How to join Granny Squares, using the Join-as-you-go (JAYG) method

Today I am going to show you a great (new to me) technique for joining granny squares. The Join-as-you-go or JAYG method is super quick and easy once you know how.

The one thing I absolutely love about crochet, is that I don’t think I will ever stop learning. I have seen this method many times before but they were joined using a border colour. I wanted to know how to join them with a different colour on each square, just like my Insta friend Amanda of @eightbysix, I have always admired her granny squares, she has the feed of dreams!! & she very kindly talked me through how she joins her squares & I don’t think I will join them any other way now!

Please note: This is an example of one version of the JAYG method, to me it is the easiest & quickest, there is no right or wrong, this is just my preferred way of joining.

This tutorial is – how to join granny squares, if you would like to know HOW to make a granny square or WHAT you can make with them? check out my blog post Easy Granny Square Bag.

Yarn

I have used Deramores Studio DK yarn in shades Ocean, Dusky Lilac, Mustard, Smoke & Slate. You can purchase this yarn here.

Let’s get started…….

I have used a 5 round granny square for my tutorial. I will call the square you are working on the …..working square & the square you are joining to the…….joining square.

To begin you need to finish a whole granny square.
For the next working square, complete up to round 4, then only crochet three sides of round 5. (stopping after the 1st cluster on a corner)

Place the working square on the side you wish to join it to.

Insert your hook into the corner space of the joining square you want to join to, yarn over & slip stitch to join, chain 1

Make your 2nd corner cluster into the working square, insert your hook into the next space (between clusters) on the joining square & slip stitch.
Make a cluster in the next space (between clusters) on your working square, insert your hook into the next space (between clusters) on the joining square yarn over & slip stitch.

Repeat the above steps until you reach your corner, you will make a cluster in the corner of your working square, slip stitch into the corner space of your joining square & slip stitch straight into the top of your beginning chain 3 to join. (if you like here you can chain 1 after the slip stitch, but I think by omitting it, gives a cleaner, straighter edge.)

To join another square, complete up to round 4, then only crochet two sides of round 5. (stopping after the 1st cluster on a corner). Place the working square on the side you wish to join it to. Follow the above steps until you reach the corner.

After the 1st corner cluster in your working square, insert your hook in to the corner space of the joining square (grey), yarn over & slip stitch, now you are going to turn & join down the other side of the working square, so insert your hook into the corner space of the new joining square (pink), yarn over & slip stitch.

Make your 2nd corner cluster into the working square, insert your hook into the next space (between clusters) on the joining square yarn over & slip stitch……..continue as above for all squares now.