2023 Temperature Blanket: The Plan
For the past few years, I’ve seen temperature blankets floating around on Instagram and Pinterest, and I must say, I was intrigued.
On one hand, it was super cool to me to have a physical representation of the year that you’ve experienced, but on the other hand, it is a year-long project that if you don’t stay committed to can easily become a WIP (work in progress) that will never see the light of day again.
2023 seems like the perfect year for me to tackle a temperature blanket. It’ll be the first full year that we’re in our new home, the first full year that we’ll be married, and possibly the first year we have a child. And no, I’m not pregnant just in case anyone was wondering 😉
I’ve done about 20 hours of research and planning for my 2023 temperature blanket, and I wanted to share that research and planning with y’all just in case you decide it’s time for you to make one, too!
What is a temperature blanket?
First off, what the heck is a temperature blanket? A temperature blanket is a year-long knit or crochet project where you crochet/knit one row every day and the color you use for that day is dependent on the temperature of your location. You can do the highs, lows, averages, dew point, etc. The daily statistic you can track is 100% up to you. Toni over at TL Yarn Crafts has a great post explaining more about temperature blankets!
I’m going with the daily high temperature for my area (Columbia, South Carolina). Our high temperatures range from 100+ degrees Fahrenheit in the summer to around 30-40 degrees in the winter.
Temperature Blanket Yarns & Colors
Traditionally, temperature blankets are made using very bright, vibrant acrylic yarns in the colors of the rainbow. And tbh, I think that’s where temperature blankets get their negative stereotype. If that’s your kind of blanket, more power to you, but for me (and most of the world), that’s just not my vibe.
I want to stick with somewhat of a “rainbow” color palette but without screaming RAINBOW. After spending a few hours on Ravelry and Pinterest, I found this temperature blanket pattern by Nathalie Bouffard. It was more along the lines of what I was looking for. Of course, as any Raveler or crafter would do, I looked through the Projects tab of the pattern to see what others had made with the pattern. And then I found this beauty. The colors were rich and saturated but also muted and just plain stunning.
The blanket was made using Lion Brand’s Heartland yarn. It’s a #4 medium weight yarn with 215 yards in 142 grams. It’s also made of 100% acrylic which means it’s machine washable and dryable and will *hopefully* stand up to years of wear and tear. And it’s available at JoAnn’s and Michael’s which is a huge convenient plus!
Ideally, I wanted to go with a superwash merino or a mixture of acrylic and wool to have the luxurious feeling of wool, but it’s hard to find a budget-friendly option that is available in local craft stores.
All in all, I got 20 skeins of yarn for around $90 from a combination of JoAnn’s and Michael’s. During the time that I purchased the yarn, all yarn was ‘buy 2, get 1 free’ at both stores. I also had a few other coupons that I was able to use to bring the price down. If you’re planning on doing a temperature blanket or any kind of blanket in general, keep an eye out for sales before you purchase.
I will probably need more of certain colors, but I won’t know until I’m in the thick of the blanket!
Temperature Blanket Temperature Scale
As I said above, I live in Columbia, South Carolina, where our daily highs range from 95-100+ in the summer to around 40 degrees in the winter.
2023 Temperature Blanket Scale:
- 93 & above – Yosemite
- 87-92 – Canyonlands
- 80-86 – Grand Canyon
- 74-79 – Bryce Canyon
- 67-73 – Capitol Reef
- 61-66 – Badlands
- 54-60 – Wolf Trap
- 48-53 – Rocky Mountains
- 41-47 – Petrified Forest
- 40 & below – Kings Canyon
* Note that all temperatures are in Fahrenheit.
Temperature Blanket Pattern
I am not following a specific pattern for this year’s temperature blanket, but I want it to be more than just single or double crochets throughout the whole blanket. I want to incorporate some texture and geometric patterns if possible.
At first, I thought about using a moss stitch or linen stitch because it provides a beautiful end result. It allows the colors to intermix with each other more so than a traditional single crochet blanket. This was my top pick as I was going into the planning process. And then I saw a post on Reddit showcasing a beautifully diamond-textured striped blanket and I knew instantly that it was the blanket pattern/motif I would be using for my 2023 temperature blanket.
I am loosely following the Navajo Indian Diamond Stitch Afghan and instead of using 4-5 colors, I’ll be using my temperature blanket colors. I think it’s going to produce a very unique blanket in the end!
And do you know what the best part about the blanket pattern is!? There are ZERO ends to weave in at the end. Each row is made with a new piece of yarn, and you create fringe at the beginning and end of each row. Game changer.
I’ll be casting on 245 stitches using a 5.5mm crochet hook. Based on my calculations from my gauge swatch, My blanket should come out to 65″x81″.
What’re your thoughts on temperature blankets? Are you planning on making one this year? And if so, how are you keeping yourself accountable to stay on track with your blankets? Let me know in the comments below!
