Granny Stripe Stitch
rows of three-double-crochet clusters worked into the gaps below, the classic ridged granny fabric in straight rows rather than a square
Granny stripe is the granny square opened out and worked back and forth in rows, which is why it is the go-to for scrap-yarn blankets and easy colour stripes. Each row is a run of clusters, where a cluster is three double crochet worked together into the space between the clusters of the row below, with a chain one skipped over each gap so the next cluster has a space to sit in. You are never working into the tops of stitches, only into the holes between them, which is what keeps it fast and forgiving. Change colour at the start of a row and the stripes fall naturally along the ridged rows. Because the clusters lean slightly and the gaps stay open, the fabric is light, drapey, and a little lacy rather than solid, so it is better for blankets and wraps than for anything that needs to block wind. It is a strong first "real" pattern after single and double crochet, since the only counting is groups of three.