I am assuming that you know how to make a slip stitch, and how to make chains and treble stitches (UK notation).
Round 1: chain 6 stitches
then place your hook through the first chain you made,
and slip stitch (wrap the yarn around the hook and pull it through both loops on the hook)
Chain 3 - this counts as a treble
2 trebles into the centre ring - this is now your first group of trebles. We will be making quite a few of these groups of trebles before the granny square is finished.
Chain 3 - this leaves a gap or "chain space"
3 trebles into the centre ring - yippee, the first corner is made.
chain 3, 3 trebles into centre ring - you've now made 2 corners, you're half way.
chain 3, 3 more trebles into centre ring
3 chain, and then slip stitch through the top of the 3 chain you made at the start of this round
Cast off this colour (if you are going to change colours), and admire your tiny little square.
Round 2: join your second colour by holding the end of the yarn at the back of the square (make sure you leave about 5-10 cm of yarn at the back of the square otherwise you risk it coming undone later), and pull a loop of your new colour through the large gap in one of the corners of the square.
Chain 3 - this counts as a treble
Treble 3, chain 3
Treble 3 more into the same space, and you have your first corner of this round.
Chain 2, then (treble 3, chain 3, treble 3) into the next large chain space
chain2, then (treble 3, chain 3, treble 3) into the next large chain space
chain 2, (treble 3, chain 3, treble 3) into the final large chain space. Finish this round with a slip stitch into the top of the first chain you made of this round. Cast off.
Round 3: Join new colour to one of the spaces on the middle of the sides, chain 3 and then complete 2 trebles in the same chain space. As this is a side not a corner, we only need to make one group of trebles here.
Chain 2, move to the next chain space and (treble 3, chain 3, treble 3) into the same space to make a corner.
work around the edge of the square, in the same way. Into each side space work 3 trebles followed by 2 chains to move to the next space, and into each corner chain space work (treble 3, chain 3, treble 3) followed by 2 chains to move to the next space.
You can either continue working around the square to make it larger, or make lots of small squares & stitch them together.
Make sure you run all of the ends in securely, as you don't want all of your hard work to unravel.
Hope that helps to unlock the mystery of the granny squares. Happy crocheting!
