There  are two kinds of people in this world: those who appreciate the granny square and those who lack the discernment to appreciate this sublime and wonderful motif.

I fall into the first category.

There are any number of reasons to love granny squares, not the least of which is their versatility. You can make them very small — just one round if you choose — you can make them very large (as I have done with my not yet finished “Great Granny Square”):

or just about anything in between as clothogancho has done with a number of amazing granny square pieces.

The motif is both maligned and beloved for its charm and simplicity.

Those who hate it feel that the granny square is the visual definition of everything that is wrong with crochet, but then there are those of us (of whom I am one) who love the granny square for its simplicity and versatility and use it to serve as the corner stone for baby blankets, pillows ponchos, and all manner of creations both art and craft.

So it is while I am at what for me are “loose ends” — in between projects, in between seasons, and busy helping my youngest son to navigate his last few months of high school — that I have taken my hook and begun making granny squares.

My first idea was to make a much needed spring bag with them, but now I am not sure. As I began to lay the pieces out, first this way:

and then turning the same square 45º to get this arrangement:

I have started to think that what I really need is a new blanket.

As of this moment, I am completely undecided, but I while I decide, I will take hook to yarn making more of these motifs which are both adored and reviled, and I will move forward, one stitch at a time.