Historic 50-Year Atlantic Hurricanes “Temperature” Blanket

Temperature Blanket Project Details

I wrote about my 50-Year Atlantic Hurricanes temperature blanket project over on my 2024 Blogging from A-Z Challenge theme reveal a few days ago, but I thought I’d go into more detail in a separate post.

For years I’ve wanted to crochet a temperature blanket, but committing to a yearlong project is a tall task. I have craft commitment issues, so I knew it wouldn’t be easy for me which is why I have never attempted it. But this is a big year for me. I’ll be turning 50 this summer, so I want to get out of my crafty comfort zone and try new things.

When I started thinking about my 2024 temperature blanket, I knew I didn’t want to go the traditional route and track this year’s temperatures. I originally thought I would crochet a historical temperature blanket. But, when I started to log the temperatures from the year I was born, I realized it would be a pretty boring temperature blanket. South Florida weather is very constant. Most of the temperatures in 1974 were in the 70s, 80s, or 90s, which wasn’t going to make a very interesting blanket. I had to think outside of the box, which is when my hurricane blanket came to fruition.

Major Differences

A typical temperature blanket is a knit or crocheted project that lasts for an entire year where the stitcher knits/crochets one row a day that coincides with the current day’s temperature. For my 50-Year Atlantic Hurricane “temperature” blanket, I will be following the same project details as a traditional temperature blanket, only tweaking it just a bit.

My blanket has two major differences from a traditional temperature blanket:

#1: Hurricanes vs. Temperatures

While the traditional temperature blanket tracks the current year’s temperatures, I will track the past 50 years of the Atlantic hurricane seasons. Most of this blanket will be a historical blanket, except for the 2024 season. That means I can start my blanket whenever I choose, which will be this week to coincide with the Blogging from A-Z Challenge. Tracking 50 years of Atlantic storms is a heck of a lot more storms than days of the year, which leads me to difference number 2.

#2: Crocheting More Than One Blanket

I’m still working my way through my 50-year Atlantic hurricane season chart, but if my calculations are correct, I’ll end up with 800+ rows to crochet. That is way too many rows to crochet for one blanket. So instead of having one giant blanket, I’ve decided to crochet five different blankets: one for each decade. I’ll have one from the ’70s, ’80s, ’90s, ’00s, ’10s’, and ’20s. Of course, some will be longer than others, but I think it will be fun to have them broken up into decades rather than by rows.

Pattern

I’ll be using Bella Dia’s Vintage Vertical Stripe Crocheted Blanket pattern for my “temperature” blankets. I chose a blanket I can mindlessly do while watching TV, listening to music, or watching my favorite YouTube channel.

What Is A Good Stitch For A Temperature Blanket?

The easier stitch the better. Single crochet, moss stitch, granny stitch, or granny squares are all good choices. This is a big and long project, so if you are planning on tackling this monster project I wouldn’t pick a stitch that is going to make your blanket super long, is crazy difficult, or something you are going to hate crocheting. You are going to be doing this all year long!

Color Palette

There are different ways to make a temperature blanket, including the colors that can be used. The typical temperature blanket is crafted with a rainbow color palette from cold to hot. I knew I didn’t want to use those colors for my project, but colors that I could use all year in my house. That might sound easy, but I truly struggled with my color choices. After several trips to the craft stores, I finally decided on a muted pink and blue palette that matched my bedroom.

I followed the typical temperature blanket hot to cold color palette when setting up my palette. I went with light grey and blues for the less intense storms (subtropical, tropical depression, and tropical storm) and pink ombre colors for the five hurricane categories. I added one final dark blue color for all storms that directly hit my home.

Choosing Yarn

I had such a difficult time choosing the colors for this blanket that keeping them all within one brand was impossible. But, I did want to keep them all the same texture and weight. I’ve made that mistake before and it didn’t end well. For this project, it probably won’t matter too much, but I don’t want to take any chances. I also didn’t want to choose any yarn that felt too hard. You know that yarn that is great for Amigurumi but not for a blanket. I also didn’t want anything too expensive since I’ll be buying a lot of skeins of each color of yarn. Crocheting sometimes is quite the dilemma!

After much deliberation, I finally decided on my yarn list:

Full Yarn List

White Smoke (Impeccable – Loops and Threads)
Smoke (Impeccable – Loops and Threads)
Misty Blue (Impeccable – Loops and Threads)
Barely Pink (Impeccable – Loops and Threads)
Blush (Soft Classic – Loops and Threads)
Soft Rose (Impeccable – Loops and Threads)
Mauve (Soft and Sleek – Yarn Bee)
Aubergine (I Love This Yarn)
Sapphire (Impeccable – Loops and Threads)

How Much Yarn Is Needed For My Blanket?

Since my project is a historical one, and I have a good idea of what storms I’ll be crocheting the most, I am starting with six skeins each of Smoke and Misty Blue, four each of Barely Pink, Soft Rose, and Mauve, two each of White Smoke, Blush, and Sapphire and one of Aubergine. I already know this isn’t going to be enough yarn. I’m going to crochet a few rows and see how much each row uses, and that will determine how many more skeins I will need to get.

What Hook Am I Using?

The Vintage Vertical Stripe Crochet Blanket calls for a 5.50mm (I) hook. I have a plethora of crochet hooks, but I wanted something special for this project. I knew exactly which hook I wanted. . . a new Furls crochet hook. All the Furls hooks are so pretty, but I chose the Adromeda Streamline Galaxy design. It reminds me of water, plus it looks a little like the color of the Miami Dolphins.

Crochet Blanket Tips

A few tips that I’m going to try to adhere to as I work through this massive project:

No Need To Rush

I have the rest of the year to finish this project, so I don’t need to rush to finish it. I do have 800+ rows to crochet, but I can sit down and knock out a few dozen rows while binge-watching my favorite TV show, Tokyo Vice.

But, Don’t Get Behind More Than 2 Weeks

I also don’t want to get too far behind that I’m freaking out because I am so behind. I’m starting in April instead of January, so I am already working at a disadvantage. I don’t want to get myself too far behind.

Weave In Ends Regularly

I don’t think I can weave in my ends after every row. That is a little bit excessive. I also don’t want to weave in 300+ ends for every blanket. Maybe I’ll set a goal for weaving them in every week. We’ll see how that stands up after week one.

Keep An Eye On My Yarn Stash

I don’t want to be plugging along and then realize I don’t have any more grey yarn. I have two locations where I am storing my yarn, so I am going to have to check them both regularly. I am also going to keep an eye on the stores to make sure my colors don’t go out of stock.

Check my Instagram feed for updates on my project and follow the hashtags #stitchandpurr and #50yrhurricaneblanket. I’ll also be popping on the blog from time to time to give updates, especially when I complete my first blanket.