A daisy granny square is a classic granny square with a flower worked into the centre: a small ring of petals made in the round, then “squared off” over the next two or three rounds with corner groups so the finished motif joins flat to its neighbours. Most versions use three colours — one for the flower centre, one for the petals, one for the background — which makes it a good scrap-yarn square.
The usual pairing is a worsted weight (medium, #4) yarn with a 4.0–5.0 mm hook (G or H), which gives a square of roughly 4 inches / 10 cm. One square takes a small amount of yarn, so a single skein of each colour goes a long way.
The mistake almost everyone makes on the first one: pulling the petal round too tight. The petals sit on top of the centre ring, and if that round is worked firmly the square cups in the middle and will not lie flat however hard you block it. Work the petal round loosely, or go up a hook size for the rounds that square off the corners, and block the first square before you make nineteen more.
In this guide
What you need before you start
- Yarn weight: worsted / medium (#4) is what most daisy square patterns are written for. A DK will give a smaller, finer square; the motif still works, you just need more squares.
- Hook: 4.0–5.0 mm (G–H). Go to the larger end if your squares cup in the middle.
- Colours: three — flower centre, petals, background. The background is the one you need most of, so buy that one in quantity and use scraps for the flowers.
- Fibre: acrylic for anything that will be washed often, such as a baby blanket. Cotton gives crisper, better-defined petals but less drape, and a cotton blanket is heavy.
- Also useful: a blocking mat and pins, and a stitch marker for the first stitch of each round — flower centres are easy to lose count on.
Common daisy square questions
Why is there a hole in the middle of my flower?
Most of these patterns start with a magic ring rather than a chain ring. If you started with a chain, the centre will not close fully. Pull the magic ring tight before you work the second round, and weave the tail in rather than trusting the knot.
Can I make it in one colour?
Yes, but the daisy mostly disappears — the motif reads through colour contrast more than through texture. If you want a single-colour blanket, the 3D textured version above holds its shape better because the petals stand proud of the background.
Do I fasten off between colours?
Fasten off at the end of each colour round and weave the ends in as you go. It is tempting to carry the yarn up the side, but on a square with a flower centre the carried strand shows through the open petal rounds.
How do I wash a daisy square blanket?
If it is all acrylic, a cool machine wash and a low tumble dry is fine, but dry it flat if you can — granny squares stretch while they are wet and heavy. Cotton should be washed cool and dried flat, or the blanket will grow.
Start here: the clearest step-by-step daisy squares
Simple Daisy Granny Square Pattern With Lots Of Pictures
The most photo-heavy version on the site — best choice if this is your first flower centre and you want to see every round. See the pattern →
Simple Daisy Granny Square – Daisy Crochet Blanket
A plain, no-frills daisy square written with a blanket in mind, so the square count and joining are already thought through. See the pattern →
Daisy Granny Square Crochet Pattern (Chart Included)
Comes with a stitch chart as well as written rounds — useful if you read charts faster than words, or want to check your stitch placement. See the pattern →
Daisy Flower Square
A short, simple square with a wide open flower centre. Good for a quick practice motif before you commit to a colourway. See the pattern →
Daisy squares with a bit more texture
3D Textured Crochet Daisy Granny Square (Video Tutorial)
The petals stand up off the square instead of lying flat. Follow it on video — raised petals are much easier to see worked than described. See the pattern →
Easy Daisy Flower Motif For Square (Video Tutorial)
Teaches the flower motif on its own first, then squares it. Handy if you want to drop a daisy centre into a square you already like. See the pattern →
This Gorgeous Daisy Square Is Fun And Quick To Make
One of the faster squares here, which matters when a blanket needs a hundred of them. See the pattern →
Crochet Daisy Flower Granny Squares
A softer, rounder petal shape than the standard version — pretty in pastels for a baby blanket. See the pattern →
Really Cute Daisy Granny Square
A compact daisy with a tidy background round, so the squares line up neatly when joined. See the pattern →
Daisy variations and related motifs
Non-Traditional Granny Square With A Daisy In The Corner
The daisy sits in one corner rather than the centre, which makes a completely different pattern when four squares meet. See the pattern →
Wildflower Granny Square: Sunflower And Wild Daisy
Two flower centres in one post — mix them with plain daisy squares for a meadow look. See the pattern →
The Sweetest Crochet Daisy
A standalone daisy flower rather than a square. Useful for appliqué, or sewn onto a finished blanket corner. See the pattern →
Daisy Stitch (Star Stitch) Tutorial
A different thing with a confusing name: an all-over fabric stitch, not a motif. Worth knowing so you do not order the wrong pattern. See the pattern →
Daisy Flower Charity Square
A single-square project with somewhere to send it. Good use for the practice squares that did not make the blanket. See the pattern →
Finished projects made from daisy squares
Blanket With Daisy-Shaped Blocks Of Colour
Shows how the squares read at blanket scale, and how much the background colour changes the effect. See the pattern →
Crochet Daisy Afghan
A full-size afghan version — worth a look for the layout and border before you plan your own. See the pattern →
Daisy Granny Square Poncho
Proof the square is not only for blankets. A poncho needs far fewer squares, so it is a realistic first project. See the pattern →
Daisy Granny Square Pincushion
Two squares and some stuffing. The fastest way to use a single daisy square and see it finished. See the pattern →
How many daisy granny squares do you need for a blanket?
Work it out from one blocked square rather than from a pattern photo, because hook size and tension change the motif size more than the pattern does. At roughly 4 inches a square, a baby blanket of about 30 x 36 inches needs around 8 x 9 — about 72 squares; a lap blanket of about 40 x 50 inches needs around 10 x 12, so about 120. Add a border round or two and the finished blanket grows an inch or two on each side.
Two things that save work later: block the squares before joining, not after, and join them all the same way round so the petals face the same direction. A simple single-crochet join in the background colour disappears into the square; a slip-stitch join leaves a visible ridge, which some people want and some do not.
Every pattern linked above belongs to the designer who wrote it, and each post credits and links the original source.
