How to Join Squares Using Single Crochet

Decide on Your Joining Yarn/Thread

You can use the same type of yarn you used for crocheting the pieces you'll be joining. This works best if you use the same type of fiber in the same general weight.

You can, however, use a different color (or colors) if you like; in some cases, you may wish to use a contrasting color, and in others you might want to use a closely-matching color. This tutorial uses yarn that contrasts with the outer rounds of the squares, which are dark, but is a color that was used in the squares.

In the photo at left, you can see how the finished join looks. If you'd like to take a closer look at the picture or any of the pictures in this tutorial, you can click on it to see it enlarged.

Make a Slip Knot

Keep the slip knot on your crochet hook for the next several steps.

Begin Crocheting Your Stitches

Decide whether you want to work on the right side or wrong side of the work, and then decide which loops you want to work through. If you want the join to be on the right side of the work, like here, then hold your squares (or pieces) with the wrong sides together.

As is true with most crochet stitches, you can achieve slightly different looks by varying which loops you work through. In this case, the most obvious choices are as follows:

• You could work through the inner loops, meaning the back loop of the square closest to you and the front loop of the square furthest from you. This is the method demonstrated in this tutorial.
• You could work through the outer loops, meaning the front loop of the square closest to you and the back loop of the square furthest from you.
• You could work through all four loops, meaning the front loops and back loops on both squares. This creates an exceptionally bulky join.

Yarn Over Hook

Whichever loops you decide to work through, insert your crochet hook into them and wrap your yarn around the hook as pictured at left.

Pull up a Loop

You'll have two loops on your hook if you count the slip knot you made in the beginning.

Continue With Stitches

Wrap the yarn over your hook.

Complete the Single Crochet Stitch

Next, pull it through both loops on your hook to complete the single crochet stitch.

Single Crochet Join in Progress

Here's how the work looks when the single crochet stitch has been completed.

Work a Row

From here on out, the joining process is pretty straightforward; you're basically working a row of single crochet stitch. The only difference is that you'll work each stitch through both squares (or through both pieces if you're joining hexagons or other shapes.) Be consistent; for example, if you began by working through the inner loops, continue working through the inner loops all the way across the row.

Joined Squares

Here's how it looks when two squares have been joined.

Free Crochet Square Patterns

If you like the squares used in this single crochet join tutorial, be sure to grab the free pattern for this design: the scrap afghan square.

You might also enjoy the free granny square patterns.

Learn More Methods for Joining Granny Squares and Crochet Motifs

• How to Join Squares Using Whip Stitch (pictured at left)
• How to Join Granny Squares -- 9 Different Methods
• Crochet Seams