This spooky but fun granny square features a cream skull with big black eye sockets, a little nose, and a stitched grin. The skull sits inside a ring of puffy orange petals, like a pumpkin colored sunflower, all on a black background with a neat black border. It is perfect for Halloween blankets, pillows, bags, wall hangings, and Day of the Dead decorations.
The square is made in two parts. First you crochet the black and orange square from the center out. Then you make the skull and sew it on top for a raised, dimensional look.
Materials
Worsted weight cotton or acrylic yarn in black, about 30 g
Worsted weight cotton or acrylic yarn in orange, about 15 g
Worsted weight cotton or acrylic yarn in cream, about 15 g
Crochet hook 4.0 mm
Tapestry needle, scissors, and stitch markers
Finished Size
About 16 by 16 cm (6.5 by 6.5 inches)
Stitches Used (US Terms)
ch chain
sl st slip stitch
sc single crochet
hdc half double crochet
dc double crochet
tr treble crochet
MR magic ring
sc2tog single crochet two together
bobble 5 double crochet worked into the same stitch and closed together
cluster 3 double crochet worked into the same space
Part 1: The Black Center
Round 1: With black, make a magic ring. Chain 3 (counts as a double crochet) and work 11 double crochet in the ring. Join. You have 12 stitches.
Round 2: Chain 3 and double crochet in the same stitch. Work 2 double crochet in each stitch around. Join. You have 24 stitches.
Round 3: Chain 3 and work 2 double crochet in the next stitch. Work 1 double crochet in the next stitch and 2 double crochet in the next stitch. Repeat around. Join. You have 36 stitches.
Round 4: Chain 1 and single crochet in each stitch around. Join and fasten off.
The center should measure about 9 cm across. It will sit behind the skull.
Part 2: The Orange Petal Ring
Round 5: Join orange in any stitch. Chain 3 and work a bobble in the same stitch, closing it with the chain 3 as the first double crochet. Chain 2, skip 1 stitch, and work a bobble in the next stitch. Repeat around. Join to the top of the first bobble. You have 18 bobbles.
Round 6: Slip stitch into the first chain 2 space. Chain 1 and work 3 single crochet in each chain 2 space around. Join and fasten off.
The bobbles make the puffy petals shown in the photo. Push each bobble toward the front as you work so they all pop to the right side.
Part 3: Squaring the Motif (black)
Round 7: Join black in any single crochet. Chain 1 and single crochet in the same stitch. Chain 3, skip 2 stitches, and single crochet in the next stitch. Repeat around. Join. You have 18 chain 3 spaces.
Round 8: Slip stitch into the first chain 3 space. Mark 4 evenly spaced chain 3 spaces as corners, with 3 spaces between each pair. In each corner space, work 3 treble crochet, chain 2, and 3 treble crochet. In the spaces right before and after each corner, work 3 double crochet. In the remaining side space, work 3 half double crochet. Join. You now have a square.
Round 9: Slip stitch into the corner space. In each corner, work a cluster, chain 2, and a cluster. Along the sides, work a cluster in each space between the groups of the round before, with chain 1 between. Join.
Round 10: Chain 1 and single crochet in each stitch and space around, with 3 single crochet in each corner space. Join.
Round 11: Chain 1 and single crochet in each stitch around, with 3 single crochet in the center stitch of each corner. Join and fasten off.
Your square should measure about 16 cm across.
Part 4: The Skull
The skull is made of a round head and a narrower jaw.
Head: With cream, make a magic ring.
Round 1: Chain 1 and work 6 single crochet in the ring. Join.
Round 2: Work 2 single crochet in each stitch around. Join. You have 12 stitches.
Round 3: Single crochet in the next stitch and 2 single crochet in the next stitch. Repeat around. Join. You have 18 stitches.
Rounds 4 to 7: Continue increasing 6 stitches in each round, working 1 more single crochet between increases each time. You have 42 stitches. Do not fasten off.
The head should measure about 9 cm across.
Jaw: Now work in rows across the bottom of the circle.
Row 1: Single crochet in the next 14 stitches. Turn. You have 14 stitches.
Row 2: Chain 1, sc2tog, single crochet across to the last 2 stitches, and sc2tog. Turn. You have 12 stitches.
Rows 3 to 4: Chain 1 and single crochet in each stitch across. Turn.
Row 5: Chain 1, sc2tog, single crochet across to the last 2 stitches, and sc2tog. You have 10 stitches.
Round 6: Chain 1 and single crochet evenly around the whole skull to smooth the edge. Join and fasten off. Leave a long tail for sewing.
Part 5: The Face
Eyes (make 2): With black, make a magic ring. Chain 1 and work 8 single crochet in the ring. Join. Work 2 single crochet in each stitch around. Join and fasten off. You have 2 flat black circles. Sew them to the upper half of the skull, leaving a small gap between them.
Nose: With black, embroider an