So much goes into picking the perfect temperature blanket colors and yarn. With so many yarns to choose from, how can you find the ideal yarn that you’ll want to stitch with all year long? This post shares how to answer that tough question: What yarn should I use for a crochet or knit temperature blanket?!
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There are hundreds of yarn brands and colors on the market right now. When committing to a year-long project like a temperature blanket, you have to be thoughtful in choosing a yarn with colors you’ll stay excited about all year long.
COLOR PALETTE
Traditionally, temperature blanket color palettes consisted of colors you could find in a primary color rainbow. Usually red represents the warmest temperatures as the top of the color gauge and blue stands in for the coolest temps at the bottom of the gauge.
I love a good rainbow blanket, but keep in mind that is your blanket and use can use just about any colors. Don’t love rainbows? How about pastels? Or try neons. Here are some easy ways to find that perfect palette:
- Search Pinterest for “color palettes”. Add in descriptors like “southwest” and “dark pink”.
- Check out temperature blanket projects on Ravelry.
- Choose colors from a favorite garment or a cherished heirloom.
- Pick colors from your favorite sports team.
- Plug your favorite color or image into a palette creator.
After you’ve chosen your colors, it’s time to stock up. Since we can’t predict the weather, it’s tough to know how much yarn to buy. I like to have at least 200g of each color on hand at the beginning of the year. This means that I usually have to stock up on my most used colors twice per year.
YARN CHOICE
Gratefully, there are plenty of amazing yarns that are easily accessible for your ideal temperature blanket. With so much to consider, here are some factors to help you narrow things down:
- PRICE. A lot goes into determining the price of yarn, including fiber, processing, and the exclusivity of the brand. Keeping costs down could be a determining factor in your temperature blanket yarn choice, considering that you’ll make a large investment at the beginning of the year and add additional yarn as you move through your project.
- COLOR RANGE. So, you think you’ve found the perfect yarn, but there are only 10 colors and you don’t love them all. That’s ok! Keep searching for a yarn with a large color range so you have more options in choosing your palette.
- WEIGHT. The yarn weight you choose for your blanket may be determined by the pattern you pick. If you’re freestyling your WIP, go for a yarn on the lighter side. Worsted weight is used quite often, with DK coming in a close second. Fingering weight could also be an exciting option.
- FIBER. You’d be surprised what they make yarn out of these days. For something as substantial as a temperature blanket, I’d stick with the basics – cotton, acrylic and acrylic blends, or superwash merino wool. These fibers often balance price, color range, and durability pretty well. Also, consider any allergies when choosing your yarn fiber.
- AVAILABILITY. There’s nothing worse than getting toward the end of the year and finding out the specific yarn you’re using is discontinued. Try to pick a palette from a longstanding yarn brand. This way, it’s less likely that you’ll run out of that perfect shade of pink and never find it again.
YARN RECOMMENDATIONS
If you need a place to start, here are 10 yarns that tick all the boxes for your temperature blanket:
TOP ROW
- Brava Worsted – $2.49 for 218 yards/ 100 grams in 47 colors
- Swish DK – $5.99 for 123 yards/ 50 grams in 42 colors
- Palette – $3.99 for 231 yards/ 50 grams in 156 colors
- Basic Stitch Premium – $4.99 for 219 yards/ 100 grams in 15 colors
- Heartland – $6.49 for 251 yards/ 142 grams in 17 colors
BOTTOM ROW
- Wool-Ease – $4.69 for 197 yards/ 85 grams in 14 colors
- Stylecraft Special DK – $2.49 for 323 yards/ 100 grams in 81 colors
- Paintbox Cotton DK – $3.00 for 13 yards/ 50 grams in 50 colors
- Caron Simply Soft – $4.99 for 315 yards/ 170 grams in 37 colors
- Cascade Yarns 220 Superwash Merino – $12.99 for 220 yards/ 100 grams in 67 colors
Hi Toni. I’m not sure if my comments are going through, but I want to know how to determine the amount of yarn to purchase for my first temperature blanket. I’m making one for hubby who is 5’8″, and I want to make it wide enough as well. Thank you.
Hi! When purchasing the first round of yarn for a temp blanket, I like to have 200g of each color on hand. You’ll likely need to buy more yarn throughout the year as you will use some colors more than others. Hope that helps 🙂
Hi Toni,
Yes, it does. Thank you.
I have been watching your Temperature Blanket video blogs and now I am soooo excited about starting the my own project!
And I’m already happily overthinking everything. LOL Thank you for oozing such joy and enthusiasm!
Your vibe is contageous. Thank you for the work you do for your followers.
(Thought I’d pass this on while I’m here > under your ‘Yarn Recommendations’,
the Paintbox DK should read $3.00 for 137 yards instead of 13.)
Can’t wait to figure out my palette, pattern and stitch. *squee!*