I want to make my friend a blanket for christmas, unfortunately she is also my housemate. So I figured I would knit a blanket that I could make by knitting one square at a time so she wouldn't catch on to what I was doing, and then join them all together into a blanket.

I am pretty new to knitting though and I don't know how I will join the squares and I can't seem to find a pattern that describes the process. Has anyone made a pattern similar to this that will also take me through combining the squares, or alternatively can someone just describe how to do it?

Thanks in advance!!

Here are a couple patterns, hopefully you get some ideas:
http://www.bernat.com/pattern.php?PID=2604&cps=21191
http://www.chroniclebooks.com/Chronicle/excerpt/0811848884-e3.html
http://www.canadianliving.com/crafts/knitting/knitted_patchwork_quilt.php
http://www.cabbagepatchtreasures.co.uk/afghan08.htm
http://www.lionbrand.com/patterns/80753AD.html?r=1
http://www.caron.com/projects/br/soften_your_mornings.html