Continuous join as you go for grannies

Continuous Join-as-you-go (CJAYG)
(tutorial uses Granny Squares)
tutorial and photos c2008 Sandra Petit, http://www.crochetcabana.com
method shared with me by Susan Van Winkle 2008
also demonstrated in the Elmore Method (William Elmore) published by Annie's Attic (out of print)

If you would like to see videos demonstrating this method, with slight changes, you can check out Beth Ham's YouTube videos. She did such a wonderful job of demonstrating this method. If you are like me, it's nice to actually see it worked. You can crochet along with her. I recently tried my hand at making a series of 4 videos detailing this method. If you watch both mine and Pam's, you should get a very good idea of how to work this technique.

This is the RIGHT HANDED version. I have put a very simple LEFT HANDED version below the photo tutorial.

First, lay out your squares as in the chart below. I am joining only two columns for the purposes of this tutorial. You can join as many squares as you like, however, just following this procedure. (Your columns and rows can have as many squares as needed. It doesn't have to be 4.)

In my opinion you will find it easier to work this method the first time if you actually number your squares so you can follow along with the tutorial more easily.

I am using the granny square join as you go method, but you can use this procedure for any number of other joining methods as well, depending on your needs. My granny pattern is (shell, ch 1) for sides and (shell, ch 3, shell) for corners. That is what I will use here.

Note: With this granny pattern, the method works best if you work a complete left top corner on square #1. Photos in steps 2 through 23 show a first shell only of that corner. You can see the proper square #1 in step 1 and 24.

Here is how we are going to be working it. Follow the arrows. Note that the arrows are ONLY to show you the direction in which you are going to travel. Your stitches will of course be next to one another, not with the space between the rows as the picture.

As noted above, this can be adjusted for any number of squares, any number of rows and columns, any joining method

Number all the other columns from bottom to top. You get:

1	8	 12	

2	7	 11	

3	6 	 10	

4 	5 	 9

Since there are no photos for this version, you can use a pencil to see how
you're going to join the squares.

Here are the written instructions.

You will start at square #1 and go all the way without lifting your pencil.

Start at the right top corner of square 1. Draw a line down the right side 
of 1 (between 1 and 8), then left (from right to left between square 1 and
2). - (If you had a hook and yarn, you would have edged two sides of square
1. )

Now go right with your pencil between squares 1 and 2 (Here you would join
those squares to each other. Square 1 has been edged, not square 2, but you
are "edging" it as you join them).

Go down with your pencil along the right side of 2, then left (between sq. 2
and 3) (You edged two sides of square 2)

Go right with your pencil between squares 2 and 3. (You joined those
squares)

Go down with your pencil along the right side of 3, then left between sq. 3
and 4. (You edged two sides of square 3)

Go right with your pencil between sq. 3 and 4. (You joined them)

Go down with your pencil along the right side of 4 - (You did ONE edge on
this square - the last square in the column.)

and then go all the way up to the left of 5, 6, 7 and 8. (If you're
crocheting now, you are joining those squares of the second column to the
first column that is already joined. If you look at your work, you see a
whole column joined together, (that is squares 1,2,3 and 4) , with four
squares (that is #5,6,7,8) each hanging attached to the first column only by
one side, and not yet attached to each other. 

(SECOND COLUMN) 

Draw with your pencil from left to right along the top of 8 then down the
right side of 8 between 8 and 12, and left between 8 and 7 (You edged THREE
sides of square #8). 

Go right with your pencil between squares 7 and 8 (You joined those squares)

Go down the right side of 7, then left between 7 and 6 (You edged two sides
of square 7)

Go right between 7 and 6 (You joined them)

Go down the right side of 6, and left between 6 and 5 (You edged two sides
of square 6)

Go right between 6 and 5. (You joined them) 

Go down the right side of 5 - You did ONE edge on this square)

And then go all the way up to the left of 9, 10, 11, 12 (Are you beginning
to see a pattern? You have two columns completely attached to each other,
and four squares hanging on the right attached only at one side.

Continue doing the THIRD column in the same way as (SECOND COLUMN).

When you get to where you are joining square 9 and 10, you will see that
every square has a pencil gridline between it, but the outside of the whole
blanket is edged at the top of 8 and 12 only, and on the right-hand side of
squares 10, 11 and 12. So continue where you are and draw with your pencil
down on the right side of #9, the bottom of 9, 5, 4, the left side of 4, 3,
2, 1 and the top of 1, ending back where you began, at the top right corner
of square 1. (If you're crocheting, you have just edged the outside
perimeter of the whole blanket, and are ready to do the border of your
choice around the blanket!