I’m sharing my review of a book by Susan “Sue” Pinner today, along with an excerpted pattern for a cozy motif lap blanket. Experiment with triangles while making this beautiful pattern!

This post contains affiliate links. I may receive compensation (at no added cost to you) if you make a purchase using these links. A free review copy of Granny Squares & Shapes: 20 Crochet Projects For You and Your Home by Susan Pinner was provided to me by GMC Publications Ltd. Although I accept free products for review, I do not accept additional compensation, nor do I guarantee a positive review. My reviews are based entirely on my honest opinions.

Book Review 

Granny Squares & Shapes: 20 Crochet Projects For You and Your Home is the second book by Susan “Sue” Pinner. It’s the follow up to Granny Squares: 20 Crochet Projects with a Vintage Vibe. If you’re familiar with that book or Sue’s blog, you are probably familiar with Sue’s cozy and colorful motif patterns. Granny Squares & Shapes delivers exactly what you would expect from Sue. It opens with her introduction, written in a very personable style. The book follows with 20 pages of “eye candy”: full size, full color photographs of the projects (with the pattern name and page number written towards the bottom of each page). The Getting Started section includes 20 pages of information to help even a beginner crocheter make the projects successfully. This section includes information about tools, yarns, basic crochet techniques (including written and illustrated instructions for the slip knot, 7 basic crochet stitches, 2 special stitches, several ways to work in the round, how to weave in ends, and 4 seaming methods), information about the care and blocking of your projects, and even a problem-solving guide. Throughout this section (and the rest of the book), you can find “Granny’s Tips” where Sue shares helpful tricks for crocheters. At the end of this section, Sue also includes basic patterns for 4-round granny squares, circles, and hexagons.

The next section, Projects, includes the patterns. There are 9 home decor patterns, including 2 bowls, 2 pillow covers, and a stool cover, bunting, blanket, table mat, and rug. The remaining 11 patterns are for women’s garments and accessories, including 2 tops, 2 wraps/shawls, a pair of slippers, a hair band, a beret, a shawl pin, a collar, a bag, and barefoot sandals. Each pattern includes the finished size, a materials list (or “you will need”) section, tension (gauge) information, and pattern notes. Again, the “Granny’s Tips” are sprinkled throughout to help you along the way. Each pattern is broken down into sections that include the motif patterns and instructions for assembly, if appropriate. Many projects include an assembly diagram. And, of course, there are loads of pictures, including full page images, details of the motifs, and close ups and modeled shots, too.

The book ends with back matter that includes a key to pattern abbreviations and conversion guides for US to UK abbreviations and hook sizes, a list of suppliers, and helpful resources including books and websites. I reviewed the UK version, but there is a US version available also. The book is a hefty paperback, so it is difficult to crochet and read at the same time, but it does have front and back cover flaps, so it’s easy to mark your place when you put the book down. The book doesn’t list a difficulty level with any of the patterns, but it’s safe to say that an adventurous (or determined) beginner can make anything included. More advanced crocheters will find the projects meditative and Sue’s color tips inspiring. I recommend this book for crocheters who like working with motifs and who are interested in going beyond the basic granny square blanket projects. And, of course, if you just like to flip through colorful project pictures for inspiration, you’ll enjoy this book, too.

Triangle Lap Blanket

Crochet Pattern by Susan Pinner

Published in Granny Squares & Shapes: 20 Crochet Projects For You and Your Home.

© 2015 Susan Pinner and GMC Publications Ltd and shared with permission from GMC Publications Ltd.

Notes from Underground Crafter:

• This pattern uses standard U.K. crochet pattern abbreviations. You can find a guide to U.S. and U.K. crochet abbreviations here.
• An illustrated Finger Wraps tutorial is available after the pattern.

This fabulous lap blanket is made from super-soft triangles in delicious muted colours, joined together with little circles. The blanket is finished with an edging of small coloured circles for an extra touch of style.

Finished size

• 48 x 42in (121 x 106cm)

You will need

• 10 x 1-3⁄4oz (50g) balls 50% alpaca/50% merino yarn in base colour (A)
• 12 x 1-¾oz (50g) balls 50% alpaca/50% merino yarn in 12 different colours.
• I used Rooster Almerino Aran in Cornish (base colour), Sugared Almond, Custard, Brighton, Hazelnut, Lolly, Lilac Sky, Shimmer, Sorbet, Sandcastle, Beach, Smoothie and Strawberry cream.
• 4.5mm (UK7:US7) crochet hook

Tension

• Not crucial to this project.

Blanket motif (make 96, 8 in each of the 12 colours)

• Using A, make a finger wrap of 4 wraps (see Notes from Underground Crafter, above) or ch 5, sl st to complete round.
• Round 1: Using A, ch 2 (counts as tr), 17 tr into circle, sl st to complete round, cut and weave in end (18 sts).
• Round 2: Using selected colour, attach yarn in any st, ch 3 (counts as 1 dtr), 1 dtr into same st, * 1 tr into next 4 sts, 2 dtr into next st, ch 5, 2 dtr into next st, repeat from * to end, finishing with 2 dtr in last st, ch 5, sl st to complete round.
• Round 3: Continue using selected colour, ch 2 (counts as 1 tr), 1 tr in next 7 sts, (3 tr, ch 3, 3 tr) in next ch 5 corner sp, *1 tr in next 8 sts, (3 tr, ch 3, 3 tr) in next ch 5 corner sp, repeat from * to end, sl st to complete, cut and weave in end (14 sts each side).

Join triangles

• Lay out the triangles in a pleasing combination and join them together in rows, following the diagram (below), using a sl st in the ch 1 stitches on each of the triangle sides.
• Round 1: Using A, attach yarn in a corner sp, ch 2 (counts as 1 tr), (1 tr, ch 2, 2 tr) into same sp, 1 tr into next 4 sts, ch 1, 1 tr into next 6 sts, ch 1, 1 tr into next 4 sts, *(2 tr, ch 2, 2 tr) into next corner sp, 1 tr into next 4 sts, ch 1, 1 tr into next 6 sts, ch 1, 1 tr into next 4 sts, repeat from * to end, sl st to complete round, cut and weave in end. Using a sl st, join the triangles together at the 2 ch 1 sp only.

Joining circles

• Join the internal triangles together first, after joining 2 rows of triangles. Work on the outer edge joins after you have put the whole hexagon together.
• Using A, work a finger wrap of 4 wraps or ch 5, sl st to complete round.
• Round 1: Continue using A, *2 dc into circle, sl st into a triangle point, repeat from * until 6 triangles are attached to the circle, sl st to complete, cut and weave in end (12 dc).

Finishing

• Refer to the diagram. Using A, work a circle at each outer point where 3 triangles meet. Using a random selection of B–N, add 2 circles to each triangle on the ch 1 sts around the outer edge of hexagon.

Finger Wraps Illustrated Tutorial

• Wrap the yarn around one or two fingers the number of times stated in the pattern. A finger wrap of three wraps is shown here.

• Slide the loops off your finger, holding them tightly, and insert the hook.

• Make the stitches as instructed into all of the rings until the round is complete.

• There are no knots, and you cannot see where the stitches begin or end.

If you enjoyed this pattern, you can find 19 more like it in Granny Squares & Shapes: 20 Crochet Projects For You and Your Home on Amazon.