Cool Wool School
Claire is back again!
Ive been a fan of Claire Montgomeries card decks for a long time. Her original Granny Square Card Deck and the beautiful Granny Square Flowers Card Deck are both firm favourites of mine.
So when I heard she had released a third deck this time focusing on stitch patterns worked in rows rather than squares built from the centre out I was very excited to take a closer look.
And Im happy to say: this deck is every bit as inspiring as her earlier two, but with a completely fresh twist.
A New Approach: Granny Squares but built from Stitches
Unlike Claires previous decks, which are firmly centred around centre-out construction, the Granny Square Stitches Card Deck takes a different path.
This time, each square begins life as a stitch pattern worked in rows. The swatch is then shaped and bordered into a neat, consistent square giving you the freedom to explore texture, repeats, lace, and raised stitches in a modular format.
Its a brilliant shift in focus. Instead of choosing a motif, youre choosing a stitch pattern and that opens up a whole world of creative possibilities.
Whats Included in the Deck
Just like the earlier releases, this deck is beautifully put together and very user-friendly.
50 Stitch Pattern Cards
Each card includes:
- a clear, attractive photo of the finished square
- the stitch chart on the reverse
- the stitch multiple and repeat
- any special stitches used
A 32-page Companion Booklet
This explains:
- how to read the charts
- how to add borders
- how to join your squares
- two fully written patterns for comparison
- how to scale up stitch patterns for larger projects
A clever design detail and very helpful for combining cards is that every square is worked to the same final size, using the same yarn weight and hook. No guessing, no adjustment, no wonky edges.
Why the Row-Based Construction Matters
This deck brings something genuinely new to the granny square world.
More texture and stitch variety
Working in rows allows for stitch patterns that simply dont behave the same when worked in the round. Youll find:
- ribbing
- post stitch texture
- lace repeats
- more linear and structured stitch designs
It feels like dipping into a curated stitch dictionary but with each stitch ready-made as a square.
Easy to scale up
Because these are stitch patterns, not centre-out motifs, you can very easily repeat the rows and turn a favourite card into:
- a blanket panel
- a scarf or wrap
- a cushion cover
- a whole garment section
If youve ever wanted to try adapting stitch patterns, this deck gives you the perfect starting point.
Mix-and-match creativity
Lay out the cards on your table and suddenly youre designing a sampler blanket without even trying. The consistent sizing really shines here the squares play beautifully together.
Who Will Love This Deck
Id recommend this deck to you if:
- you enjoy working in rows
- you want to build your stitch vocabulary
- you love designing sampler-style projects
- you like understanding how stitches behave
- you want inspiration you can carry with you
If youre not confident reading charts, dont worry the booklet is very clear, and there are also written versions of all 50 patterns available digitally, in both UK and US terms.
My Favourite...
My personal favourite has to be the Overlay Steps. As you know I am a huge fan of mosaic crochet and this one just jumped out at me.
The colour work is quite stunning. Can you imagine the fun you could have with a whole set of these?
Wowsers!
Final Thoughts
The Granny Square Stitches Card Deck is a brilliant addition to Claire Montgomeries collection.
It has the same clarity, consistency and visual appeal as the earlier decks, but the shift to row-based stitch patterns gives it a fresh purpose. Its a great choice for crocheters who want to explore texture, learn new stitches, and experiment with stitch combinations while maintaining the modular convenience of granny squares.
If you enjoy tools that help you grow as a maker and give you creative freedom rather than rigid patterns this deck is well worth adding to your library.
@naomialicec
Oh heyyyy crocheters, theres a new card deck in town and its a good one! Claire Montgomerie has just brought out The Granny Squares Stitches Card Deck 50 beautifully designed cards that are perfect to pop in your project bag or spread out at home to plan your next make. Each one has a photo on the front and a clear diagram with notes on the back, so you can dive straight in wherever you are.
The stitch patterns are brilliant for practising stitches, making a sampler, building a big blanket, or mixing in with Claires previous decks (theyre all the same size so they work together perfectly). Theres even a little booklet with abbreviations, stitch guides, and layout tips.
I couldnt resist starting with the Mermaid block its currently on the blocking board while I decide which one to try next.
@kathwebbercrochet
I thought the fabulous little puff stitch card (number 30) would lend itself perfectly to this pretty hand dyed yarn I have. I feel a coaster set coming on! This will give me years of stitch inspiration.
@madebyanita
I have all three decks now and I think this one is my favourite. The cards include instructions to make any of the wonderful stitches into larger pieces. Let your imagination run wild with so much more than squares! I can imagine these squares making a wonderful Spring blanket.
@thewoolgallerystneots
We are so lucky here at The Wool Gallery St Neots that Claire is a local gal and runs lots of our classes so any chance to celebrate her creativity we are there! For this card deck tour I chose square no.8 The granny stripe & in true Claire style Ive made a pair of fingerless mittens! AND it only used 2! Yes 2 balls of ricorumi !!!! So grab yourselves the third deck of the set so far, pick a square and see what youre inspired to create!
@craftingbylucy
The deck hold 50 different crochet stitch patterns, YES 50!! To help inspire your next project (and they are a great way to encourage me to swatch as well!). This is another fantastic publication from the unstoppable Claire Montgomerie. I decided to use the inspiration of the WIGGLE STITCH to create a gorgeous mohair blend cowl perfect for the winter. The Deck comes complete with instruction booklet and charts on each of the cards with instructions for using the stitch.
@manchesterwoolandyarn
If you haven't heard of this before, I don't know where you've been, but I will catch you up really quickly. Claire released the original (OG) Granny Square Card Deck, which had 50 mix and match granny square patterns, then released the Flowers edition, which again was super popular. Now to add to the mix, we have the Stitches card deck. The Stitches card deck is slightly different to the other two, in the fact there are 50 mix and match stitches that you can basically apply to anything you want.
Claire and the guys over at Search Press asked me to pick one of the 50 stitches to have a go at making. The one I went for was the Puff stitch. I've not done the puff stitch before - it is really good fun, dead easy and you get this amazing 3D texture to it. I just picked some colours that I liked and started working on a little square to have a go at.
After I made my square, I really wanted to show how to turn the stitches to make anything you want. I took my puff stitch pattern and made it into a gorgeous little basket. I thought this would be absolutely perfect for putting my projects in, my stash yarn.
Happy crafting!
Cool Crafting
Discover 50 stunning stitch patterns in this stylish new Crochet Stitch Card Deck by Claire Montgomerie, author of the sell-out Granny Square decks. Each of the 50 colourful 10x10cm cards features a photo of the finished swatch on the front, with a clear crochet chart and stitch multiples on the back - perfect for mixing, matching and creating your own unique projects.
The deck also includes a 32-page booklet with step-by-step guidance on reading charts, scaling up stitch patterns, edging and joining, plus handy colour advice. Each swatch is made using the same hook and yarn weight, meaning squares can be joined together with ease. Portable, inspiring, and endlessly versatile, this clever card deck is a brilliant gift for any crocheter - and the perfect tool for on-the-go making.
Machine Knitting Monthly - December 2025
Each one of these 50 cards is 10x10cm and shows a stitch pattern. One side has a colour photo of the finished swatch and the other side explains how to work it. Simply lay out the cards to easily mix, match and create your own designs.
