How to Crochet a Beautiful Pinwheel Granny Square Blanket

Updated: 16 October 2026 by Sylwia (MyCrochetory)

This pinwheel granny square blanket started with three-color granny squares, which I really liked back in 2018. The colors were an easy choice too. Mustard, black and white was one of my favorite combinations then, and it still is today.

Each square is half mustard, with a black and an off white triangle. Sew the squares together the right way, and the triangles spin into pinwheels all over a blanket about 33.5 by 44 inches.

The free pattern below comes with a photo tutorial for the first two rounds, a layout chart and the border, so you can follow every step.

Jump to the free Granny Pinwheel Blanket pattern. Rather have it in one file? Grab the ad-free, printable PDF HERE on ETSY or HERE on Ravelry.

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How a pinwheel granny square is made

A pinwheel granny square is made in rounds from a magic ring, with all three colors in every round. You never cut the yarns inside the square. You just drop one color and pick up the next one where the sections meet.

The trick is turning your square after every round. Because you change direction each time, the yarn you dropped is always waiting right where the next round needs it. After five rounds, the square measures about 5.5 inches.

How the squares turn into pinwheels

The squares turn into pinwheels when you lay them out the right way. Four squares meet at every center, and their triangles form the blades of a pinwheel. With 48 squares, 6 across and 8 down, you get 12 whole pinwheels.

I joined my squares with the mattress stitch, so the seams almost disappear. Then one round of black half double crochet frames the whole blanket. The layout chart in the pattern shows you exactly where each square goes.

Is this pinwheel granny square blanket hard to crochet?

This pinwheel granny square blanket is an intermediate project, but the stitches are basic. You need a magic ring, chains, double crochet, slip stitches and half double crochet for the border. The new part is working with three balls of yarn at once.

Be ready for ends, though. Each square has six of them, three at the start and three at the end, so it pays to weave them in as you go. It also helps to keep the three balls a little apart on the table, so the yarns don’t twist around each other.

Yarn, size and blocking for your pinwheel granny square blanket

My blanket is made with Drops Paris, a 100% cotton yarn that is still easy to find. You’ll need 19 balls, about 1,560 yards in total, and a 5 mm hook. Cotton keeps the triangles crisp, but it also makes a blanket heavy, so think twice before you go much bigger in cotton.

Before joining, I block every square. I pin it to a mat and hold a steam iron about half an inch above it, without touching the stitches. Squares that are all the same size are so much easier to join, so it’s worth the extra minutes.

Love this pinwheel granny square blanket but can’t start today? Pin it to your Pinterest board now, so it’s easy to find later. And while you’re there, come say hi at www.pinterest.com/mycrochetory!

Pinwheel granny square blanket free pattern

• Purchase the ad-free, printable PDF here on ETSY or here on Ravelry.
• Add this pattern to your Ravelry Queue HERE.
• Pin it for later.

Copyright 2018 – 2026 MyCrochetory. All rights reserved. This pattern is property of Sylwia Kawczyńska @MyCrochetory. Please DO NOT sell the pattern and claim this pattern as your own. The pattern is for personal use only and may not be translated or reproduced in another language. Please respect my rights, DO NOT share or publish this pattern anywhere without my permission.

The blanket you make following this pattern is yours, and you are free to sell it, as long as you credit MyCrochetory as the original designer. For more information, please read Terms Page.

Materials & Tools

• Yarn Drops Paris 100% Cotton (50g/75m/82yd), 19 balls in total.
• 9 balls of Mustard (41).
• 5 balls of Off White (17).
• 5 balls of Black (15).
• Hook size 5mm (US H/8). Adjust hook size if necessary to obtain correct gauge.
• Tapestry needle (to weave and hide yarn ends).
• Scissors.

Level

Intermediate – magic ring, playing with three yarns, mattress stitch join

Gauge after blocking

Each square measures 14cm/5.5”.

Gauge is not important for this project. However, changes might result in different yardage requirements and a different finished size.

Size after blocking

Finished blanket measures approx. 85 x 112 cm/33.5” x 44”.

Notes

• The single square has 5 rounds, but you can make your square as large as you’d like by adding or subtracting rounds.
• You turn your square after every round. Rounds 1, 3 and 5 are worked Mustard, Black, Off White, and Rounds 2 and 4 are worked Off White, Black, Mustard.
• The blanket is joined using the Mattress Stitch and then framed with one round of hdc in Black.

Stitches & Abbreviations (US terms)

ch – chain stitch

st(s) – stitch(es)

sl st – slip stitch

hdc – half double crochet

dc – double crochet

rep – repeat

mr – magic ring

Pinwheel granny square pattern

The blanket is made up from 48 3-color squares, being 6 squares wide and 8 squares long.

To make one 3-color square, follow the instructions below.

Round 1: With Mustard, make a mr, ch3, 2dc in mr, ch2, 3dc in mr, ch1, change color to Black (drop and don’t cut the Mustard yarn, we will use it in the next round), ch1, 3dc in mr, ch1, change color to Off White (drop and don’t cut the Black yarn, we will use it in the next round), ch1, 3dc in mr, ch2 and sl st to join last ch to the top of the first initial ch3. Turn.

Round 2: sl st into ch2-space, ch3 (counts as a dc), dc in ch2-space, dc across until next ch2-space, 2dc in ch2-space, ch1, change color to Black (pick up Black yarn and drop Off White yarn), ch1, 2dc in ch2-space, dc across until next ch2-space, 2dc in ch2-space, ch1, change color to Mustard (pick up Mustard yarn and drop Black yarn), ch1, 2dc in ch2-space, dc across until next ch2-space, (2dc, ch2, 2dc) in next ch-2 space, dc across until the last space, (2dc, ch2) in the last space, sl st to join last ch to the top of beginning ch3. Turn.

Round 3: sl st into ch2-space, ch3 (counts as a dc), dc in ch2-space, dc across until next ch2-space, (2dc, ch2, 2dc) in ch2-space, dc across until next ch2-space, 2dc in ch2-space, ch1, change color to Black (pick up Black yarn and drop Mustard yarn), ch1, 2dc in ch2-space, dc across until next ch2-space, 2dc in ch2-space, ch1, change color to Off White (pick up Off White yarn and drop Black yarn), ch1, 2dc in ch2-space, dc across until the last space, (2dc, ch2) in the last space, sl st to join last ch to the top of beginning ch3. Turn.

Round 4: Work as Round 2.

Round 5: Work as Round 3.

Fasten off all three yarns and weave in all ends. Block each square.

Joining the pinwheel granny squares

Lay out your 48 squares following the layout chart above, 6 squares wide and 8 squares long. Join them using the Mattress Stitch.

Border

With Black, join yarn in any corner ch2-space, ch2 (counts as a hdc), (hdc, ch2, 2hdc) in the same corner space, *hdc in each st, ch-space and seam along the side until the next corner, (2hdc, ch2, 2hdc) in the corner ch2-space; rep from * around, hdc in each st along the last side, sl st to join to the top of beginning ch2. Fasten off and weave in the ends.

Stuck on a round? Leave a comment below, or ask in my Facebook Group or Ravelry Group, where other crocheters can help you too. And if you spot a mistake, email me at mycrochetory@gmail.com and I’ll fix it.

Finished your Granny Pinwheel Blanket? I’d love to see your colors! Share it on Instagram or Facebook with #mycrochetory or #grannypinwheelblanket, or tag me @mycrochetory.

More free crochet blanket patterns

Want another blanket on your hook? These five are mine too, and each one plays with color in its own way.

• Cable Diamond Blanket. Love mustard as much as I do? This one has front post cables that grow into big diamonds, with ribbing added all around as you go.
• Thassos Mosaic Blanket. Thassos is pure black and white geometry in mosaic crochet. Only two colors, and the chart shows you every row.
• Carina Rectangle Blanket. Carina is a three-color mosaic blanket worked from the center out. I made it after the Carina Mosaic Shawl, so the two make a sweet set.
• Clamshell Square Blanket. Want even more color? This square blanket uses five colors and my clamshell stitch, worked in the round from the center.

More granny square ideas and tutorials

Hooked on squares? These posts will help with this blanket and your next one.

• How to Join Crochet Squares the Easy Way. My mattress stitch tutorial shows step by step how to join squares, including the spot where four corners meet.
• How to Crochet a Magic Ring. Every pinwheel square starts with a magic ring, and this tutorial shows three ways to make one, plus when a chain start works better.
• 60+ Free Crochet Square Patterns. Ready to try other squares? This roundup has more than 60 free granny and motif squares from other designers.

Pinwheel granny square FAQ

Can I make this pinwheel granny square blanket bigger or smaller?

Yes! To keep every pinwheel whole, add or remove squares two rows or two columns at a time. Each square adds about 5.5 inches, and you can also make bigger squares by adding rounds.

Can I use acrylic or another yarn?

Sure, any yarn works. Pick a worsted or aran weight so your squares come out close to 5.5 inches, and check one blocked square before you make all 48. Acrylic or a cotton blend will also give you a lighter blanket.

Can I use other colors?

Of course! Pick one main color for the big half of each square and two contrast colors for the small triangles. The pinwheels show best when the three colors are clearly different, like a light, a dark and a bright one.

Can I join the squares another way?

Yes, a slip stitch join works too, but it leaves a ridge on the right side. My mattress stitch tutorial compares both methods, so you can pick the one you like.