I'm Looking Over a Four-Leaf Clover

These Granny motifs were made as part of my submission for the
CGOA Master of Advanced Stitches and Techniques Certification.

One of the staples of crochet is the granny square.  In my beginner classes, the second project we do is based on the standard, traditional granny square.  Crocheters like the granny square so much that we seem to compete to come up with new and different motifs.

There are untold numbers of books:  A Bazillion and One Granny Squares, 5000 New Granny Square Designs, Women Who Make Too Many Granny Squares, Granny Squares and the Women who Love Them, Flower Granny Squares, Solid Granny Squares, Lacy Granny Squares, Mitered Granny Squares.... and don't even get me started about all the other crochet motifs, triangles, hexagons, pentagons, octagons, rounds, flowers, leaves............  

For years I've been trying to dream up a granny square motif that no one else had done.  Now, I'm not saying I've been successful.  I'm sure somewhere on the planet, someone has or is coming up with my design at this very moment.  But I will say that I don't recall ever having seen this particular granny square motif in any book, pamphlet, magazine or on-line.  

But first, allow me to share a story with you.  You know those little plastic adapters we used to use to fit 45 RPM records on the spindles of our record players?  We used to call them spiders, remember? Well, if you're a baby-boomer, you remember.

Once upon a time, I had this great idea of having a jeweler cast one of those little plastic adapters in silver or gold.  I thought to myself, "Self," I thought, "wouldn't that be a cute idea for a pendant or even earrings?"  The Adapter Pendant, I thought I'd call it.  Maybe I'd even have the word, "adapt" engraved on one of the arms.  Every baby-boomer would want one.  I'd be rich and famous.  I'd be hawking my new jewelry design on QVC or some other television shopping channel.  I'd probably be awarded the Congressional Medal of Freedom, the Pulitzer, or a Grammy.

The very next day after this idea popped into my head, I turned on the TV to watch the Rock'n'Roll Hall of Fame inductions, and there was Smokey Robinson, wearing a sterling spider pendant on a chain around his neck!  And the next thing I knew, this humble, utilitarian little object was popping up in jewelry designs everywhere I turned.

Now I love love love Smokey Robinson.  And that love was probably my only consolation for having my  million-dollar jewelry design idea "stolen."

But what, you  might be asking yourself, does this little anecdote, charming though it is, have to do with crochet granny squares?  Funny you should ask.  So, though I'm still drafting the pattern for my new granny square, and still working on one or two variations of the design, and though I only have one rather fuzzy photo of the motif at the moment, I really don't want to open next month's Crochet! magazine to find that Smokey Robinson has taken up crochet and has designed this new motif.

Therefore, without further delay, Yarnover Chicago proudly announces (drum roll please):

the Four-Leaf-Clover Granny Square.

Four Leaf Clover Square by Yarnover Chicago

Check back here or on Ravelry for some variations on this motif, and for patterns and yarn suggestions.

Post Script:  Okay, I confess.  I do own the earrings.