Hi, it’s Michelle

So sorry for the delay in getting Issue #5 to you! I tried a center pull with some software settings and it ended up a tangled mess! We’re back on track now!

Enjoy reading and forward to a crochet friend. 🧡 

Read what’s buzzing this week — then scroll for my feature deep dive on Temp Blankets:

LOOPED IN

News

How big is the biggest granny square?

What started as a joke, ended in world record.

A legally blind (!) man set out to beat the world record for a crocheted granny square. Crocheting with 4mm hook, using a camera and a TV to crochet row by row he crocheted a 41 foot square that outgrew his basement! (See pictures and read more: RiverBendNews)

Crochet and Chill

Crafting at the Movies is a growing trend that brings local yarn shops, craft groups and independent theaters together for private showings where crafters can stitch away in cozy seats while watching a film. It’s a fun way to build community and support local businesses. Plan ahead for I Love Yarn Day on October 11, 2025! (For tips and more: CraftIndustryAlliance)

Shop your Vibe: New Yarn Store with Galactic Theme opens

Creative Comets (exploding colors), Luxe Nebulae (luxurious fibers) and Planet Plush are only a few of the galactic themed yarn sections at new yarn store, The Yarny Way, now open in Lubbock Texas. "Normally, yarn stores are constructed by types, fine yarn here, heavy over here, but I decided I wanted it to be by vibe…I encourage people to shop your vibe and go to the yarn that you feel like you want to do something with” says the owner. (See pictures and read more: LubbockOnline)

Save up to 25% on Your Next Yarn Haul

The Crochet Guild of America has unveiled its new modern website. Did you know, members get discounts up to 25% off at many yarn sites?  You’d save your membership (free for teens) in your first yarn haul! (See new site and sign up: CGOA)

Not your grandmother’s doilies

Giant crimson crochet threads creep across ceilings, wrap around doorways and burst from alcoves in dense, knotted clusters to create Keeping Up Appearances. The large-scale installation comprises enormous red crochet doilies at a San Diego Art Gallery. (See pictures and read more: CasaRomantica)

YARN OVER HOOK

My Weekly Favorite Finds

🧶 Easy way to create Graphgans

• Upload a picture and transform it to a crochet work of art. (StitchFiddle)

⭕ Attention Pattern Designers!

• Did you know there are standards to follow for your patterns? (CraftYarnCouncil)

🟨 Learn Something New

• Crocheting with Pony beads (CrochetWithTiffany)

 🧡 Crochet for Good

• This North Dakota group is looking for the pattern for a unique butterfly prayer shawl. Can you help? (MSN)

✨ WIP

• I’m working on The Study of Meditation. What are you working on? Reply to share it with me!

STITCH BY STITCH

🧶 What’s the Deal with Temperature Blankets?

Ever heard of a Temperature Blanket? If not, meet your next big crochet adventure!

A temperature blanket is a year-long crochet project where you stitch one row (or square, or motif) for every day to record the day’s temperature. By year’s end, you’ll have a colorful time capsule that turns local weather into keepsake for the ages.

Is It Too Early to Think About It for Next Year?

Nope! Now’s the time to plan. Many crocheters spend fall picking colors, gathering yarn, and setting up a temp chart long before January 1 arrives.

And you don’t need to start on Jan 1. You can make academic year blankets (August–July), or baby’s first year that starts whenever the baby does! Or a wedding, or a new start in life.

Yarn sales wait for nobody and this is a good time of year to start picking up the yarn you’ll need.

A little prep now means you’re more likely to stick with it later — trust me, your future self will thank you.

🧵 Why Do Crocheters Make Temperature Blankets?

These color-coded blankets are a beautiful way to mark a milestone year — a wedding, new baby, new city, or just because.

It gives you an excuse to crochet every day (and buy all the yarn) and if you’re not buying yarn, they can be an epic stash-buster… or the best excuse to build one.

🎨 Styles & Variations

A row a day is the classic style, but there are many options:

• Daily Row — The OG method: one row per day for 365 rows. (Warning: they get big!)

• Weekly Stripe — Combine seven days into one row to shrink the size.

• Granny Squares — A square per day or week, then join them all later.

• Temperature Snake or Spiral — Continuous spiral instead of stripes.

• Highs & Lows — Some crocheters stitch two rows, or a half row, per day for daily highs and lows. Granny squares can have the center low and outside high.

📏 Tips to Keep It Manageable

365 rows = a blanket that might rival your bed in length. Tame it by picking a narrow width — think scarf width, not king-size. Or create a square per month vs a whole row. You could also switch to weekly rows if daily isn’t realistic.

Using a lighter yarn — DK or fingering weight keeps bulk down. You could also try smaller hooks for tighter stitches.

Using motifs like small granny squares or hexies can help with the bulk.

But my #1 tip is WEAVE IN THE ENDS AS YOU GO…iykyk!

✏️ Get Ahead of the Game Now

✔️ Pick a location’s daily temps: look for an app or site that will give you the info you need
✔️ Define your temp ranges: Choose 6–10 colors for your temp ranges depending on how the weather varies in your location and your overall look.
✔️ Make your temperature key: match the color yarn to the temp range
✔️ Collect your base yarn: classics like Red Heart Soft or Caron Simply Soft are popular and easy to find if you run out.
✔️ Get a good storage tote to keep colors organized.
✔️ Print a tracker or start a journal to log daily temps.
✔️ Treat yourself to a project bag that stores many color yarns and can be used at the same time.

🧡 Stick With It

Forgive yourself. Life happens. Log temps in a journal and schedule a weekly catch-up day to finish the week.

A temperature blanket is a commitment, but the finished blanket is a beautiful, personal story only you can tell — one day, one row at a time.

✨ Tag your progress with #TemperatureBlanket and share your journey with Crochet Current!

IN STITCHES

WEAVING IN THE ENDS

Thanks for reading! See you next week for more crochet-y goodness, and forward to a friend.

—Michelle 🧡

P.S. Let me know what you’d like to see next week by sending a reply.