Crochet Temperature Projects

Disclaimer: This post is copied from my crochet blog: Crafted With Care {Blog}

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.

Entry Way Progress

Back in May, I wrote a bit about how I was trying to finish the entry way project that's been going on in our tiny entry way for YEARS. 

At the beginning of June, Shannon had texted Jeremy about coming over to do some work in there that was the next step. We were at my parents' but [unbeknownst to me] Jeremy told Shannon to go ahead and let himself in to the house if he wanted to. So Shannon and Dawn spent their day at our house working!  Dawn sent me this photo later of Shannon's things spread out on our front porch.

When we got home, Jeremy and Sylvia went in first and he got her to take a video of me coming in and being completely surprised.

I had a little bit of staining and sealing to do on the shelf and trim pieces that Shannon put in, but it was a quick and easy part of the project.

After looking at dozens of solar lanterns, I finally found a really good deal on some white plastic ones at Menard's. (It was an interesting adventure for me to drive into the lumber yard with the contractors and pick up my little lanterns, haha!) But I love what they add to the space.

Especially at night!

I put some tap lights under the shelf to add some more light 

when we actually need to see something in the space.

I love this space now, and I love it even more because of these dear friends! It was all Dawn's design and vision and Shannon's handiwork that made it come to life! We love sharing life with these friends!

It's been beautiful this first "official" week of summer.  

We are learning to enjoy central air--not too hard to do!

Caeden in his music producing spot

He is really liking the midi controller he got at Sweetwater last week!

Friday afternoon, Jeremy took Sylvia to Indiana.  He spent most of Saturday helping around his' parents' place. I tried to clean up and organize our back porch and also worked on staining and sealing the new wood pieces Shannon put in the entry way. It is looking so cool!

Erin took the girls shopping in Fort Wayne. Sylvia tried on formals that were on clearance at Von Maur just for fun and ended up finding and buying her senior prom dress for a really great price! They had so much fun, too!

Tonight Caeden and I watched Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure.  He loved it.

Entry Way Project

We've lived in this house for almost 19 years, and the entire time I've been wanting to do something about the entry way. It is tiny and has no electricity or lights in it. 

More than 12 years ago, Jeremy and my brother and Dad hung new drywall around the window Jeremy replaced. I'm pretty sure it was years later before it was mudded and taped and sanded.

Two years ago, my friend Dawn started helping me get a vision and plan for decorating and organizing the space.  She drew this sketch, and we talked about wallpaper, ways to light it, storage options for shoes, using things I already have...

I finally painted the room for the first time since we've lived here.

Over a year ago, I bought peel and stick wallpaper and supplies to apply it, and 6 Trones from IKEA. 

And, Dawn and Shannon came over to measure the space for wooden things Shannon would build and help with.  I brought up trim pieces from the basement and figured out which ones will go back up.  I am THE slowest person at decorating.

I am so scared of wallpapering.  I've been putting off and putting off applying this peel and stick stuff for over a year, because I am scared to death to hang wallpaper without my mom! I decided last night that it was going to get done today.  Sylvia agreed to help me.  She had a Zoom farewell meeting at 10:30, and after that we started.

We tried applying the paper horizontally to make the small room look bigger, but our old house is so crooked, and I am so NOT knowledgable about applying wallpaper, that after more than an hour of fighting with it and not having a second ladder to get Sylvia up to the height I was at the top of the room...I decided it was not getting hung horizontally!

We put up the piece we'd cut to hang horizontally in a corner, and I calculated.  There was no way I had enough paper to make the repeat come out even this way.  I texted Dawn and called my Mommy (who is a major wallpaper expert!!) and they both agreed that it was totally fine not to match up the repeat. 

 Two hours in, we had one partial strip of wallpaper up.

I was getting so frustrated!!!  I was scaring my poor Sylvia!

I thought I had bought enough paper to do the whole room, since it is so tiny and has 3 big doors and a window in it. Alas...I had not! And this particular pattern is not available anywhere anymore, since it's been over a year since I ordered it.

 I was able to piece together enough to cover the spaces that will be exposed on 2 walls.  The current look is still very much "in progress," but hey, it's been that way for almost 19 years!

I have to say, I am not a fan of the peel and stick wallpaper after today.  The bubbles do not come out as promised, and I think it kind of stretches a bit if you pull it off and re-stick it too many times.  Thankfully, this brand, Repeel, you can do that! 

Today's lesson--well, not really a new lesson; I already knew--I am a terrible DIY-er!