After finishing my first temperature blanket, I was restless — I hadn’t even completed it before I was already planning the next one. The 2024 edition was a huge success. Not only my family, but also my friends admired my temperature blanket. So, encouraged by all this positive feedback, I started looking at patterns and colors by the end of the year, ready to dive into the next big project. One thing was certain: this year’s blanket would be for my son, serving as a bedspread. There were countless possibilities and color combinations, making it a tough decision to determine the final design of the new blanket.
Photo: Own (Rebeka Novák-Szabó ev)
Temperature blanket for Endre – 2019
Since this year’s blanket was for my son, the year was already set: his birth year, 2019. Choosing the colors proved to be a tougher nut to crack; I spent days selecting, arranging, and rearranging the color samples, and adjusting the temperature ranges, until I could present Endre with two options. One was a classic temperature blanket color combination, and the other was a gray-to-dark-blue gradient, which he ultimately chose. Meanwhile, I also came up with the pattern, inspired by a piece showcased in an international temperature blanket group. I will assemble my blanket from granny squares, with each square representing a single day. Originally, I wanted the inner part of each square to show the day’s lowest average temperature and the outer part the highest. However, due to the extensive amount of yarn weaving this would require, I discarded that version. I was worried that if I went with it, I would never finish, so I had to make a bit of a compromise.
The biggest challenge was choosing the specific yarns. I tried to convince my child to pick a different type of yarn — based on last year’s experience — but he was adamant. He wanted chenille. I gave in, since I’m planning to make a blanket for him that will not only accompany his childhood but, hopefully, will also become a cherished part of his home as an adult, offering comfort and a sense of security. I imagine him cozying up under it on a gloomy day with a warm cup of tea. For that reason, it was important to me that the blanket be exactly what he wanted.
However, this is where the real challenges began. I didn’t want to mix brands within the blanket, knowing that yarns of the same type but from different brands, even with the same specifications, can vary in thickness and final appearance. This made selecting the colors quite tricky. Within a single brand, there weren’t enough shades to create a smooth gray-to-blue gradient, so I had to compromise here as well. My son’s original idea was for a blanket entirely in shades of blue, but I convinced him that, in my opinion, no chenille yarn manufacturer produces nine distinct shades of a single color. Even if we included black and white in the scale, the problem would remain: due to the warm and cool tones of the colors, some would clash, or some would be so close in shade that the essence of the blanket wouldn’t stand out.
So, we stuck with this idea, and in the end, I received help with the color selection at the local Fonalam.hu store. The salesperson was very kind and helpful; we arranged the yarns side by side until we came up with a beautiful sequence of 11 skeins. Originally, we included a beige yarn, but I eventually discarded it, replacing it with black and positioning it in the spot of the coldest color. At home, I felt that the beige stood out too much with its warmth, so it was better to leave it out.
Information and Specifications of This Blanket
Yarns, tools and temperature ranges
To make the temperature blanket, I used chenille yarns: Himalaya Dolphin Baby and Wolans Bunny Baby. My crochet hook size is 5 mm. In addition, I will need a plastic needle — I prefer this type for chenille — for assembling the squares.
The temperature ranges were based on the daily average temperatures, with the colors changing every 3 °C.
26 °C and above: Himalaya Dolphin Baby 80321
Between 23°C and 25°C: Himalaya Dolphin Baby 80341
Between 20°C – 22°C: Himalaya Dolphin Baby 80327
Between 17°C and 19°C: Himalaya Dolphin Baby 80306
Between 14°C -16°C: Himalaya Dolphin Baby 80347
Between 11°C and 13°C: Wolans Bunny Baby 03
Between 8°C and 10°C: Himalaya Dolphin Baby 80363
Between 5°C and 7°C: Himalaya Dolphin Baby 80325
Between 2°C and 4°C: Himalaya Dolphin Baby 80320
Between 1°C and -1°C: Himalaya Dolphin Baby 80367
-2°C and below: Himalaya Dolphin Baby 80311
I generated a preview of how my blanket will look using mytemperature-blanket.com, which is shown in the picture.
Illustration: Endre's blanket – 2019. Own (Rebeka Novák-Szabó ev)
Illustration: Granny squares that make up the quilt. Own (Novák-Szabó Rebeka ev)
legend: dc = a folded stick; hdc = half double crochet; ch = chain link; slst = slip stitch
Pattern of the blanket: granny squares
I am assembling my temperature blanket from granny squares, with each square representing a single day.
Granny square pattern:
R1: Start with a magic ring. Ch5. Crochet the following: [ 3dc + ch2 ]*3; 2dc; 1 slst in the beginning chains.
R2: inc(ch4; 3hdc + ch1); [ inc(3hdc + ch2 + 3hdc) + ch1 ]*3; 2hdc; 1 sl st in the beginning chains.
R3: inc(ch4; 3hdc + ch1); [ 3hdc + ch1; [ inc(3hdc + ch2 + 3hdc) +ch1 ]*3; 3hdc + ch1; 2hdc, 1 slst in the beginning chains.
The size of the granny square is 9 x 9 cm.
Planned blanket width: 16 squares, or 144 cm. Planned blanket length: 23 squares, or 207 cm. (I consider this size ideal for a bedspread.)
A total of 368 granny squares are needed to make the blanket. There were 365 days in 2019, so 3 extra squares are required.
One ball of yarn makes about 13-14 granny squares, I estimate that I will need 31-33 balls for the blanket and of course there will be a lot of leftover yarn that I can use to make the figures. The material cost is about 42-43 thousand HUF in 2025 prices.
I crochet one granny square in about 7–8 minutes, which means roughly 2,576–2,944 minutes are needed to complete the blanket. This amounts to a total of 43–50 hours of crocheting. In addition, there will be at least 12–16 hours required to sew the squares together and weave in the yarn ends.
My Temperature Blanket Progress
Status: 2025.12.06.
So, in August, I bought the first 11 skeins of my favorite chenille yarn, Himalaya Dolphin Baby, and due to the shade, I also needed 1 skein of Wolans Bunny Baby. That’s when I started crocheting my blanket, square by square. I had hoped to finish it for my son’s 6th birthday, but given our chaotic living situation, I let go of that unrealistic expectation. The goal is to complete it this year, though it might not happen, as there is less than a month left until the end of the year. As of 6 December 2025, 172 squares have been completed, which means the blanket is 46.7% finished.
What still remains is starting to join the squares so that a blanket can take shape, though the method for doing this hasn’t been decided yet. I would have loved to crochet them together neatly, but I couldn’t find a technique that matched my vision, so I will most likely sew them together using the mattress stitch and then weave in the yarn ends. That last part, I have to admit, will be a huge job… I’m already dreading it, like every crocheter would, having to join 368 granny squares and weave in all the ends. I chose the pattern myself, so if anyone should be blamed for this, it’s me.
And yes, the math works out so that 368 squares will be needed for the blanket. The three extra squares I’m adding will be placed as follows: one at the beginning, one at the end, and the third will mark my son’s birthday. What colors these squares will be is still undecided. I’m considering, to preserve the overall color scheme, making the birthday square red on the inside and teal on the outside, while the two edge squares will follow the same concept with black and white interiors. Originally, I planned to make these with fuzzy yarn, but recently I realized I don’t like that idea anymore. So this part is still under planning. However, I don’t have much time to think about it, as I need to start assembling the blanket so I won’t have to sew everything together at once. Additionally, the squares take up a lot of space, making them difficult to handle, and it would be simpler to store them once they are joined.
