Aunt Anita’s Secret Granny Square: A Tiny Treasure Rediscovered

Sometimes, the smallest discoveries bring the biggest feelings.

This weekend, I was organizing my jewelry when I opened a little paper box that had some bits and bobs in it. The box itself was one I had saved from my Great-Aunt Anita's dresser after she passed. Now...Aunt Anita LOVED her jewelry: the real stuff, the good costume, the cheaper costume, all of it. And she had several of these boxes most of which I still have and use just as she did. These little boxes are the ones that have those rectangles of cotton padding in them and I figured that the boxes were empty. Welp...was I wrong!

The box was getting a little full, so I tipped it over thinking that I would either take the cotton out or put it at the top of the box instead. When all the contents were out, I noticed something sort of wedged in the bottom of the box. It was a tiny, yellowed slip of paper. I thought it was probably a sale receipt from something (probably jewelry). A small piece of the paper broke off when I tried to pull it out, so sort of shook the box until it fell out. I gently unfolded it the paper and what I found was truly a gem! In my Aunt Anita's handwriting were the simple words, “Granny Square.”

I've talked before about how much I love a good granny square so needless to say, I was quite delighted! But reading through the text, I could tell that this wasn't quite a traditional granny square. Out came the hook and the yarn—a bit of Malabrigo Rios from my scrap stash—and I got to working up this four-round square.

Aunt Anita's notes were simple and and just slightly incomplete—Round 4, especially—but I could see she was figuring things out as she wrote (so I'm certain she wasn't copying it from a book or magazine). Whether she wrote it down from someone else's instructions or reverse-engineered it from a finished block, I’ll never know. But this sweet little reminder of her touched my heart.

We lost our Aunt Anita in 2013, but holding that little piece of paper made me feel her with me again. She always saved the smallest bits—sometimes for the best and other times not so much (like keeping the utility bills from the 1960's and 70's but tossing her vintage 1953 wedding dress; still not over that one)—and even years later, she's still finding ways to make me smile.

I was so thrilled with this little find that I couldn't keep it to myself!!

My Aunt Anita's Granny Square

The pictures below are the pattern and you're welcome to make the pattern for free from her handwritten note. If you'd like a cleaned up copy, I've transcribed the pattern and filled in the bits that either needed clarity or were left out so it could be shared and stitched again and again, and it's available for purchase for a small fee on my Ravelry and Etsy shop.

While this pattern is a bit more recipe in nature, the block pattern itself is both written and charted in the PDF. It can be made with any weight of yarn and hook that works best for that yarn. Join the blocks as you wish with your preferred joining method, or use the zigzag slip stitch method I've included or the link to the continuous join that is in the PDF. The same goes for the edging but I've included a link to this blog post from TL Yarn Craft that gives some fun and beginner-friendly border ideas.

I miss my sweet Aunt Anita, but love that she's left us with such loveliness. And I'm happy that I get the opportunity to share that with all of you. I hope you enjoy every stitch!

Anita's Granny Square

Handwritten by my Aunt Anita sometime in the 1960's-1970's (guessing)

Aunt Anita's Granny Square - Rounds 1-3

Aunt Anita's Granny Square - Round 4