chain 3 to get to the next space between groups!

Treat the corners the same way. Work the slip stitch, chain 3, and slip stitch in the corner chain 1 space, then chain 3 to get to the next space along the next side.

When you’ve gotten all the way around, join and finish off! Now you can weave in ALL your ends!

And enjoy your finished project! It’s very quick to memorize this pattern, and it’s a great go-to for all sorts of gifts. Create your own custom combo of Lion Brand® Shawl in a Ball® colorways, or you can purchase the yarn with the pattern as a kit!

I hope you enjoy making it! Don’t forget to Pin this image to your Crochet Pinterest Board for future reference!