Using a join-as-you-go method to join crochet motifs is a great way to save time and effort.
With join-as-you-go, you don’t have any seaming to do at the end of the project, because you have joined all your individual pieces as your work. The flat join method of join-as-you-go gives a particularly beautiful and smooth connection.
Flat joins can be worked into chain spaces or into the top of stitches. With granny squares, the joins are usually worked into the chain-spaces.
Follow these step-by-step instructions, or scroll down to the bottom of the post for a video explanation.
This post contains affiliate links which don’t cost you anything but may provide a small income to me. The yarn pictured is Red Heart Chic Sheep by Marly Bird.
Join-As-You-Go Granny Square
We’ll be joining a classic granny square that has chain-2 corners and chain-1 side spaces. My sample square has three rounds.
Begin by working the entire first square. Weave in the ends.
Crochet the second square, stopping before you work the last round.
Begin working the last round of the second square, stopping when you get to the half-way point of a corner. In other words, stop after “3 dc in corner space, ch 1”.
Flat Join Join-As-You-Go
To work a flat join, draw up the loop on the hook until it is a bit longer than usual, then take the hook out of the loop. This is known as “dropping the loop”.
Pick up the first square with the right side facing. Insert the hook from right side to wrong side (from front to back) through a corner chain-2 space.
Pick up the dropped loop with your hook and draw it through to the right side of the first square.
Continue working on current square: ch 1, 3 dc in same space.
Continue working flat joins in the chain-1 spaces along this side, while working (3 dc, ch 1) in each ch-1 space of the current square. The last flat join will be in the chain-2 corner space.
Completing the Square
Once the squares are joined all along their sides, keep working along the remaining sides of the current square to complete the round.
Learn More About Join-As-You-Go
Join-as-you-go is such a time- and effort-saving technique! There’s a lot more to learn about this topic. If you want to make your crocheting life happier, check out my books and pattern page, as well as these resources:
Use the instructions for the simple edging provided, or customize the blanket with your own choice of border from 
Light Weight Yarn is the perfect choice for a baby blanket. Choose your favorite three colors to match your nursery decor. 
With A, loosely chain a multiple of 2 + 1. Work 1 row each of A, B, C throughout. 
Here’s an instruction you might see in a pattern:
Sometimes you’ll see asterisks used this way:
There’s an easy wording solution that helps clear up all of this confusion, and that is using the word “more”:
