The sunburst granny square builds a round, radiating center of color before squaring it off, so the finished motif looks like a small sun set inside a square. The first few rounds are worked solid in concentric colors, often with a puff or cluster round that pushes the center forward, and then the final rounds add the four corners that turn the circle into a square.
The appeal is the color gradient at the center. Three or four rounds in a shaded palette, light to dark or warm to cool, give each square a glowing middle, and a blanket of them reads like a field of little suns. The squaring rounds are plain double crochet (UK treble), so the only new part is keeping the round center neat and even before the corners go on.
What you need
- Yarn
- Worsted (CYC 4) cotton or acrylic on a 4.0 to 5.0 mm hook, with three or four colors for the gradient center.
- Skill
- Intermediate. The radiating center has more color changes than a classic square, but the squaring rounds are standard.
Sunburst projects to make
- 1Classic sunburst square. A gradient round center squared off with corners. Teaches concentric color rounds.
- 2Puff sunburst. A puff-stitch round for a raised center. Teaches the puff stitch in the round.
- 3Sunburst blanket. Many gradient squares joined together. Teaches planning a repeating palette.
- 4Two-color sunburst. A simpler version in just two colors. A faster, beginner-friendly take.
Where to find free sunburst patterns
Sunburst granny squares are widely shared for free. Ravelry filters them by free, and crochet blogs show the color order round by round. Look for a pattern that lists the color for each round so the gradient comes out as intended.
Stitches you will use
- Double CrochetUS: dc / UK: tr
- Puff StitchUS: puff / UK: puff
- Chain StitchUS: ch / UK: ch
Looking for more? See all crochet granny squares patterns.