One Month Down

I decided to try doing a temperature blanket again this year.  My first attempt was last year and I made a few mistakes, that hopefully I learned from.  Mistake number one, was that I chose a stitch that was too large.  It soon became very apparent that my blanket was going to be humongous!  But I was already well into the process before I realized, so I plunged ahead and ended up stopping in May.  My second mistake was not realizing that even though we have extreme temperatures here, a lot of the time it hovers in the mid range so I had better like those colors -- a lot!  Last year, those colors between 50˚ and 70˚ were yellow and orange, which aren't the worst colors in the world, but there can definitely be too much of them.  They're better as highlights -- the center of a flower, for example, is just right.   

To solve the first problem I chose the smallest stitch I could find -- the linen stitch, or sometimes called the moss stitch.  It is basically smaller than a single crochet because the stitch goes down into the space in the previous row.  I also used a 4 mm hook which is smaller than I usually use.  My only worry at this point is that it's going to be too stiff!  But, we'll just have to see what happens!  That's how I like to live anyway.  Life is boring with too much certainty.  I did start and pull everything out at least twice before I fixed on a good width and hook size.  After the second time I even decided to measure and do actual math!  There is a first time for everything.  It should turn out to be a normal size for a human blanket which will be nice.

For the second problem, I decided to not use any yellow at all!  There, that was easy.  I still don't have my absolute ideal color palette, because I am trying to use up some excess yarn that is idling around the closet being useless, but it should be more pleasing this time around.  I am using Stylecraft DK and crocheting the high temperature that was reached each day.

less than 5˚- lobelia
5˚-19˚- lavender
20˚-34˚- turquoise
35˚-49˚- teal
50˚-64˚- grass
65˚-79˚- clematis
80˚-94˚- fuchsia
95˚+- currently undecided

So here is the first month:



New Year's day did not reach 5˚!  But we've managed to get above it the rest of the time -- and several days over 50˚!  Our weather is all over the place!  I can see how this would be a boring exercise in more temperate climes -- a risk I'm willing to take someday (hopefully), but for now, this is making the winter a little more exciting.