The trick to making a modern, solid granny square is to eliminate the chain spaces, and use triple crochet stitches to turn the corners. This will give you a nice, clean, solid-looking square.

Solid Granny Square Pattern

Difficulty: Beginner/Easy

Finished Size: 5″ square

Materials

Hook: H (5.0 mm)

Yarn: Worsted weight yarn (Category 4)

You’ll also need: 

• yarn needle
• stitch markers, if desired
• ruler or tape measure, if desired

Terms and Abbreviations:

• st/sts: stitch/stitches
• ch: chain
• ch-sp: chain space
• dc: double crochet
• sl st: slip stitch
• tr: triple crochet

Pattern Notes:

• This pattern is written in American terms.
• Chain stitches at the beginning of the rounds count as a stitch unless otherwise specified.
• I use 4 chain stitches for 1 triple crochet stitch. If the starting corner is too loose, use ch 3 instead.
• To change the size of the granny square, add more rounds following the pattern.

Instructions

Foundation Ring: Chain 5 and join with sl st to make a ring. Or, use the magic ring technique.

Round 1: Ch 4 (counts as tr here and throughout). Into the ring, work 3 dc,
(1 tr, 3 dc) three times. Join with sl st to the top of the beginning ch 4 to close the round. [16 sts – 4 corner tr and 3 dc per side]

Round 2: Ch 4, 2 dc in the same stitch (which is the top of previous round’s turning chain). * Dc in each dc on the first side of the square. Work (2dc, tr, 2dc) in the corner tr. Repeat from * for each side. In the last corner, work 2 dc in the base of the ch 4 to finish the corner. Join with a sl st to the top of the beginning ch 4 to close the round. [32 sts – 4 corner tr and 7 dc per side]

Repeat the pattern established in Round 2 until your square is the desired size.

Round 3: 48 sts [4 corner tr and 11 dc per side]

Round 4: 64 sts [4 corner tr and 15 dc per side]

Round 3: 48 sts [4 corner tr and 11 dc per side]

Round 4: 64 sts [4 corner tr and 15 dc per side]

Round 5: 80 sts [4 corner tr and 19 dc per side]

To finish: When the granny square is as large as you’d like, cut yarn, fasten off, and weave in ends. You can use the starting tail to close up the center hole, if one remains.