Have you heard about temperature blankets? They are fun year-long crochet project that reflects the temperature for a year’s time. Learn how to crochet a temperature blanket with this guide – complete with a printable color chart!
This photo is the start of my temperature blanket, I will update as the year goes on.
I thought this year would be a perfect time to start a temperature blanket. I picked out 10 different colors of Red Heart With Love Yarn to represent my temperature ranges. The temperature blanket chart is below for the colors I chose and you are welcome to use the same colors as well.
What crochet stitch is best for a temperature blanket?
The beauty of a temperature blanket is that you have the freedom to choose the stitch that best works for you. I made my blanket with single crochet stitches. However, I have seen blankets that use the Moss Stitch, which is beautiful as well.
One thing to remember is that the blanket will be 365 rows long. Using a larger stitch will result in a longer blanket.
How to Crochet a Temperature Blanket
Print out the crochet temperature blanket color chart so you can reference your colors. If you want to choose your own colors that is fine.
As you can see, this will be a year-long project. So your blanket will have 365 rows. Each day crochet a row in the color of the high temperature for that day.
If you can’t crochet a row every day, simply keep a spreadsheet of the day and high temperatures. This way you will be able to go back and easily create the rows you have missed.
Since we are a few days into the new year already, I have kept a spreadsheet of the high temps until I got all my yarn for the project.
I purchased one skein of each color to start. Since Mother Nature decides what colors we will be using and how often, it is unsure how many of each skein you will need to purchase. So as one skein gets low and you believe you will be needing that yarn in the future, purchase another skein of that color at that time.
If you want to make a blanket for previous years, Weatherghan is a great resource for finding out the high temperatures for your zip code and year. Sadly, I don’t think this website is working anymore.
However, you can use the Weather Underground to find the data. Just make sure you use the actual high temperature.
Please keep in mind, there are different ways to make this type of blanket. I decided to use only single crochet stitches to keep it simple. Feel free to customize your blanket in any stitch that you like.
Want to share your progress and chat with other people? Join our Facebook group, Midwestern Charm. Jen of My Crafty Life and myself are the admins of the group.
How much yarn do you need to make a temperature blanket?
Start out by purchasing one skein of all the colors you will need for your region. Mother Nature is unpredictable so I would not purchase additional skeins of yarn until you start running low on a specific color.
Crochet Temperature Blanket Pattern
WHAT YOU WILL NEED:
- 10 color choices of yarn for the various ranges of temperature – See the temperature gauge graphic above
- K (6.50 mm) Crochet Hook
- Yarn Needle
- Measuring Tape
PATTERN:
For reference, I made my blanket 50 inches wide so you may need to adjust your starting chain accordingly.
Row 1: Chain 146 in the appropriate color for the first day of the year. Single Crochet into the second chain from the hook. Continue Single Crocheting till you reach the end of the row.
Row 2 – 365: Turn your work and chain 1. Single Crochet across the blanket. Change colors for the rows depending on that day’s high temperature. Remember each row is a different day so you may or may not be changing colors on each row.
Choose your own edging design to finish off the project.
Learn how to make a Birth Year Temperature Blanket.
Jean says
I love this idea. I am thinking of tweaking it just a bit by making a granny square for the high temp each week. There are so many really cute variations on the typical granny square, and I think it would be fun to learn new techniques as I go. That way I end up with a really cool memory blanket as well as learning fun new stitches,
devon says
Great Idea!!!
Joycelyn says
How do I go about picking my own colors and outing the temperature by the colors myself ? I really wants to know how do you come up with the colors for the temperatures ?
devon says
Honestly, you can make the colors whatever you want. I decided to make the cold temps blue and the hot temps red. Then I just added colors in between. Like yellow and orange make red, so leading up to the red, I chose a yellow and orange. Then to get to the cold temps, blue and yellow make green so I mixed in the green between the yellow and blue. After that, just choosing what yarn you want to use and look up the colors (or got to the store) to figure out the names and to purchase.
PAT says
LIKE YOUR IDEA OF TEMPERATURE BLANKET BUT DONT UNDERSTAND HOW MANY ROWS DO YOU DO
I KNOW YOU ARE JUST SINGLE CROCHETING AND CHAINING ONE AT END BUT HOW DO YOU KNOW HOW MANY ROWS TO DO FOR EACH COLOR AND HOW ARE YA GOING TO DO THE EDGING COU
devon says
Hi Pat! The blanket will be a total of 365 rows (1 row for each day of the year – not counting a leap year). So for each day, there will be 1 row. What dictates the color is the high temperature for the day. So, for example, January 1 will be row 1 – Find the high temperature for January 1 and look at the graphic to determine what color you will make row 1. For where I live, January 1 had a high of 28 degrees. So I made my row 1 Peacock. Then you move on to January 2 which will be row 2 and do the same thing, all year long. :)
Edging? I am still trying to decide that. I will probably go around in single crochet once and then go around again with double crochets and a 3rd round may be single crochets.
Andrea Coventry says
I’m already so far behind, but am going to push through now that I’ve made it public I am doing it, lol. This is going to be fun to see how everyone’s varies.
devon says
YAY! Got to do it now :)
Annette says
This is a super idea. Will you need 1 skein of each of the 10 colors? Probably a dumb question. Next dumb question is how do you change colors of yarn.
devon says
I bought 1 of each to start out with. It really depends on your climate. I would suspect we may have to additional skeins but I am going to wait and purchase when I need it. When it is time to change, I make the change by pulling through the new yarn in the last stitch of the previous row. Then I continue on by chaining 1 and single crocheting on. I weave in my ends once I get so far. I may try to video to help explain this better. :)
Annette says
Hi, just watched your video on changing colors. Thank you. I haven’t started it yet, but I’m going to. I have been recording all the high temps so far too.
Jessica says
Hi! How long was your blanket? I will be doing one this coming new year and just want an idea of the finished project! Thanks!
Devon says
About 10 feet 7 inches
Jen says
How long did your blanket wind up being at the end?
Devon says
Another blanket I finished that followed this pattern ended up being 10 feet 7 inches long.
Sharon Housh says
Awesome idea. I am going to challenge my sister to make one and I make one. Sounds like a fun exchange of ideas. Any pictures of the finished blanked with all single crochets. I was thinking of alternating. Single/half double for fun.
Will that make it too long?
Devon says
A half double crochet stitch isn’t much taller than the single crochet, so you might be able to do that. My single crochet blanket ended up being 10 feet 7 inches long.