How to Crochet the Best Granny Triangle

A granny triangle is the three-corner cousin of the granny square — same cluster-and-corner construction, but with three corners instead of four. Triangles are surprisingly useful: they're the foundation of triangle shawls, bunting strings, patchwork-triangle blankets, and any decorative edge that needs a pointed silhouette. This walkthrough covers the corner math, the round-by-round increase pattern, and the three most common projects you'll use a granny triangle for.

What you need

• Worsted weight yarn in 2–4 colors. A small motif takes about 20 yards; a large shawl-sized triangle needs 200+ yards depending on size.
• A 4–5 mm crochet hook. Use the hook size your yarn label recommends, going down half a size if the triangle curls or up half if it cups.
• Tapestry needle for weaving in tails. Each color change adds two ends; plan to weave them in as you go to avoid a tangle of tails at the end.
• Stitch markers are useful for marking the three corners on each round. Three markers (one per corner) makes counting easier as the triangle grows outward.

Round-by-round steps

1. Start with a magic ring. Round 1: ch 3 (counts as first dc), then work 2 dc in the ring. ch 2 (first corner space). Repeat *3 dc in ring, ch 2* twice more. Slip stitch to top of starting ch-3. You have three 3-dc clusters separated by three ch-2 corner spaces.
2. Round 2: slip stitch into the next ch-2 corner space. ch 3, (2-dc, ch-2, 3-dc) in the same corner space — that's your first corner with the increase. *ch 1, (3-dc, ch-2, 3-dc) in next corner space* twice. ch 1, slip stitch to top of starting ch-3.
3. Round 3: slip stitch into the next ch-2 corner space. ch 3, (2-dc, ch-2, 3-dc) in same corner. *ch 1, 3-dc in next ch-1 side space, ch 1, (3-dc, ch-2, 3-dc) in next corner space* twice. ch 1, 3-dc in next ch-1 side space, ch 1, slip stitch to close.
4. Round 4 and beyond: each round adds one more 3-dc cluster per side. The pattern is always *corner, then [side, side, ... side], corner, ...* — corners stay (3-dc, ch-2, 3-dc); the number of side clusters grows by one per round.
5. Change colors at corners. Fasten off, then join the new color with a slip stitch into any ch-2 corner space. Corner-joins look the cleanest because the slip stitch hides inside the chain space.
6. Block the finished triangle flat. Pin all three corners equidistant on a blocking mat, mist with water, and let dry. A blocked granny triangle has crisp points and a flat body; an unblocked one will droop and the corners will round.

Tips for sharp triangle corners

• Count corners every round. There are always three. A round with two or four corners means you missed a corner space or worked into a side space by accident.
• The corner ch-2 (not ch-1) is what makes the angle sharp. If you use ch-1 corners, the points round off and the triangle starts to look like a wedge.
• Block hard. Triangle points lose their crispness in the wash unless they were aggressively pinned during blocking. Use blocking pins, not weights.
• If your triangle is cupping (the center bulges up) you're adding too few stitches per side. If it's ruffling (the edges wave) you're adding too many. Aim for flat.

What to make with granny triangles

Granny triangles are the foundation of three of the most popular crochet finished objects. Each uses the same basic motif but at a different scale:

Generate your own granny triangle

CrochetPop has an interactive granny-triangle chart. Adjust the round count and colors, then get a printable row-by-row pattern.