Sometimes called weatherghans, crochet and knit temperature blankets encourage you to craft a little bit every day. Whether you plan a year-long project, or focus on one period of time–like a season or pregnancy–temperature patterns can be fun way to build a daily habit of crocheting or knitting.
What are Temperature Blankets?
Knit and crochet temperature blankets are like a weather journal made out of yarn.
Before the project begins, 8-10 yarn colors are assigned to the expected ranges in temperature. One row or square is added each day using the color yarn that corresponds to the day’s high temperature.
The end result is a colorful and unique representation of the temperatures for the duration of the project.
Did you know? Temperature blankets are actually considered "data art" and have been used by climate activists to directly observe changes in temperatures.
Design Considerations
In this guide to knit and crochet temperature blankets, we’ll cover:
- Different types of temperature patterns and how to design your ideal project
- Inspiration for planning your perfect color palette (hint: it doesn’t have to be rainbow!)
- Picking the right yarn and estimating how much you’ll need
- How to plan a shorter-term project if you don't want to commit to a year
Jump to:
- What are Temperature Blankets?
- Planning Your Ideal Project
- Choose Your Own Stitch
- Crochet or Knit Supplies
- Choosing the Right Yarn
- How much yarn is needed for a temperature blanket?
- Free Temperature Blanket Patterns
- How To Plan a Color Scheme
- Free Tools For Estimating and Tracking Temps
- Fun Weather Project Add-Ons
- How to Plan Your Project Step-By-Step
- Temperature Blanket FAQs
- Invitation to our Facebook group
- How to Make a Temperature Blanket - Overview
Why you'll love making a temperature project!
Planning Your Ideal Project
Planning your temperature blanket can feel overwhelming, but it doesn't have to! I built this guide to simplify the process and help you enjoy this unique trend. You can design a project that works for your skill level, time constraints, and creative preferences.
Not into the idea of an afghan pattern? No problem. Choose one of the alternative temperature patterns below.
Can’t fathom working on a project for an entire year? Choose a shorter period of time for your project–a pregnancy, an engagement, or even a ski season.
Or document something different than weather altogether, like vaccine rates!
Choose Your Own Stitch
If after reading this guide, you'd prefer to choose a single unique crochet stitch instead of following a specific pattern. That's great too!
Our collection of the best crochet stitches for afghans is full of ideas that would work well for a temperature blanket. Tunisian simple stitch is another meditative option that would be easy to get into a daily rhythm with.
Related: 40+ Easy Crochet Stitches for Blanket
Crochet or Knit Supplies
You may decide to use up scrap yarn you already have on hand to make your temperature blanket pattern. If not, we discuss more about choosing yarn below. You likely already have most of the notions, hooks or needles needed.
In a nutshell, here's what you'll need to crochet or knit a temperature blanket:
- 8 to 15 colors of yarn
- Temperature chart or plan with corresponding colors
- Crochet hook or knitting needles
- Scissors
- Stitch markers
PRO TIP: Because of how often you will be pausing and restating your temperature blanket, it can be helpful to have stitch markers (crochet) or needle stoppers or point protectors (knitting). These will ensure your project doesn’t accidentally unravel between days.
Choosing the Right Yarn
This is the best part, right?! If you’re following a pattern, it will likely provide yarn suggestions. If you’re designing your own though, here are the considerations when choosing yarn:
- Color Range - This is probably a no-brainer, but you want to choose a yarn with at least 8 colors
- Weight - Worsted weight yarn is most commonly used in temperature blankets, but DK and chunky weight yarn can be used as well. The most important consideration with weight is the desired final size of your blanket. A year-long temperature afghan made with bulkier yarn is going to be very large. Lighter-weight yarn, like DK or sport, will make for a smaller finished project.
- Fiber Content - There are no rules here, so choose whatever types of fibers you enjoy and fit within your budget. If making an afghan or another project that will get heavy use, machine-washable fibers are preferable.
Here are some temperature blanket yarn recommendations that include a wide variety of colors:
| Yarn | Weight | # of Colors Available |
|---|---|---|
| 24/7 Cotton DK | dk/sport | 37 |
| Schitt’s Creek | worsted weight | 16 |
| Vanna’s Choice | worsted weight | 38 |
| Basic Stitch Anti-Pilling | worsted weight | 60 |
| Color Theory | worsted weight | 18 |
| Hue + Me | chunky | 30 |
How much yarn is needed for a temperature blanket?
How much yarn you need for a temperature blanket depends on factors like yarn weight, pattern, and crochet hook/knitting needle size.
In general, start with at least two skeins of each color.
That said, take into consideration how big of a project you’re making. A scarf obviously uses a lot less yarn than a king-sized bedspread.
To gain some insight into how much yarn of each color you’ll need, it can be helpful to look at historical weather data for the period of time your blanket will cover.
How to Calculate the Yarn Amount:
- Knit or crochet two rows (or squares) of your pattern.
- Use a kitchen scale to measure the weight of these two rows/squares in grams. Divide this number by 2 to get an average.
- The resulting number is the amount of yarn in grams you’ll need for each day of your pattern.
- Multiply the grams/day by the number of days in your project. For example, if you’re making a year-long temperature blanket, you’ll multiply by 365.
- This number is the minimum amount of yarn in grams you’ll need to finish your project. Look at the grams per skein of the yarn you plan to use. (This information is always listed on the website and yarn label.)
PRO TIP: I highly recommend increasing the total grams from step 5 by at least 10-15 percent. This will give you a buffer if your gauge or calculations are a bit off.
Take the total number of grams needed to complete your project and divide it by the grams in each skein. This will tell you how many total skeins you’ll need at a minimum.
Because you are likely to use some colors more than others, use this total amount as a starting point to decide how much of each color you'll purchase.
Free Temperature Blanket Patterns
Now that we’re all “warmed” up, it's time to choose a design for your temperature blanket! Think of these free patterns as a starting point when you’re planning your project. The color scheme, yarn choice, borders and span of time are all up to you!
Crochet Patterns
From individual motifs like granny squares to meditative rows of basic crochet stitches, you'll find a variety of temperature blanket patterns to crochet below.
Moss Stitch Blanket
RELATED: How to Crochet the Moss Stitch
Faded Fantasy Temperature Blanket
Bias Granny Square Blanket
Granny Stitch Corner Temperature Blanket
RELATED: More Granny Stitch Patterns
Quilted Crochet Squares Blanket
Lazy Waves Blanket Pattern
Lightweight Ripple Temperature Blanket
Corner to Corner Temperature Blanket
C2C Crochet Weather Blanket
Linen Stitch Squares Temperature Blanket
Daily High and Lows Blankets
Twin Size Temp Blanket
Crochet Mitered Square Blanket
Rainbow Snake Temperature Project
RELATED: 30+ Lovable Crochet Animal Patterns
One Row a Day Temperature Blanket
Granny Square Blanket with Holiday Accents
RELATED: 36+ Unique Crochet Granny Squares
Tiny Hexagons Temperature Blanket
Our Latest Crochet Inspiration:
Here are a few more free crochet patterns and tutorials that are hot off the presses.
Knit Patterns
Knitting is perfect for making smaller blankets and flowy scarves! Whether you want to make a stockinette scarf or a large ripple stitch blanket, you're sure to find a good pattern below.
How to knit a Temperature Blanket or Scarf
Garter Stitch Weather Tracking Blanket
Epic Round Knit Blanket
Ripple Stitch Year In Review Blanket or Scarf
Tubular Temperature Scarf
African Sunset Temperature Scarf
3 Month Knit Temperature Scarf
How To Plan a Color Scheme
Traditionally, temperature blankets are made out of very saturated, bright colors. Here's an example of a general temperature blanket color chart for a climate that experiences four distinct seasons.
| Fahrenheit | Celsius | Yarn Color |
|---|---|---|
| 20° and below | -7° and below | deep purple |
| 21-30° | -6 - 1° | navy |
| 31-40° | 1 - 4° | light blue |
| 41-50° | 5 - 10° | green |
| 51-60° | 11 - 16° | yellow |
| 61-70° | 16 - 21° | orange |
| 71-80° | 22 - 27° | light pink |
| 81-90° | 27 - 32° | bright pink |
| 91° and above | 32° and above | deep red |
Alternative Approaches
Don't be afraid to deviate from the typical rainbow vibe though. While it can be tempting to choose warm colors for warm weather and cool colors for winter, this is an area where you can be creative and design a blanket you’ll enjoy working on.
Here are some less traditional approaches to temperature blanket color schemes:
Pre-Made Color Charts
If you know you want to create a unique temperature blanket but aren't sure where to start, check out these color resources to get your creative juices flowing.
- Check out this guide from Lion Brand with pre-planned colors of Basic Stitch Anti-Pilling yarn for knit or crochet temp blankets.
- LoveCrafts offers several color plans that work really well. They're all in celsius, so you will need to translate to Fahrenheit if you prefer.
- Okie Girl put together seven unique color palettes that would work in almost any temperature blanket pattern.
Free Tools For Estimating and Tracking Temps
- Temperature blanket planners like this one can help you take your local weather history into consideration and give you a better idea of how much yarn you’ll need. This tool helps make yarn and color suggestions as well.
- This temperature blanket tracker from Marly Bird is an easy spreadsheet to print and jot down the daily temp.
- Here is another spreadsheet tracker that I like for its simplicity. (Source)
- Farmhouse Guide's printable worksheets help you keep notes on highs and lows and plan your project.
- The Weather Network is an easy place to check the daily temp in celsius or fahrenheit.
PRO TIP: Want to do the rows in bulk? Write down the temperature each day. Then at the end of the week, knit or crochet them all at once.
Fun Weather Project Add-Ons
While these notions are not necessary for making a temperature blanket, they can be a great way to motivate yourself to the finish line!
- Temperature color keys - a pretty way to keep track of which yarn color is associated with each range of degrees
- Personalized project labels - document the time period and other important details
- Monthly buttons - wooden circles with the name of each month
How to Plan Your Project Step-By-Step
The way you make a temperature blanket is generally dictated by the pattern you choose. However, most temperature blankets follow a series of pretty standard steps. Let's recap:
Step 1: Pick a pattern and decide how big you want your blanket to be.
Step 2: Choose a color palette and make your color chart. You can pick anywhere from 5 to 15 colors but most people use about 10 colors. Using 10 colors allows each yarn to represent roughly 10 degrees. (Narrow this range if you live in a climate where the temps vary less.)
Step 3: Purchase your yarn. Keep good records, especially of your yarns and colors. You'll want to be able to get the same colors if you run out.
While it might seem obvious, buy yarn from somewhere you can easily get more if needed.
Step 4: Get started on your weatherghan!
At this point, I would definitely recommend getting connected with other people who are making temperature blankets. From in-person craft groups to online communities, having accountability buddies will help you stick with this project. Join our Facebook group to chat with other crocheters and knitters.
Step 5: Crochet or knit a row daily. Keep a calendar and mark an "X" each day once you have completed your row to stay motivated.
Step 6: When the year or alternative time period is up, add any finishing touches like a blanket border.
PRO TIP: It can be tempting to wait to weave in your ends until you are done with the whole project. I suggest breaking it into little steps instead and doing it periodically throughout your project instead.
One fun idea is to sit down and tie in all your ends of one color. You’ll feel a sense of accomplishment and may even tackle ends of another color. Better yet, plan to leave a substantial tail at every color change so you can create fringe instead of weaving in your ends.
Step 7: Admire your temperature blanket! It took you months or possibly a year to make, so take a moment (or 365) to savor this accomplishment!
Obsessed with finding the best free crochet patterns?
Check out these collections of handpicked patterns to find your next project.
Temperature Blanket FAQs
The best crochet stitch for temperature blankets is one you won’t tire of after several months. Many people go with a double crochet or moss stitch to create the body of their afghan. Any stitch can be used though and sometimes multiple stitches are combined to create sampler temperature blankets or individual motifs.
The number of stitches in a row of a temp blanket depends on the pattern and yarn you choose and the size you’re making. Likewise, instead of doing a row of stitches, you can also do a daily granny square or hexagon.
If you are limited on time each day make sure you choose a chunkier yarn and smaller pattern size.
Temperature blankets are a popular craft for the new year but you don't have to begin yours in January. You can start your project any time of the year. Some crafters even choose to make a blanket during a certain season of life, such as a pregnancy or school year. If you’re reading this mid-year, don't get cold feet (literally or figuratively) and wait until the new year.
Temperature blankets can be both crocheted and knitted. A knit weathergan will require less yarn than a crochet blanket. Crafters who want a smaller project often choose to knit temperature shawls and scarves.
Most people make their blankets using the daily high temp. You can use the low, or even precipitation data, but avoid using the average temperature since it tends to fluctuate less, and therefore make for a less visually interesting afghan.
If you love making blankets, don't miss these other free crochet patterns.
And if you know the type of project you're looking for, dive into one of these categories of free patterns.
Learn a New Skill
When you're ready to master a new skill, check out our detailed guides that include everything you need to know to level up your crochet game.
- How to Corner to Corner (C2C) Crochet for Beginners - with video tutorials to get you started
- How to Crochet a Beginner Hat - make an entire beanie in 1.5 hours!
- How to Crochet Amigurumi for Beginners - the ultimate guide to making your own toys and plushies
- How to Tunisian Crochet - learn with this video and a standard hook
That was so fun! Now what?
Invitation to our Facebook group
Come discuss temperature blanket patterns and lots of other crochet projects and techniques in our Make & Do Crew Facebook group. Here thousands of helpful crocheters answer each other's questions and share their stitches. Join us!
How to Make a Temperature Blanket - Overview
Materials
Yarn
- 8-15 coordinating colors of yarn in the same weight
Additional Supplies
- Temperature chart or plan with corresponding colors
- Crochet hook or knitting needles
- Scissors
- Stitch markers
Abbreviations + Glossary (US Terms)
- ch – chain
- dc – double crochet
- hdc – half double crochet
- sc – single crochet
- slst – slip stitch
Want some company while you crochet?
Get support (and camaraderie!) in the Make & Do Crochet Crew Facebook Group. Search “Make and Do Crochet Crew” on Facebook.com.
Permissions + Copyright
Please do not publish or share this pattern as your own. You may make items to sell with this pattern. In exchange, please link back to this page. Do NOT use my photos as your own sales photos.
Instructions
How to Make a Temperature Project - A Summary
- 1. Choose a knit or crochet stitch you enjoy. Alternatively, find a temperature blanket pattern from the above list that's already been planned for you.
- 2. Decide if you will track the daily high, low, precipitation or some other weather metric. For a more manageable project, some people choose to document the weekly average.
- 3. Create a color chart that assigns each 10 degree temperature range a color of yarn. If you live in a very temperate climate, you may choose to narrow this to a 5 degree range. It an be helpful tape a yarn scrap to a paper with the temp ranges so that you have an easy reference guide.
- 4. Take note of the temperature (or other metric) each day. Use the yarn color that corresponds to the day's temperature to knit or crochet one row for the day. Alternatively, jot down temp for serveral days in a row and catch up on a batch of rows at the end of the week.
- 5. Repeat step 4 for the duration of your project. Temperature blankets tend to cover one year of weather, but they don't have to.
- 6. Add any finishing borders or edgings to your blanket.
- 7. Celebrate a your consistency and follow-through by snuggling under your new afghan!
Overall Pattern Notes
- Often temperature projects are created by working one row a day. You can also make one small square, circle or hexagon each day and join them as you go.
- See free patterns and detailed instructions above for determining how much yarn your blanket will require.
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