Seed Drill Granite Stitch Crochet Square

Part of Year of Color 2026, a free make-along

Granite stitch looks busy, but it’s only two moves: a single crochet and a chain, with each sc landing in the space below. The square starts in granite stitch, then opens up into an hdc mesh for the rest, and the stripes change color every row.

That’s where the color experiment comes in. With one row each of Christmas Green, Italian Plum, and Golden Yellow, no color ever gets a solid band. Up close you see tidy dashes of each one. Step back a few feet and they blend into a speckled tweed.

Three colors also keeps the finishing easy. Each new row starts on the side where its yarn is waiting, so you carry the yarns up the edge instead of cutting.

Seed Drill is part of Year of Color, sponsored by Cascade Yarns. Each set of squares, one knit and one crochet, comes with emails exploring color theory, history, and craft. Squares are free forever.

Materials

• Yarn: Cascade Heritage Fingering in 5656 Christmas Green (A), 5633 Italian Plum (B), and 5752 Golden Yellow (C)
• Hooks: F/5 (3.75mm) for the foundation chain, E/4 (3.5mm) for the rest, or sizes needed to obtain gauge
• Gauge: With smaller hook, 12 sc and 12 ch-1 sps and 30 rows = 4″ in the sc section; 11 hdc and 11 ch-1 sps and 16 rows = 4″ in the hdc section, blocked
• Notions: Tapestry needle, scissors
• Finished size: 8.5″ × 8.5″ blocked

Stitch Guide

hdc2tog (half double crochet 2 together): [Yo, insert hook in next indicated st or sp, yo and pull up a loop] twice, yo and draw through all 5 loops on hook.

Color change: Complete the last st of each row with the next color, and carry unused colors up the side.

Notes

• Color sequence: C for the foundation chain and Rows 1 and 2, then one row each of A, B, C, repeating.
• Charts: Each row starts on the side where its row label sits.

Pattern

Sc section

With larger hook and C , ch 51. Switch to smaller hook.

Row 1: Sc in 2nd ch from hook and in each ch across. (50 sc)

Row 2 (Color C ): Ch 1 (does not count as a st), *sc in next st, ch 1, sk next st; rep from * to last 2 sts, sc in each of last 2 sts, changing to next color in the last st. (26 sc, 24 ch-1 sps)

On every later row, the sc land in the ch-1 sps (plus the first and last sc), and the skipped sts are sc.

Rows 3 to 7: Rep Row 2, working Row 3 in A , Row 4 in B , Row 5 in C, Row 6 in A, and Row 7 in B.

Rep Rows 2 to 7 until piece measures about 3″, ending with Row 7 (a B row).

Hdc section

Transition row (Color C ): Ch 3 (counts as hdc and ch 1), sk next sc, hdc in next ch-1 sp, ch 1, sk next sc, hdc2tog over next 2 ch-1 sps, ch 1, sk next sc, *hdc in next ch-1 sp, ch 1, sk next sc; rep from * to last ch-1 sp, hdc2tog over last ch-1 sp and last sc, changing to next color. (22 hdc, 2 hdc2tog, 23 ch-1 sps)

Hdc Rows 1 to 6: Work Hdc row (below) in A, B, C, A, B, C.

Hdc row: Ch 3 (counts as hdc and ch 1), sk first hdc, *hdc in next ch-1 sp, ch 1, sk next hdc; rep from * until only the turning ch 3 remains, hdc in 2nd ch of ch 3, changing to next color. (24 hdc, 23 ch-1 sps)

Rep Hdc Rows 1 to 6 until piece measures 8.5″. Fasten off.

Finishing

Weave in each end along a color boundary, into a stripe of the same color.

Block to 8.5″ square. The sc section comes out slightly narrower than the rest, so gently coax its width out to 8.5″ as you pin. It’s a subtle stretch and easy to do.

You’re done!

About Year of Color

This square is part of Year of Color 2026, a free program that teaches colorwork techniques through square patterns in both knit and crochet. Each set of squares comes with a curated color palette, technique tutorials, and color inspiration articles. Start anywhere, work at your own pace, and build new skills one square at a time.

I’m Jody Richards, the math-geeky, web-dev-turned-fiber-arts-obsessive behind Knotions. Crafting runs deep in my family: my mom was an avid embroiderer and sewist, and she sparked a lifelong love of making things. I’ve been combining that love with a very analytical brain ever since.

I have degrees in Math and Computer Science and spent 30 years in web technology before making Knotions my full-time focus. You might know me as Ravelry member #85, or from patterns like the Natalya Mitts and Chevvy Socks.