Graphgans are a great way to expand your crochet repertoire! They are fun to make and the possibilities are endless. You can make anything that is square or rectangular from a picture. However, there are some tips and tricks to make your graphgan experience easier and more rewarding when designing your own.

Where should I start?
Think about what image you want to use. You can convert it to a graph yourself, or a great tool to use is Stitch Fiddle https://www.stitchfiddle.com – you can use it to convert any image into a graph. However, there are some simple dos and don’t when choosing an image to use.

What kind of image should I use?
Graphgans work best with simple images, for example logos or shapes. That’s not to say you can’t do very complex images in graphgan format, but especially when you are starting out, stick to simple designs with not too many colors. Most graphgans are square or rectangular, so if you have a circular design in mind, consider putting it on a square background.

Which stitch should I use?
There are a few ways to do graphgans, the most popular being corner to corner (C2C) crochet which can give bold, clean edged patterns. Choose C2C if your pattern is fairly simple. You can also use single (SC) or half double (HDC) crochet when you want a more detailed design, or for smaller projects like place mats or cushion covers.

Example: Here’s a pattern for a single crochet wall hanging. It uses Caron Simply Soft yarn which is worsted weight (4) and comes out at 26″ across by 29″ high (66 cm by 74 cm). The grid for this graphgan was 126 blocks wide by 135 tall. https://www.etsy.com/listing/1006206110/book-dragon-lair-wall-hanging-pattern

What if I want words?
Words can be easily done on graphgans! However, keep the lettering/font simple. If you are using C2C then a single block line will be fine. If using SC, I recommend at LEAST 2 blocks wide for any line in the letters to make it readable.

Check your colors are available!
You’ve just created the perfect image, you have it as a graphgan… then you find out that the yarn you want to use does not have the colors you want. Do some research first to make sure you can get hold of the perfect colors for your image.

What yarn should I use?
If you are using C2C, for most purposes (blankets, cushion covers, wall hangings) any 3 or 4 weight yarn will be fine. You can use chunky size 5 or 6 blanket yarn for single crochet.

How big will my graphgan be?
A rough guide on size is that each C2C block in weight 4 yarn will be roughly 0.75 inches tall and wide. If you need to make sure your design comes out to a specific size, do a 10 block by 10 block C2C swatch in your chosen yarn and measure it, then scale up to see how big your chosen graph would be. For example, if your 10 by 10 swatch is 8 inches wide by 8 inches tall, then a graph that is 100 by 100 blocks would come out at 80 inches by 80 inches, which is pretty big!

For SC you can use chunky yarn for simple images. Example: This flag pattern uses Bernat Blanket chunky size 6 yarn. The grid is 100 by 100, and it should come out at about 52″ by 60″ (132cm by x 152 cm). https://www.etsy.com/listing/636960636/england-flag-crochet-blanket-pattern-st

I hope these tips help you on your graphgan journey! Be creative and above all, have fun with it! It’s your design, you can make it however you like.