Why a temperature blanket is the new must-try trend
There’s a new craft trend to add to your repertoire — a temperature blanket! It’s a beautiful and simple knitting or crochet project to work on throughout the year, with eye-catching results.
All you need to make a temperature blanket — also known as a climate blanket — is several balls of yarn of your choice and your favourite pair of knitting needles or crochet hook.
What is a temperature blanket?
This is a knitting or crochet project which records the temperature range over a year (or as many months as you'd like to record). A different colour yarn is assigned to each temperature range (say every 3 to 5 degrees). This project allows you to track the temperature changes over the course of 12 months.
It’s a huge trend on social media, with many crafters taking to Instagram to share the blanket they have finished to mark the changing temperatures of the last year.
This one from @krafty_kris3 on Instagram is crocheted in granny squares – with the colour of the centre changing depending on the temperature.
A temperature blanket a great project for those who know how to knit and how to crochet, and are looking to use their skills to create beautiful projects for their homes.
Here's everything you need to know to make your own temperature blanket.
How to make a temperature blanket
Making a temperature blanket — which is also known as a sky blanket — is very easy. You start by picking a different colour yarn for each temperature group. For example, a white yarn for temperatures lying between 0 and 5 degrees, pale blue for 6 to 10 degrees, etc. Most people group their temperatures in three- to five-degree increases.
Each day, you measure the outside temperature (you can simply look at the weather app on your phone to do this) and then knit or crochet a row or two in the yarn colour corresponding to that temperature.
You’ll soon find that the project builds up in colour blocks, until at the end of the year you have a complete blanket monitoring the temperature every day for the last 12 months.
Do you knit or crochet a temperature blanket?
You can create a knitted or crochet temperature blanket — it’s totally up to you which technique you would rather use.
If you’re knitting your blanket, then linen stitch (knit one, slip purl) creates a really striking finish. For a crochet climate blanket, you can work your project in granny squares (changing the colour of the squares to mark each temperature), shells or double crochet stitch. But this is a very customisable project, and it’s totally up to you what your finished blanket looks like!
You can brush up on how to knit and how to crochet with our tutorial videos.
What do you need for a temperature blanket and what is the best wool to use?
All you need to create your temperature blanket is the yarn colours of your choice and your crochet hook or favourite pair of knitting needles. If you’re knitting the blanket, we’d recommend using long circular needles to make your project easier to manage.
Many crafters choose to use DK weight yarn for this project — however, you can also use yarns like mohair or chunky for a more distinctive finish.
This one shared by @unwind_yarn_house on Instagram is knitted using a colour chart – the movement from oranges to blues is stunning.
If you use DK weight yarn, we recommend casting on approximately 230 stitches (or however many you would like to suit the width of your blanket) and knitting two rows each day.
If you are crocheting your blanket, chain 230 stitches or create a row of granny squares approximately 110cm wide. Both these methods will create a final blanket that is approximately 110cm wide and 170cm long.
How many colours do need to use for a temperature blanket?
The number of colours you need for your blanket depends on the size of the increment you use to mark the range in temperature. For example, if you change the colour every 3 degrees of temperature increase, you could need 10 colours (from 0 degrees to 30 degrees). The smaller the temperature increment, the more colours will feature in your blanket.
If you don’t want a blanket, make a scarf!
If a blanket feels like too daunting a project, why not get involved with the temperature trend by making a climate scarf instead.
Using the same techniques as with the blanket, simply cast on 50 stitches if using DK weight yarn, or in crochet chain 50 or a stitch a line of granny squares measuring approximately 25cm.
Have you started a temperature blanket? Share it with us by tagging @primamag in your creations on Instagram!
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