Worked on the glider, counted out loud —
A quick bumble bee granny square for beginners and gift-givers, done in about one sitting.
This bumble bee square is for the evening when you want a project that finishes before you're ready for bed, with just enough color changes to keep your attention. It's for the friend who still has that bee-print mug, for the kid who draws antennas on everything, for the empty spot in your kitchen that's waiting on a little charm. Make one for a pocket-sized gift or stitch up a handful for a cushion that hums with personality.
This square plays well with change. Keep the same twelve sets of double crochet and chain spaces in round one but swap the yellow for any two colors you like, and you've got a different bug entirely, a ladybug square or a wasp if you lean into orange and black. If you want a bigger bee, work the main pattern in a heavier yarn and a larger hook, though you'll want to test your tension against the original size 7 (4.5 mm) result before committing to a full set. For a softer finish, work the wings in a brushed or halo weight 3 yarn instead of a smooth one, so the seven rows of increasing triangle catch a bit of fuzz at the edges. You can also leave off the single crochet border row on the wings for a rougher look, or work it twice for a firmer edge that holds its shape under little hands. Skip the antenna and stinger altogether and you have a plain striped granny square that still reads as bee-themed through color alone, handy if you're making a long row of them for an afghan and don't want every square fully dimensional.
The rounds, in full
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Everything this one takes, in the order you will reach for it.
Hooks
For the antenna, chain 5, slip stitch to join popcorn stitches, then chain 5 again.
Fasten off, leaving a long tail for sewing.
For the stinger, use black yarn to chain and form a triangle between the lower sections of the yellow parts.
Fasten off, weave in ends.
Start with a chain of 4, double crochet in 4th chain from the hook.
Work back and forth in turned rows, increasing in each row to create a triangle-shaped wing (total of 7 rows).
Shape the wing by skipping spaces and working double crochets, then finalize with a row of single crochets around the wing perimeter.
Fasten off, leaving a long tail for sewing onto the bee square.
Fasten off and weave in ends after each color change rather than carrying yarn across the back, since the black round sits right on top of the first color.
Keep your tension even through the chain-two spaces in round two so the double crochet two together clusters sit flat instead of curling the square out of shape.
Colors used in the example: Black (Super Saver), Carrot (Super Saver), and Cornmeal (Super Saver) for the body, a blue colorway for the border rounds, Grand Canal (Stylecraft), and Confectionary (Premier Everyday Dots). Any yarn colors work as long as you keep a clear yellow-and-black contrast for the stripes.
the ones that come up on the glider
You can, but the pattern calls for a size 7 (4.5 mm) hook for the body and a size 6 (3.5 mm) hook for the wings, and that smaller hook keeps the finer weight 3 yarn from looking floppy. If you only have one hook, the wings will simply come out a touch looser, which isn't the end of the world.
That cluster stitch is what gives the black round its raised, bumpy texture instead of a flat granny stripe. It's a small technique, but it's doing a lot of the work in making this look like a bee rather than a plain square.
It's listed as optional, and round one is short enough that most crocheters manage without one. If you're prone to losing your place at the join, drop a marker into the first stitch of each round.
Two. Each one is worked flat across seven rows, shaped with increases into a triangle, and finished with a single crochet border before you sew it onto the square.
The pattern calls for a weight 4 yarn for the main body and a finer weight 3 yarn for the wings, which keeps the wings from overwhelming the square. Any color combination works as long as you keep that weight difference between the two parts.
Yes, the main striped square still reads clearly as a bee through the yellow and black rounds alone. Leave them off if you're making a large batch and want to save a little time on each one.
Sunday evening, from the glider —
A pattern and a note from the glider, most weeks.
That was the last round. Would you like the letter when the next one goes up?