Description

It’s the pattern that launched crochet’s most popular motif: the Mrs. Phelps Granny Square! In 1885, the magazine Prairie Farmer Magazine published this iconic pattern, along with a letter from the designer, Mrs. Phelps. Mrs. Phelps wrote of her interest in the “crazy work” trend (the same one that gave us crazy quilts) and said this design was an attempt to bring the style to crochet. It is the first documented instance of this motif, as well as one of the earliest instances of worsted weight, rather than lace weight, yarn being used for crochet.

The main difference between the Mrs. Phelps Granny Square pattern and the modern granny square pattern is the border, which is denser and, dare we say, a little more stylish. This border is a nod to the thick border used on crazy quilt squares at the time.

Our free pattern preserves the original crochet notation, which is very different from what we use today. Ruth Walden of The Yarn Queen has translated each step into both US and UK notation, so that a new generation of crocheters can make Mrs. Phelps’ fantastic granny square pattern!

If you want to learn more about this iconic motif, read our article on The World’s First Granny Square Pattern.

What You Need to Make the Mrs. Phelps Granny Square

• PDF pattern
• Crochet hook to suit your yarn
• Yarn of your choice — while worsted is most commonly used, at the time this pattern was designed there were over 50 yarn weights floating around, so you have plenty of latitude!

Who Do We Recommend the Mrs. Phelps Granny Square For?

This is a great pattern for a beginner. If you have previously made granny squares, you will find that this is similar with just enough difference to keep it interesting! It is also a great scrapbuster!

About Mrs. Phelps and Ruth Walden

Mrs. Phelps was active in the Housekeeper’s Improvement Club in Prairie Farmer Magazine in the 1880s, frequently contributing patterns for sewing and crochet.

Ruth Walden is one of the proprietors of The Yarn Queen. She has been an avid crocheter since she was a child and has written a number of patterns. Because she has patterns from her mother and grandmother, she knows older crochet terminology and is able to translate historic crochet patterns for modern audiences.