The New Granny Square Rug (vintage American Thread): vintage crochet pattern

Materials

• Aunt Lydia's Heavy Rug Yarn (Coats & Clark) is still sold. It is a bulky (#5)-class rug yarn; substitute any bulky rug yarn that matches the gauge.
• Yardage: the original lists 14 skeins but does not print the skein size. Other American Thread books of the period list this yarn in 70 yd skeins, which would be about 980 yd (896 m) — check the current label before buying.
• Colours: 3 skeins light yellow, 3 skeins brown, 2 skeins dark red, 6 skeins gray.
• Original hook: aluminum crochet hook size H.
• Tapestry needle for sewing motifs together.
• Hook: Start with 5 mm (US H-8) and change size to match the gauge.

Abbreviations (US terms)

ch

chain

dc

double crochet

sc

single crochet

sh

shell

sl st

slip stitch

sk

skip

sp

space

ch-sp

chain space

rep

repeat

Notes before you start

• Source: "The New Granny", Crocheted Rugs (Star Rug Book No. 106), The American Thread Company. Public domain in the USA.
• As printed — materials: AMERICAN THREAD COMPANY "AUNT LYDIA'S" HEAVY RUG YARN, Article 235; 3 skeins each Lt. Yellow and Brown.; 2 skeins Dk. Red.; 6 skeins Gray or colors desired.; Aluminum crochet hook size H.. Gauge: Each motif measures 6 inches x 6 inches..
• Modernisation note: The original is written in US terms; abbreviations were updated to modern style (s c → sc, d c → dc, s d c → hdc).
• Modernisation note: The original calls each round a "Row"; they are written as rounds (Rnd) because the motif is worked in the round.
• Modernisation note: "Ch 1 loop" and "corner loop" are written as "ch-1 sp" and "corner sp".
• Modernisation note: Round 5 does not say to join, fasten off or which loop to start in; nothing was added.
• Modernisation note: "Weave in all ends" was added as a finishing step; it is not in the original.
• Modernisation note: Metric conversions were added; they are not in the original.
• Modernisation note: Hook letters from this period were not standardised to millimetres; the starting size given is a modern equivalent, and the gauge is what matters.

Motif (make 24)

1. Rnd 1: With light yellow, ch 4, join to form a ring, ch 3, 2 dc in ring, *ch 1, 3 dc in ring; rep from * twice, ch 1, join in 3rd ch of ch-3. Fasten off.
2. Rnd 2: Join dark red in a ch-1 sp, ch 3, 2 dc in same sp, ch 1, 3 dc in same sp, *(3 dc, ch 1, 3 dc) (shell) in next ch-1 sp; rep from * twice, join in 3rd ch of ch-3. Fasten off.
3. Rnd 3: Join gray in a corner sp, ch 3, 2 dc in same sp, ch 1, 3 dc in same sp, *sk 3 dc of same shell, 3 dc in next sp, shell in next corner sp; rep from * twice, sk 3 dc of same shell, 3 dc in next sp, join in 3rd ch of ch-3. Fasten off.
4. Rnd 4: Join brown in a corner sp, ch 3, 2 dc in same sp, ch 1, 3 dc in same sp, *sk 3 dc of same shell, 3 dc in next sp, sk 3 dc, 3 dc in next sp, shell in next corner sp; rep from * twice, sk 3 dc of same shell, 3 dc in next sp, sk 3 dc, 3 dc in next sp, join in 3rd ch of ch-3. Fasten off.
5. Rnd 5: With light yellow, sc in each st and (2 sc, ch 2, 2 sc) in each corner sp.
6. Rnd 6: With gray, work the same as round 5.