Book Review: The Granny Square Stitches Card Deck by Claire Montgomerie

Claire is back again!

I’ve been a fan of Claire Montgomerie’s 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, and I know many of you enjoy using them too.

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 I’m 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 Claire’s 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.

It’s a brilliant shift in focus. Instead of choosing a motif, you’re choosing a stitch pattern — and that opens up a whole world of creative possibilities.

What’s 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 don’t behave the same when worked in the round. You’ll 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 you’ve 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 you’re designing a sampler blanket without even trying. The consistent sizing really shines here — the squares play beautifully together.

How It Compares to Claire’s Other Card Decks

If you already own Claire’s earlier two decks, here’s how this one fits in:

The Granny Square Card Deck

Great for classic construction, clever shaping, and traditional motifs. A brilliant beginner-friendly starter deck. Review is here> https://coolwoolschool.com/blog-granny-square-card-deck

The Granny Square Flowers Card Deck

Decorative, 3D, textural, and very playful. Perfect for statement motifs. Review is here> https://coolwoolschool.com/blog-granny-square-flowers-card-deck

The Granny Square Stitches Card Deck

More technical in feel — in a good way.
This deck focuses on stitch structure, repeat behaviour, and texture. It’s ideal if you want to explore how stitches behave, how to adapt them, and how to use them in different contexts.

It rounds out the trio beautifully, with each deck offering something unique.

Who Will Love This Deck

I’d 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 you’re not confident reading charts, don’t 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 Montgomerie’s 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. It’s 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.

Don't forget that if you are on my mailing list you can purchase any book that I review for 25% off from Search Press, using the discount code in my weekly email sent every Friday, available for TWO MONTHS from the date of the review.

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