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Book Review: Vintage Granny Squares by Emma Varnam

March 17, 2025 by Anne Weaver

I remember as a kid watching my grandmother crochet granny squares. I don’t even know what she was using them for, I just remember watching her build those colorful squares of yarn stitches. It was so much fun watching the colorful squares emerge from scrap yarn.

I am far from the only one who loves a granny square. Started in the center and worked round after round to create a square (or circle, or hexagon, or any other shape), granny squares are the ultimate yarn project building block. The granny square is the star of the book Vintage Granny Squares: 20 Crochet Projects with a Retro Vibe by Emma Varnam.

All I can say is, this book is absolutely adorable, y’all. The projects are colorful, creative, and all with a fun retro vibe.

All of the projects in this book are based on a basic granny square. There are bags, blankets, accessories, even a cute top. Or how about a pair of fingerless mittens made from granny squares?

But my favorite project in the book has got to be that project basket featured on the front cover. At 9 ½” wide and 11” tall, it’s the perfect size to hold a yarn project or two.

Granny squares are the ultimate portable crochet project. Squares stack neatly and take up little space in your project bag. You can stitch up all the squares you need for the project before sewing them all together.

Granny squares are also a super fun way to use up those leftover bits of yarn, which all seem to have laying around. Why not use these scraps to stitch up a colorful and fun bag or accessory?
You’ll find some great granny square inspiration in Vintage Granny Squares: 20 Crochet Projects with a Retro Vibe.

Publisher: GMC Publications (March 4, 2025)
Language: English
Paperback: 144 pages
ISBN-10: 1784946796
ISBN-13: 978-1784946791

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Have you read?

Easy Cosmetics Bag Sewing Pattern

The bag is simple, uses very little fabric (about 2/3rds of a fat quarter), has no fussy inside pockets (although you can add your own if you like), and takes me well less than 30 minutes to print the pattern, cut out and sew. But quick and simple doesn’t mean it’s not awesome!

It’s the sort of bag that is versatile enough to be used for lots of applications, not just cosmetics and toiletries. Keep all your pens and pencils in order, use it for a small first aid kit for the car, keep it in your desk at work for a few headache pills and other personal supplies.

Make some for yourself, for gifts or to sell.

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