Cross Stitch Granny Squares

I, like a lot of crafters I know, am into a lot of different crafts. I knit, crochet, sew, do cross stitch, even paint from time to time.

I love all these crafts by themselves, but I also love it when different crafts combine in the same project, whether that’s literally doing, say, knit and crochet in the same project, or taking a motif or design idea from one craft and translating it into another.

That second case is what’s happening here, with these granny square cross stitch patterns.

Originally designed by Lori Holt of Bee in My Bonnet to be a stitchalong project, this collection of granny squares comes in large and small sizes you can use for different purposes. I love the idea of using the small ones as a border on a project, or stitching the big ones to make the front of a pillow. You could even combine them in a project wit a band of the smaller squares between the larger ones.

Each small pattern is 19 by 19 stitches, which comes out to 1.65 inches or about 4 cm square, while the larger ones are 39 by 39 stitches, or 3.25 inches/8.2 cm square.

As designed the pattern uses 16 colors, as each square uses four different colors and there are four variation. You can use as many or as few colors as you like when you make your design.

You can grab this free pattern from Fat Quarter Shop.

And if you’re interested in crocheting real granny squares, check out this crochet granny square baby blanket, which is the perfect project to practice the basic technique. Or look at this granny square dish towel, which has a motif and color choices that coordinate beautifully with the cross stitch version.

Do you like to combine crafts or do one kind of craft that’s inspired by a different craft? I’d love to hear about it!

[Photo: Fat Quarter Shop]

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Bee Cross Stitch Patterns

I’m primarily a knitter, and in the knitting world the “emotional support chicken” has been a big trend probably for a couple of years now (I don’t know how long something has to be popular before you can stop calling it a trend, but whatever).

There are chicken crochet patterns that are popular as well, and now I’ve found a cross stitch chicken pattern that might just become the newest iteration of the emotional support chicken theme.

The Funky Chickens pattern from Satsuma Street are three-dimensional, triangular chickens embellished with felt to make their facial features and tail feathers. The bodies include stripes, curves, speckles and other little designs to mark different parts of their bodies. They’re super cute and not any more difficult to stitch than any other pattern, though of course there’s more finishing than you would normally expect.

The pattern includes designs for three chickens, which are actually a rooster and two hens. The rooster is slightly larger, at 120 by 60 stitches, or 4 by 4 inches/10 cm when finished. The hens are 100 by 50 stitches and come out to 3.25 inches/8 cm when finished. These measurements are for stitching on 14 count fabric or 28 count over two.

The patterns use 13 colors, and if you want to make all three, one skein of each color will make all of them. In addition to your regular cross stitch supplies you’ll need three or four little pieces of felt of different colors to add all the details.

These chickens would be great to use as pincushions, or you could put something heavy in the bottom and use them as pattern weights if you do sewing. They’d also be fun gifts for anyone who likes chickens or needs a little emotional support if you explain it to them.

The pattern is available from Satsuma Street on Etsy.

[Photo: Satsuma Street]

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