Coming this fall, join Marly Bird and I through the late summer, fall to winter in the season along. I questioned a few things about the #temperatureblanket concept. Why don’t I see too many people completing a real one by the end of the year? It’s one of the most viral things in January, and yet, by December, only a few finish!
Some reasons may include:
- The finished project is outrageously huge to span 365 days in row counts. They are can be up to 15 feet long. Way too big for practical use.
- Going in straight rows can be boring if the colour isn’t changing fast enough.
- The project spans 365 days, which requires monitoring temperatures or using an APP to get the data. People forget or lose interest as the span is too long.
- People midway through realize how big their project will be and quit as they realize the project won’t be useable in the end.
- People who live in warmer climates believe a blanket will be red and purple as their temperature doesn’t go as low or fluctuate as much as someone living more north.
There could be more reasons, and you can leave your comment on the blog below.
Something is Broken
What if we throw the rule book out the window? Where can we restart this concept?
I developed a new strategy for the #temperatureblanket with goals and meaning beyond just documenting the temperatures. I tested the concept on 2021 data to see how it would play out. I became obsessed with this concept. OMG, the feeling of going day by day has emotional and mental rewards that had me crocheting up into midnight as I wanted to see what it could look like.
I questioned the colour lineup as I crocheted, but at the end, I was so pleased with how it came out. It represents home for me. Imagine crocheting someone a blanket on their birth year or a year of graduation and more?
I did graph it out for visual to see the colours in advance.
Excited by this concept, I pitched Marly to see if there is interest in joining me on this Season Along. Marly was instantly hooked and had a project ready in the works where my colour strategy would work. She was super excited about it as well. Marly will have a knit scarf that is also following this concept. We will share Marly’s concept once her sample is worked out and the colours confirmed.
About the Obsessed with Temperature Blanket
These patterns are very difficult to predict the yarn required. My blanket is 58 ounces. That is the equivalent of 3.6 balls of Caron One Pound total. However, I used nine colours. I used more of the hottest and coldest colours as there is a buffer zone that gives the blanket balance. The balls are using less than half of a Caron One Pound.
Why is the yarn unpredictable? The weather where you live, even just a few towns/cities away in the same region, can be vastly different. My blanket represents my direct area for a certain time of year. So you may use completely different quantities of yarn per colour.
Caron One Pound, 454g / 16 oz, 742 meters / 812 yards
In order of hot to cold.
- A – Deep Violet
- B – Purple
- C – Claret
- D – Dark Pink
- E – Sunflower
- F – Forest
- G – Royalty
- H – Azure
- I – Cream
Make Up Your Own Rules
We will show you how to make your own rules. Though I have nine colours. You can do many more further to break down the temperatures for more colour variation. We will also share with you how to customize your temperatures based on the knowledge you can find and things to look for to determine those.
Kick Off Date
August 25, 2022 is the kick-off for this concept. From here, you will get everything you need to complete this task. While Mikey used existing data, you can do that as well.
Mikey will have details on how to change the size of the blanket, including baby sizes to full bedspreads. The details are worked out. Again, we won’t know how much yarn per colour to use.
The colours suggested are just that, suggestions. Use whatever colours you wish and any order you wish.
Final Take Away
This experiment showed me something I had never realized before. See the Sunflower Yellow colour? What do you notice about that? It’s just a short time frame in the weather changing. I’m not an avid follower of weather as I don’t usually look ahead to see what’s coming and take the weather day by day.
I didn’t realize until this experiment that 9 to 15 c (48 to 60 f) degrees are short-lived on our yearly calendar. I have always thought each temperature had an equal presence as the earth revolves around the sun. While we have long winters and long summer temps, the temperatures in between are short as the transition between the two major moments in the yearly spin.
Working Through the Concept
What do you think?
Are you stitch-curious now? We will have details later this summer.
Tutorials
Coming soon.
I wonder if there’s a way to integrate other data into this….I’ve been toying around with the idea, nothing really concrete….For example, making small (maybe 2 row) granny squares with the inner row showing if it was rainy, cloudy, or sunny, and the outer row showing temperature. Or using different stitches to represent the weather (single crochet for sunny days, half-double for cloudy, double for rainy).
Can’t wait to start another one. I didn’t one in c2c for one child’s birth year, but I have 3 more children that are still waiting for one.
I can’t wait! I have data from my Great Nieces first year and would like to do one for her mum. I was worried about size and how to do it so it’s usable. Will there be a FB page/group?
Love your work! 🧶
Hi, Michael: This sounds great. I have not participated in any of the temperature blanket projects, but I too would probably need to reflect temperatures for a year-round warm climate – although it will still be warm in August/September when this project starts – it will also be hurricane season – lots of thunder, lightning, rain and of course warm humid weather. I wouldn’t want to have a blanket of mostly “yellow” for the sun and gray for the rain!
I like the idea, Mikey. A chevron pattern would be a new adventure for me. Do you have an end date for the Study of Temperature crochet along? That woukd help me select yarn colors. Thanks!
I started a blanket in 2018 and lost interest. Then I found someone who had done a modified 12-point star. It piqued my interest. I’ve since completed two of them in this fashion and love both of them. I did mine historically, in that, they’re from 1971 and 1994. So I was able to complete my blankets in a short time frame.
I currently live in a very hot climate, but am hoping to move to a more temperate and varied one within the next few years. If I get ambitious enough I’d like to do one for my location now, and another for my ideal target location. The contrast should be very interesting, to say nothing of enlightening.
I like the idea !! I would have to have have a smaller span of temps if I was to do one for where I live though ! I’m excited to see what everyone will come up with !!
Hi Mikey,
I would like to try. Does sound very complicated.
It’s not. 😀 So simple it’s silly I didn’t think of this before.
Sounds like a great idea