Thursday, July 20, 2023

Beware of the Crochet Ides of March?

I've blogged several times about a year-long project I embarked on at the beginning of 2023 (actually, the planning started back in 2022.)  I am crocheting a temperature afghan, a blanket that will record the high temperatures of the year 2023 in color.

A temperature blanket uses colors to record highs and/or low temperatures over a certain period of time.  They can be used to record temperatures for a year, perhaps a calendar year, or the first year of a baby's life (to be presented as a birthday gift).   Some knit these, some quilt these.  Some make scarfs or sweaters.  The variations are endless.

My first two updates: 

January in color

Stalled in February

Now, it's mid July, and I'm up to March 15.  Yes, beware the crochet Ides of March.  But it's progress.  At least I'm no longer stalled in February.



See all that turquoise?  We had a lot of Turquoise (see temperature chart below) this past winter.

These are the colors I am using, based on a crochet chart developed by a yarn manufacturer for New York City and are in F (sorry, Celsius readers).

0 F (-17.8 C) and lower:  Pale Plum.  It would be most unusual where I live to have a high less than zero, but the one night we got below zero, I decided to use the color (which I had already purchased) and record it on my afghan.  You can see the pale color sandwiched between two rows of dark purple (actually, dark orchid). 

1-21F   Dark orchid
21-32F  Royal blue
33-43F  Turquoise
44-53F  Spring Green
54-66F  Kelly Green (think of St. Patrick's Day, March 17, which I'm almost up to!)
67-77F  Bright Yellow
78-88F Carrot orange
89-99F  Pretty in Pink

100F (38C) and above - Fruity Stripe (shades of pink - a variegated yarn) Let's hope I don't have to use it.  So far, our high this year has been 94 F (34.4 C)

Maybe, by the next update, I would have caught up with spring.  I don't mean calendar spring; I mean Southern Tier of New York spring.

In the meantime I decided there was no reason to beware the Crochet Ides of March.  Instead, I will celebrate.

Thanks go once again to the quilter displaying her temperature afghans last October at Salt Springs State Park in Pennsylvania at the Susquehanna Art Trail for talking to me at length about her work.  You started me on an interesting journey.

9 comments:

  1. ...a welcomed item come winter.

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  2. I think this is a GORGEOUS idea!!!

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  3. So cool! Can't wait to see the whole thing once you're done.

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  4. If I ever finish my sampler, I might do this. But I am thinking of recording winter lows and spring to fall highs.

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  5. Nice progress. There'll be a week or so when you just need something to keep your hands busy, and you'll be caught up in no time. Enjoy.

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  6. Such a beautiful idea, thanks! Why is my comment not publishing?

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