Linen Square Temperature Blanket – free crochet linen stitch afghan pattern

2021 is a wrap, and you know what that means. It’s finally time for me to share my Linen Square Temperature Blanket pattern!

This is my 3rd temperature blanket completed in consecutive years and I’m excited that the tradition is going strong. Last year I made the Bias Granny Temperature Blanket and before that was the inaugural Tunisian Crochet Temperature Blanket. Each year’s design is a chance to stretch my skills, play with new yarns, and track my year in the best way I know – crochet! Keep reading for full details on my latest temperature blanket design.

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PIN IT NOW, MAKE IT LATER

What the Heck is a Temperature Blanket?

A temperature blanket is a crochet or knit afghan where a series of rows or squares correspond with the day’s temperature. This post is specific to my Linen Square Temperature Blanket, but you can find more specific information about temperature blankets in these posts:

• Plan the Perfect Temperature Blanket
• Picking Temperature Blanket Colors + Yarn
• 15 Knit + Crochet Temperature Blanket Ideas

Still curious about temperature blankets? Sign up for my FREE 5 day email course to learn the ins and outs of planning and executing your next temperature blanket. JOIN THE COURSE!

CHOOSING MY YARN + COLORS

Picking colors for a temperature blanket can be pretty daunting. You have to consider the number of colors you want to use, yarn fiber, and availability. With constant supply chain issues circling around the fiber industry, I needed to find a yarn that would be available throughout the year. That meant finding a dependable company that offers high-quality yarn. Enter Cascade Yarn.

Cascade Yarn is a relatively young company (established in the late 1980’s). Their mission of providing high-quality yarns at affordable prices aligned perfectly with the concept of my linen square temperature blanket. I decided to use their 220 Superwash Merino, which is 100% superwash merino wool, available in over 100 solid and vibrant colors. Merino wool is lightweight, springy, and machine washable. This yarn is categorized as a worsted (category 4) weight yarn, but I find that it works up much closer to the gauge of a DK (category 3) weight yarn.

Learn more about Cascade 220 Merino, available from Webs.com and LoveCrafts.com. Special thanks to Cascade Yarns for sponsoring the yarn for this project!

Color helps to establish the mood of the finished temperature blanket. Last year’s blanket focused on a richer, woodsy palette. This year, I wanted to go for a vibrant, happy blanket. I used a series of colors inspired by an exciting summer beach vacation, with plenty of aqua and coral tones, rounded out with warmer neutrals. I placed my colors in order from coolest to warmest in my blanket, starting with a steel gray and finishing with a sweatshirt gray.

Cascade 200 Merino, available HERE. Listed from coolest to warmest colors:

• Flint Grey – 27 degrees and below
• Forged Iron – 28-33 degrees
• Coral Cloud – 34-40 degrees
• Ash Rose – 41-46 degrees
• Westpoint Heather – 47-53 degrees
• Pastel Turquoise – 54-59 degrees
• Aqua Haze – 60-66 degrees
• Green Blue Slate – 67-72 degrees
• Lemon – 73-79 degrees
• Desert Flower – 80-86 degrees
• Camelia – 87-92 degrees
• Silver Heather – 93 degrees and above

NOTE: I started the year with a gorgeous color palette that I fell in love with. But, when it came time to make my February square, I was very unhappy with how the colors were coming together. I decided to ditch the colors I didn’t like and swap in more suitable shades. This might happen to you as well – yarn in the skein can look different in a project, especially surrounded by other colors. Don’t panic – it’s your blanket and you can change it if you want!

Tools + Supplies

I used a 6mm crochet hook to make my squares and add the border. I always dedicate a notions pouch to this project and this year was no different. I kept my lovely hook from CroChic Styles with me all year. The polished resin hook glides along the soft merino wool, helping me to crochet quickly and consistently. I went with a 6mm hook for DK weight yarn since the linen stitch has a tighter gauge than other stitches.

Also inside my notions pouch was a pair of scissors and a tapestry needle. Like years past, I waited until nearly the end of the year to weave in my ends. Surprisingly, this didn’t feel like a monumental task. Breaking this project into 12 squares instead of 1 large blanket made the whole project feel much more manageable. Last year, I binge-watched The Circle while weaving in ends. This year, I got all caught up on Selling Sunset and even watched all of Selling Tampa. Talk about Grade A reality television. The drama!

After weaving in my ends, I took some time to block my squares. Blocking helps to achieve consistent size in the squares and made them even softer (if you can believe that!). I wet blocked my squares in the sink with a bit of wool wash from Sewrella. I then pinned them to blocking boards and let them air dry. My little girl cat, Sheba the Queen, did an excellent job of quality control once it was all done.

Linen Square Temperature Blanket Details

MATERIALS

• Cascade Yarn 220 Superwash Merino in 12 colors (reference Blanket Chart above) + White (MC)
• 6mm crochet hook (like this one from CroChic Styles)
• Scissors
• Tapestry needle
• Blocking supplies (wool wash, rust-proof t-pins, and blocking mats)

FINISHED SIZE

68″ long x 50″ wide

GAUGE

Finished squares are about 15″ after blocking. This number is not especially important – just try to keep a consistent gauge throughout the project. It helps to have a dedicated hook.

ABBREVIATIONS

This pattern uses standard abbreviations from the Craft Yarn Council. Find a full list of abbreviations HERE.

NOTES

• The Linen Square Temperature Blanket is inspired by the Linen Stitch Square pattern. Squares are worked in turned rounds from the center-out. Each round counts as one day. Each square has 33 rounds – one round for each day of the month, with any remaining rounds worked in white. This acheives the goal of making all squares the same size.
• Odd numbered rows are on the right side of the work.
• I worked my blanket using high temperatures only and pulling the temperatures of Columbus, Ohio. I found historical weather information from Wunderground.com.
• I used a special yarn color for my birthday, which can be seen in the June square (below). I used a DK weight yarn from my stash that I liked. Consider adding an accent round to commemorate special days throughout the year.

BLANKET LAYOUT

The Linen Square Temperature Blanket is constructed from 12 individual squares representing the months of the year. After all of the squares are completed, the ends were weaved in and the squares were wet blocked. The squares were laid out in the grid below, then seamed together with a whip stitch seam using the main color (White).

After seaming, the linen stitch border was added, with one round of white, then one round for each of the temperature blanket colors in order, and a final round of white. The border is worked in turned rounds.

New to the Linen Stitch Square? Learn it in this video tutorial:

Linen Square Temperature Blanket Pattern

Square Pattern

ROUND 1: [Ch 1, (sc 1, ch 1, sc 1, ch 2) 4 times] in MR, pull tail to close ring, join with a sl st in first sc of round, turn.

ROUND 2: Ch 1, (sc, ch 2, sc) in ch-2 sp, ch 1, sc in next ch-1 sp, ch 1, [(sc, ch 2, sc) in next ch-2 sp, ch 1, sc in next ch-1 sp, ch 1] 3x, join with a sl st in first sc of round, turn.

ROUND 3: Ch 1, *(sc in ch-1 sp, ch 1) to next ch-2 sp, (sc, ch 2, sc) in ch-2 sp, ch 1; repeat from * around, join with a sl st in first sc of round, turn.

ROUND 4: Ch 1, *(sc in ch-1 sp, ch 1)** to next ch-2 sp, (sc, ch 2, sc) in ch-2 sp, ch 1; repeat from * around, ending last repeat at **, join with a sl st in first sc of round, turn.

Repeat Round 4 to 33 rounds, changing color to fit the temperature for each round. After rounds are completed for the month, make the remaining rounds in MC.

After the last round, weave in all ends and wet block to 15″ square. Set aside squares until the end of the year. Repeat for all 12 squares.

Assembly

Arrange squares in rows of three and columns of four, keeping them in order by calendar year. Using a length of MC, whip stitch the squares together, working through the single crochet stitches ONLY, unless seaming the corners. This creates a visually pleasing zig-zag seam that is flexible but still strong.

Weave in all remaining ends.

Border

ROUND 1: With RS facing, join MC with a standing single crochet (tutorial) in the middle of the November square. Work in linen stitch square pattern around. At the join of two squares, sc2tog over the two neighboring chain-2 spaces, continue in pattern. At the end of the round, sl st join to the standing sc and fasten off MC. Turn work.

ROUND 2 AND BEYOND: Continue in pattern with turned rounds, working one round of the border in each color of your temperature gauge from coolest to warmest, then a final round in MC.

Weave in all remaining ends.

Finishing

Lay blanket flat to final dimensions. Steam the blanket, paying close attention to the border and all seams. Allow to fully dry before you drool over how gorgeous it is!

Working on My 2021 Temperature Blanket

I seriously had a blast working on the Linen Square Temperature Blanket. I say it every year, but this has to be my favorite design of them all.

One of the hardest mountains to climb when tackling a temperature blanket is how cumbersome it can seem. By working this blanket in individual large squares, your blanket has a small footprint (until assembly) and feels less overwhelming. Also, catching up when you are behind is a breeze. I fell 3 months behind in the summer and was able to catch up over a weekend.

If you are new to temperature blankets, I would highly recommend starting with the Linen Square Temperature Blanket. Here’s a preview of what you can expect when working on your blanket:

Whether this is your first temperature blanket post from me, or you’ve been following this journey since 2019, THANK YOU for being here. This is one of the most fun traditions I have in TL Yarn Crafts, and it means the world to me that you’re interested in my projects. Be sure to join my email list and follow me on Instagram to get updates on my 2022 blanket. I think you’re really going to like it!