Group of Dutch crocheters create Christmas tree of almost 2.000 granny squares

A group of 35 women in the Dutch city of Wassenaar have created what must be one of the most unique and festive Christmas trees in the Netherlands, made from almost 2.000 hand-crocheted granny squares.

Dutch library reveals Christmas tree made entirely from granny squares

Since the beginning of December, the library in Wassenaar has had a Christmas tree consisting of granny squares on display. A granny square is a square piece of fabric made by crochet with wool or yarn that measures approximately 10 by 10 centimetres.

The cheerful addition to the library was created by a group of 35 women who started working on the project in February this year. "Knitting is my biggest hobby," Annelies Groenewegen, who first came up with the project, told AD. "But I always did it on my own at home.”

Groenewegen was inspired by crocheted Christmas decorations and mentioned the idea to the craft club that the library hosts at the beginning of the year. “A few ladies were interested in joining. And people from other backgrounds joined as well. With 35 ladies, we then crocheted almost 2.000 granny squares," she said. 

While the group includes a few grandmothers, there are a variety of generations who contributed. "Young people enjoy making them too. We're a very diverse group. There are people from the most expensive neighbourhoods, but also women in social housing. Our club is very diverse. Many crocheters have met each other here. It's become a project of connection and collaboration."

Plans for a larger granny square tree in the future

After almost 1.000 hours of work put into crocheting the many granny squares, by September the ladies had enough to make a 2,75 metre-tall Christmas tree. A green border was added to all the granny squares to connect them and create a “Christmas-themed look”, and a steel frame was built especially for the tree by the Narrow Gauge Railway Museum in Valkenburg.

Wassenaar mayor Leendert de Lange then unveiled the completed tree in December and it has been on display in the library ever since. The group of crocheters are already planning to make another, bigger tree for next year.

"The idea is to make the frame larger, with two wider hoops at the bottom. That would create a tree almost 4 metres tall,” says Groenewegen. “We're just looking for a suitable location for the tree next year. Perhaps it could be in the police station, where the municipality is temporarily located while De Paauw is being renovated."