Hey Reader 👋

Happy Friday friends!

Hope your week's been a good one. I've been deep in granny square land over here, and actually enjoying every minute of it.

My granny square blanket is about 64% joined together which I'm SO excited about.

It's been raining like crazy where we live, so in between raindrops I've been puttering around the garden, replanting some green beans and peas that never materialized, picking lettuce, and checking on my cute little baby zucchinis and tomatoes.

Crochet, coffee, wandering around outside if the weather cooperates. That's the plan for this weekend.

Oh, and I've been chasing all the psychotic squirrels out of my new macrame flower basket hangers outside, that's been a hoot. 🐿️🤣

But enough about my waterlogged yard and squirrel drama, I've got a new free pattern to share with you!

📌 ON THE BLOG

✨ The Easiest One-Color Granny Square ⬇️

So last week we did the perfect multicolor granny (the 2.0 version, since the first one's been kicking around on YouTube for a while).

👉 This week we're going even more basic with the classic, traditional one-color granny square.

It doesn't get much easier than this guy.

Just you, your hook, a snack, and a smidge of one skein of yarn.

No color changes, no invisible joins between rounds, and no weaving in a million ends.

(It's just 2. And I recommend you weave them in BEFORE moving onto your second square. Trust me on this.)

This pattern works up a 5-round square in a single continuous color, and you can stop at any round for a smaller square or keep going past round 5 if you want a bigger one.

Each additional round just adds one more side cluster per side, so once you get the rhythm, you can crochet these in your sleep.

One thing I wanted to call out: in the tutorial I show you exactly where each cluster goes, but if you're a brand new crocheter or just struggle with keeping track of your corners (totally normal, by the way), pop a stitch marker into each corner space for the first round or two.

That's a super easy way to avoid the whole "oh no my square is turning into a circle" issue that sometimes plagues beginners.

Also, absolutely no judgement there.

I remember when I first tried to make a granny square years ago.. I don't even know if I made it to "whoops its a circle". I think it was more like, "whoops it's an indistinguishable blob of yarn". Hah.

Full pattern, supplies, and the video tutorial are all in the blog post.

There's also a free printable PDF if you want to grab it.

CRYSTAL'S TIP OF THE WEEK

💡 Better light = better crafting (and your eyes won't hurt, which is always nice)

Heads up: this tip includes an affiliate link for a product I actually use, a lot. #ad

Confession: I crafted in mediocre lighting for years before I figured out that, newsflash, it makes your eyes hurt. 😅

(Getting readers was also helpful.)

Most of us craft wherever we happen to land. The couch. The kitchen table. A chair in the corner.

And those spots usually have whatever light the room came with, which is almost never enough for any type of crafting.

(Unless you're using a Lite Brite or something. And if it was 1991 I totally would be.)

Here's what changed it for me: a wearable neck light. (Yes, really.)

It's basically a little flexible lamp that wraps around the back of your neck (not the front, that wouldn't be good) and points exactly where you're looking.

No clamp, no plug, and it actually points where you need it to.

Turn it on and suddenly you can see every stitch, every knot, every word, and every sudoku puzzle you're doing at 1:17 am while trying to get sleepy.

It looks slightly ridiculous, I will not pretend otherwise. My husband says I look like a cyborg when I walk around the house with it.

But it's become one of those things I genuinely don't want to craft without, mainly in the evening when natural light is gone and the overhead lighting is horrible and offensive.

If you've been squinting your way through projects or saving all your crafting for daytime only, a little light like this is worth its weight in lightbulbs.

Your eyes will thank you. And your family might look at you funny but that's OK.

📌 MAKER'S PICK

🧭 HobbyScool Creator Camp: June 16-17

Remember summer camp as a kid? The crafts table, the outdoor projects, the smell of glue and sunscreen, coming home covered in paint?

HobbyScool is basically bringing that whole vibe back, except online, free, and you can do it in your pajamas.

It's two days of crafty, family-friendly workshops led by 17 different makers. (And one of them is me!)

Day one is all about outdoor creativity and summer time water-play (chalk, nature, backyard or balcony, whatever you've got).

Day two is garden crafts, fairy worlds, and kitchen-table making. No fancy supply list, no pressure, just fun stuff to make.

Each day's workshops go live for free for 24 hours. Watch one, watch all, go at your own pace.

It's totally free to attend, and if you've got kids or grandkids to entertain (or you're just a grown-up who still wants to make an outdoor plant hanger or a fun fairy garden, no judgment), this is going to be such a fun way to spend a couple of summer days.

That's it for this week!

I'll be over here joining the rest of my granny squares (shocking, I know), chasing squirrels out of my asparagus bed, and probably drinking way too much coffee.

Hope your weekend's a good one, and that you finish something that makes you happy.

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