I'm Hand Crocheting a Temperature Blanket and Everyone Thinks I'm Crazy. Here's How it's Going...
When I got into crocheting in 2020, I spent countless hours on Instagram searching for #crochetideas #crochetblankets #beginnercrochet . I discovered a post about a temperature blanket, which led me to scrolling through hundreds of crocheters' #temperatureblanket posts. Initially I thought, "hmm… cool idea, but sounds tedious… skip!"
What Even is a Temperature Blanket?
A temperature blanket is a crochet (or knit) blanket using different colored yarn to record each day's temperature. The temperature recorded can be the daily average, high, low, etc.
Most temperature blankets are made up of 8-10 colors of yarn, each representing a certain range. A new row is added to the blanket each day, in the color representing that day's temperature. By the end of the year, a colorful blanket is complete, visualizing the history of that year's temperature.
Some make one every year to compare the temperature trends over the years, or test out using different color variations.
So Why Am I Crocheting a Temperature Blanket?
The idea of the temperature blanket trend stuck in the back of my mind for about 2 years but I never worked up the confidence to commit to the year-long project. To imagine crocheting through the scorching hot Japanese summer also scared me. But come December 2022, when the internet crocheting friends were posting their near-complete 2022 temperature blankets, I was feeling pretty left out… ( #fomo much?)
I also found it neat that fibre artists, climate activists, and environmentalists were collaborating on a "Tempestry Project", creating tapestries in the same concept as temperature blankets to help visualize climate change. I imagined that if I were able to make a blanket for each year I'm alive, what a great way to show climate history.
Consuming tons of yarn for this might contradict the idea of climate change… but I'm trying to stay away from the downward spiral of thinking that way. Plus, I can actually make good use of my blankets for myself, as gifts, and maybe even some to donate.
Getting Started
1 . Find your temperature tracking source : I live in Kobe, Japan, so I'll be tracking the daily averages on the Japan Meteorological Agency's website. I'm used to Fahrenheit more than Celsius but… here we go!
You might also find https://www.temperature-blanket.com helpful to track temperature and even visualize your project in advance!
2 . Select your colors and assign temperatures! I chose a total of ten colors, starting with white for the chilliest times of the year, warming up towards greens in the springs, pinks and oranges for the summer, and back to blues for the winter.
3 . Make a portable temperature chart! These are handy to have on hand to quickly check which color is appropriate for the day. They're also a cute conversation starter when you're at a cafe. People are always intrigued and asking me what this frilly chart of mine is.
I also jotted down the codes for each color of yarn in case I lose their packaging. I didn't want to over purchase balls of yarn I wouldn't need, so I only ordered one of each color to start off. Once I get started, I should know which colors I'll need more of.
4. Start Crocheting!
So this is the fun yet most difficult part, where we need to actially put in the work. Im taking anywhere between 30-45 minutes per row which means finding this time daily or taking up to 4 hours catching up for the past week on a Sunday.
How It's Going. . .
(You can see it's become warm enough to enter the yellows!)
… to be continued