About
Hi! I’m Shelley. I love to design crochet patterns that extend your skills, gently challenging and encouraging you to create crochet wonders. I get a real kick out of seeing folks create beautiful crochet items they thought were beyond their skills.
If you can crochet a granny square, you can do my patterns, if you’re willing to learn and have a go. I always provide lots of support with links to videos, step by step photos and clear instructions. You can find my patterns here.
I love to design crochet squares and blankets. I really do. Seamless crochet is my thing. You wont find obvious joins or a line up a side of my blocks. I'm pretty pedantic about it. ;)
I have written four crochet books! The first was Granny Square Flair (read all about it here.) It came out 20 July! It has 50 6″ square patterns and some fun projects to make as well. Then came Siren’s Atlas, Beneath the Surface and most recently, Granny Square Academy. You can read more about them all here.
I have written 8 ebooks full of granny square fun.
You'll find loads of free and paid patterns in my shop and on my free patterns page.
I’m also a mother, wife & worker. I live by the coast in South West Victoria, Australia. I am very lucky!
I can be found in lots of places about the 'net.
Do you love Instagram like I love Instagram? It's where you'll find me most often. My name there is “spincushions”.
Come and hang out with me on Facebook and Twitter, or maybe check out my Pinterest.
Work with me
If you'd like to work with me, I'd love to hear from you. Check out this page on my blog for some info about who I am and what we could do together.
Why "Spincushions"?
I used to make felt pincushions. I hand sewed them all and I loved doing it - hence the name 'Spincushions', but times change and crochet is my current obsession.

If you know how to crochet a traditional granny square, then you have the skills you need to start Granny Square Academy.
Not sure about your traditional granny square skills? I can teach you all you need to know with my free eBook.

What will you learn in Granny Square Academy?
Oh ALL the things! Here's just a small sample of the topics covered in Granny Square Academy:
- anatomy of various crochet stitches
- how to do the 4 most common crochet stitches
- how to work spike stitches, front posts, back posts, back loops only, clusters
- how to read written patterns
- how to join granny squares
- all my seamless crochet tips like joining with a stitch, what to do instead of ch3 (stch)
- how to block granny squares
- how to change colour
- how to weave in ends and...
- a lot more!
I have covered all the little things that get missed when teaching yourself, as often is the case these days. Things like where exactly do you join to when joining to a ch3 (stch)? Tips for how to read your crochet stitches so you can count them properly. That kind of thing.

How will you learn all of this?
Granny Square Academy will teach you all you need to know via a PDF download that includes 10x granny square patterns, or in book form. or you can do it as an online course with a private online community.
Each pattern has been carefully designed to teach you a new skill and help you master it. You will build on the skills learned with each new pattern in the series.
There are a lot of close up photos, with detailed instructions, as well as video for all of the patterns. I really have covered everything you might need.

What will you be able to do at the end of GSA?
Once you have completed all the lessons, you will have all the skills you need to tackle any of my written patterns - even the more complicated ones. Sure, you'll still have things to learn, but you will have the confidence and ability to be able to work things out and succeed.
You will be able to use any patterns in my books, Granny Square Flair, Siren's Atlas and Granny Square Patchwork.
How do I join Granny Square Academy?
The entire course with the added bonus of charts for all patterns, is available now as a digital download or physical book you can purchase below, or via my new online learning platform here.
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Granny Square Academy Digital
Regular price $24.95 AUDRegular priceUnit price per -
Granny Square Academy Book
Regular price $44.95 AUDRegular priceUnit price per
If you're in the US, you can get the book from amazon.com and other online retailers.
If you're in the UK, you can get the book from amazon.co.uk and other online book retailers.
Located elsewhere? Search on your country's popular online book retailers.

Granny Square Academy Online
Granny Square Academy Online has some bonus extras!
There's a private community to connect with others working through Granny Square Academy Online and get extra help.
Plus, there are monthly live online catch ups with me to ask questions and share your progress
Get in Touch
If you have any questions at all about anything I do, please get in touch.