Temperature projects

 Back in February, I finally got excited about trying a temperature blanket project. Things changed a bit after I completed that first square based on January 2022, but I have actually completed couple temperature projects this year and wanted to document them here.

After I made my first linen stitch square, I decided I needed to loosen my stitch/guage and went up to a bigger hook. I had already stitched in all the ends of my first square, so there was no undoing it. I went back to Michaels to get more purple tweed yarn and learned that their whole line of tweeds I was using was being discontinued!!! I bought up everything they had there in the store, and decided I better re-think my project and figure out a way to do my project, making sure I had enough of each color of yarn to complete it, since I had no way of getting more--even online.

(As you can see, there are a lot of ends to weave in and hide, just in one square! Every time you change yarn colors or run out of a color you're using, you have 2 ends to weave in.)

Since the weather is so unpredictable, I decided to make my temperature blanket based on a year that had already happened! I decided to use the temperatures of the year 2020. It had been a particularly tough year for our family, but was also Jeremy's and my 20th wedding anniversary year. So, I decided it would be a great year to have something beautiful to remember it by. 

I did a lot of math to figure out the temperature ranges that would represent my 9 colors and allow me to use the daily high temperatures and not use up all my yarn. Whew! While I wouldn't call my color palette the traditional rainbow colored temperature blanket choices, I did generally use cooler colors for colder temperatures and warmer colors for warmer temperatures with grays, creams, and tans mixed in to pull it together. And I had one yarn that is available at multiple stores that I knew I wouldn't run out of, so that became my connector yarn for connecting each square and bordering the blanket, as well as my most common temperature range 66-72 degrees. 

My final overall temperature range/color/yarn chart:

Below is one month's square's pattern. Each date's high temperature and the yarn color for the temperature range it fell in. I created one of these for each of the 12 months before I began the 2020 blanket. To make each square, you start in the center and work out, so rows get longer/bigger and require more yarn as the square grows. 

Each square was 32 rounds, regardless of how many days were in the month. So, if a month only had 28 days, it would have 4 rounds of the neutral connector color around the outside to make it 32 rounds total. Therefore, all the squares were the same size and able to be connected in the end.

It was so satisfying to see each square complete its own pattern and turn into 12 beautifully different months!

I so enjoyed working this pattern that it took me less than a month to complete the entire blanket, stitch all 12 squares together, create a large border around the whole thing, and stitch in literally more than 1,000 ends! It was a true joy to work up!

I find it so difficult to get good photos of blankets, so I just basically tossed it on the couch and took a couple snapshots with my phone. If these photos were advertisement for sale, I would've had to done a better job. But, I don't think anyone would pay what it cost me to make this blanket, so I won't be trying to sell any!

 When I completed the blanket, I had enough yarn left to make another. So, I decided to make temperature PILLOWS based on 2021--one square/month for each side of a pillow!

When I finished the pillows, I had enough yarn left to make a basket to hold the blanket! 

 It's not based on temperature, but uses all the same yarns, and it all looks so nice in our living room.

(The painting was done by my paternal grandfather, who passed away when I was only 3 months old. It is a real honor to have some of his paintings in our home, and I treasure them.)

These were such fulfilling, therapeutic projects for me, and I truly loved making them for our home.

Pots & Pans Protectors

Some years ago, my husband and kids had bought me a great set of pots and pans. I liked that I could put them in the dishwasher because I literally used most of them at least once a day, cooking for all 5 of us as the kids were growing up. Recently the constant use and abuse that I put those pots and pans through started to show and the Teflon began to peel. As soon as I noticed that, I started researching a new set without Teflon, and I chose some beautiful hammered copper pots and pans.

The insides have a titanium and ceramic non-stick coating that allows you took cook without any oil. They’re “dishwasher safe” but I’m not abusing these beauties like that! They’re sooo easy to wash quickly by hand because nothing sticks to them! I’ve been using them for a few weeks now, and I'm really liking them a lot! 

I want to protect the insides from chipping but have to nest them when they’re in the cupboard, so I kept the cardboard protectors for a while as I decided what kind of protectors I wanted to make. I wanted something pretty and functional--not just the odd-looking pan protectors with flaps you see everywhere. 

So! I made these pretty cotton mandala/doily protectors that I can also use as hot pads.  I'm pretty pleased with how they look and function, and they'll be easy to clean too.

2022 Temperature Blanket Project

Over the past decade or so, I’ve seen the trend of crochet temperature blankets rise and fall. I’ve always thought it was a fun and beautiful idea, but had no interest in making a giant, oddly long blanket with 365 rows of one stitch. And  bright rainbow colors don’t really fit into my home decor. I haven’t made a large afghan since I was in college. There just weren’t any reasons I could find that I would actually want to make a temperature blanket.

Then 2022 began, and I saw more folks than in recent years talking about making temperature blankets in my many online crochet groups. I honestly kind of rolled my eyes and wondered why anyone was still doing that!? 

Then I saw TLYarnCrafts Instagram post about finishing her 2021 blanket and my tune changed immediately! I loved Toni's linen stitch squares and her creative color palette.  She had a free 5-day temperature blanket email course, and I was curious enough to sign up. I actually read the emails each day, and began to ponder doing my own project. 

A few months back, I had come across some pretty tweed yarns at Michaels and picked up a few colors with no project in mind. I've recently made several pairs of mittens with the yarn and really love the cozy look of the tweed. As I pondered diving into a temperature blanket project, I knew tweeds would look nice in our home and I spent several hours searching online for tweed yarns in a  fitting color palette I liked. I wasn't finding an affordable option for me all in one brand of yarn.

So, on Monday, I decided to go looking for tweed yarns in person. I figured I wouldn't be able to find a wide enough range of colors all in one brand, so I made up my mind to go with worsted weight acrylic tweed yarns and hoped to find enough in various brands that could work together.

Since I knew for sure I could find a few colors of worsted weight acrylic tweed yarns at Michaels, I started at Hobby Lobby. I found a few colors (ivory, sweet Dijon, navy, and dark grey) there in enough quantity. 

I went to Michaels next, hoping I could find enough other colors and quantity to complete my palette. I found dark purple, light grey, and a lovely cranberry but was still hoping for a green and maybe a rusty orange. 

I stopped at Joann's and found another neutral--a light tan that is slightly different from the ivory, and also found a nice almost sage-y/olive-y green. That gave me 9 colors and over 1000 yards each in hand and ready to go!

Once I knew for sure I had 9 colors, it still took me some serious deciding and figuring to come up with my color/temperature gauge. I decided to mix the neutrals in with the colors so I wouldn't have entire months/squares of similar colors. This is what I finally came up with: (all in degrees Fahrenheit)

86+ Cranberry

85-75 Silver

74-64 Sweet Dijon 

63-53 Green

52-42 Tan

41-31 Purple

30-20 Dark Grey

19- Navy 

Ivory for square centers, outer rows, and connecting borders  

I was so excited to get started, and it was the last day of January so I could make an entire square right off the bat! I didn't want the squares to be too huge, so I chose a 4.0mm hook and got to work. I finished my January square the night of January 31st, using the high temperature for each day. The next day I stitched in all the ends, and the day after I wet blocked the square. I'm pretty happy with how this first square turned out and cannot wait to continue this project this year!