Temperature Projects Update (end of March 2016)

It’s the end of March and I’ve not lost the drive to see my blankets through to the end. Granted I’ve not been doing them every day but I have catch up days to make up for it. I’m doing better than I was last year, because I’d already quit by the same time last year.

Here’s where I stand with each project.

 

Temperature Shawl

Original project link

This is my cornerstone project, the one I’m making following the pattern I wrote in December. I’m really enjoying seeing more of the yellows and oranges.

To make it easier to change colors, I arranged the skeins and cakes in a box (a 17L Really Useful Box for curious readers) and leave the tails hanging off the edge of the box. I’ve memorized my color scheme by now so I can just grab the color based on which is needed. I use this box and these skeins for both my temperature shawl and temperature blanket.

It makes transitioning between colors easier, especially with my next project, the temperature blanket.

 

Temperature Blanket

Original project link

I’ve been having fun with this project, except for trying to catch up. I had a crazy idea to be caught up for this entry, but at fifteen minutes a square it was next to impossible. I was getting bothered by crocheting four or five of them a day, too. The last deciding factor is that I began to run out of yarn. You might have noticed my yarn was looking pretty thin in my box picture. One reason is I moved my lavender/under 20 (-7 Celsius) yarn to my craft closet until next winter. The other is I actually ran out of my 40s (0s Celsius) yarn and was almost out of my 50s (10s Celsius) yarn. I’ve ordered more but I can’t work on this project again until I get it.

I even had a square or two that were the same color due to highs and lows being in the same range.

I at least decided what I wanted to do for the months. I’m just doing a similar square with a varigated middle and grey surround. For the varigated yarn I decided to use Red Heart Super Saver’s Peruvian Print. I’ve had my eye on using it for a very long time so it wasn’t a hard choice for me.

After discussing the options with my husband I’m going to connect the squares with white yarn. I’m not sure how just yet, though I have my eye on just slip stitching or doing a row of single crochet on both edges at once.

 

Thermometer

I saw a cool idea from a post by Michelle Hall on the Crochet Crowd’s Facebook page of making a thermometer to go with her blanket. I then wanted one, too. I’ve done everything but the border for it.

 

Anniversary Blanket

Original project link

I’ve been neglecting this project, instead choosing to work on the current year temperature projects. I’ve gotten to mid-November of our first year of marriage. I’ve taken to setting up with my old calendar from the year open beside me so I can have a better idea of what went on that day.

I realized after a comment on my introductory post for this project that I never posted my grand scheme for the end project.

Here it is:

“You don’t know love when you see it. You’ve tricked something out with your imagination that you think love, and you expect the real thing to look like that.”

–Phil (a girl) to Anne in Anne of the Island (pgs. 142-3)

This quote was rattling around in my head while I was crocheting. It was accompanied every now and again by strains of Tevye’s song “Do You Love Me?” from Fiddler on the Roof. I’ve been contemplating what love really looks like and thinking about all the quotes I’ve read and songs I’ve heard helps. Is love found in the high points, the low points, the just-getting-by points, or all of the above?

I’ll digress a little further by mentioning that I’ve read a lot of different love stories over the years. This includes ones not meant as such like Lord of the Rings. It gives me a lot of examples of how love can really look.

Back to the project! I used my first blue yesterday, which was exciting. Yes, yes, I know I was excited to leave the blues behind on my other project. I guess I just get excited at any transition in my projects.

Part of why I set the project aside was, due to so many colors and short rows, it was becoming annoying to transition colors. I needed a system like my other blanket. I had been storing the skeins in a similar-sized box but they were flat so I could close the lid. I also only had a smaller selection of the colors in it. Deciding that lids are optional, I turned the skeins on their end and snaked them, in order, from one corner of the box to the other.

It seems to be working well, except for causing tension problems due to working too fast. I just need to keep my tension loose and things will work out. I think.

 

Sneak Peek

This month I’m putting out a three part series called Demystifying Temperature Blankets. Look for part one on temperature range selection on April 13th or 15th!

 

Are you still keeping up with your temperature projects?