How to Make a Crochet Temperature Blanket

All the details on how to make an everyday crochet temperature blanket, including how many stitches to crochet and what yarn to use!

Making a crochet thermal blanket is very easy! It uses a simple crochet stitch and the end result is unique and beautiful.

In 2024, I saw several social media accounts post about their thermal blankets, including one of my old high school friends, Liz.

Even though it was already mid-January (which meant I was already behind schedule!), I became obsessed with the idea and knew I wanted to tackle this fun project. So I took the plunge and started!

While this is a bit of a departure from food and recipes, I thought it would be fun to share all the details you need to know if you want to make your own thermal blanket.

Temperature blanket: basics

For a crocheted thermal blanket:

• A row is woven for each day of the year.
• The color of the thread used for each row reflects the high temperature of that day.
• the rows are knitted using a single crochet

There are several details that you can vary depending on how you want your thermal blanket to look.

• The number of points is entirely up to you; I made my blanket using 230 single crochets in each row
• the size of the crochet hook can also be varied; I use one hook size K/6.5 mm (I crochet medium tight); this is my favorite style of crochet
• A different color (outside of the colors used for temperatures, more on this below) can be used at the end of each month to identify each month separately.
• a border can be added to the blanket once finished (I have not added a border to the blanket shown below, but I plan to add it now that the blanket is finished)

Temperature blanket: the thread

It is best to first identify the temperature ranges you want to use, which will depend on where you live. I live in a climate with four distinct seasons, so I used the following temperature ranges:

• <19°F
• 20-29°F
• 30-39°F
• 40-49°F
• 50-59°F
• 60-60°F
• 70-79°F
• 80-89°F
• 90-99°F
• 100°F and above

Then, decide which thread color to assign to each temperature range. Many different brands/varieties of yarn will work for this blanket.

I followed the inspiration of many Instagram accounts and used yarn Lion Brand Heartland. I bought JoAnn fabrics because there were often discount codes and I have a semi-close store for easy pickup.

I used between 25 and 27 balls of Lion Brand Heartland yarn for a temperature blanket.

I assigned the following colors for each temperature range, using cooler colors for lower temperatures and increasing the warmth of the color as the temperature increased:

• <19°F: wolf trap
• 20-29°F: Travelers
• 30-39°F: Carlsbad Cavern
• 40-49°F: Petrified Forest
• 50-59°F: house of the sun
• 60-60°F: Bryce Canyon
• 70-79°F: entrance arch
• 80-89°F: Yosemite
• 90-99°F: Redwood
• 100° F and above: moors
• Monthly divider: White Sands

I used this handy ball winder to roll each ball into a “cake” of yarn. It was a lifesaver. because the yarn unwinds smoothly while knitting (and was actually fun to use).

Temperature blanket: how to get started

1. Knit a chain of 230 stitches (or however many stitches you use for your blanket). Use the thread color that will be used for the first row (January 1).
2. Knit a single crochet along the chain.
3. If you are using the same color for January 2, in the last single crochet add an additional single crochet, turn the blanket over and single crochet the entire row for day 2 (going through both loops).
4. Repeat this process, changing it only when you need to use a different color depending on the temperature. Always add an additional single crochet in the last stitch. before turning around and starting a new row.
5. To bind a new color, I used the method shown in this YouTube tutorial.

The image below shows where the first stitch of each new row should go when you turn the blanket.

Temperature blanket: additional details

Despite my best efforts, I inevitably fell a little behind throughout the year, especially as at the end of February I decided to start a second temperature blanket, which meant I had a lot of catching up to do.

I made two temperature blankets in 2024. One for the temperature where I live in southwest Idaho and a second blanket for the temperature of a small town in Switzerland where my grandmother grew up.

To keep track of the weather, I made a simple spreadsheet with the days of each month and wrote down the temperature for each day. If I got too far behind, I used this website to look up previous daily temperatures.

I kept the spreadsheet and a pen in my crochet basket so I could easily mark off each day when I finished the row.

I became known as the “Crochet Lady” because I carried my crochet blankets everywhere, from wrestling tournaments to doctor’s offices to road trips. That was until they became too big to carry anywhere comfortably.

I will always have fond memories of the year I tackled two heated blankets, because it made me sit up more often in the evenings, and when I did, my kids would often gather around me and we would have the best talks and laughs. (I also read a lot of audiobooks!)

Many of you also make temperature crochet blankets (I know, because you sent me photos of your creations on Instagram!). So many different color variations; I love you all!

If you have any questions about how to make a heated blanket, leave them below!

Happy crocheting!