Make a Temperature Scarf as an Alternative to a Temperature Blanket

Temperature blankets are a popular way to track a year, whether you’re stitching up the colors of the current year or a year that is important to you.

But a blanket is a big project to keep track of all year, and maybe you don’t want a giant randomly striped blanket at the end of the year, anyway.

Another option is to make a different kind of project that tracks the temperature, such as a temperature scarf or cowl. Fox and Pine Stitches has a tutorial on how to work a scarf in the round using the colors of your choice for the temperature data for where you live.

The benefit of doing a scarf is that it will use a lot less yarn, and it will also be faster to knit. This is a great way to do a project with temperature data from a year that has already passed, because you’ll be able to knit it quickly.

You can leave it as a scarf or sew the ends together and make a giant circular cowl if you’d rather.

If you do want to make a temperature blanket, there are lots of resources available to help. Craft Warehouse has a printable you can use to keep track of your range of temperatures and the colors you choose for each one.

Noble Knits has a nice guide to temperature blankets that talks about how to pick yarns, how much of each yarn you might need and links to some knit and crochet patterns you can use to make your own temperature blanket or other project.

You can work your blanket in garter stitch, stockinette, moss stitch or any other pattern that you like, and you can do one or two rows of each color, depending on the stitch pattern you are using. The circular scarf is worked in stockinette, which makes it really easy, but you could do a project like that in any stitch pattern worked in the round as well.

Have you ever made a temperature project? Did you actually finish? I’d love to hear about it!

[Photo: Fox and Pine Stitches.]

Next Pattern:

There is something very sweet about vintage baby knitting patterns, especially the ones that still feel wearable today. This Vintage Baby Sweater Knitting Pattern PDF from the CraftGossipStore has that lovely old-fashioned charm without looking fussy or too dated, which is exactly what makes it a nice find for knitters who enjoy making baby gifts with a bit of heirloom feeling.

The pattern includes two classic baby sweater styles: a textured crew neck jumper and cardigan options with raglan sleeves. The stitch pattern gives the finished pieces that beautiful handmade texture we all love, but it still feels practical enough for real babies — not just the kind of outfit that gets worn for one photo and then carefully folded away forever.

You can find the pattern here: Vintage Baby Sweater Knitting Pattern PDF from CraftGossipStore.

This is a restored vintage knitting pattern delivered as a printable PDF, so there is no physical pattern posted out. After purchase, the file is available through Etsy as an instant digital download, which is handy if you’re the sort of knitter who gets an idea at 9 pm and wants to cast on before common sense has a chance to intervene.

The pattern is designed for 8 ply / DK weight yarn, which makes it a practical choice because DK baby yarn is easy to find in soft modern colours. It uses 3.25 mm and 4 mm knitting needles, along with stitch holders, buttons for the cardigan versions, a yarn needle, scissors, and measuring tape.

What I like about this pattern is the flexibility. Worked in cream, lemon, powder blue, sage green, oatmeal, dusty pink, or warm beige, it would suit either a traditional baby wardrobe or a more modern neutral nursery style. The cardigan version is especially practical because cardigans are always easier when dressing little ones. Anyone who has ever tried to wriggle a jumper over a sleepy baby’s head will understand that immediately.

Because this is a vintage pattern, it is worth remembering that older knitting patterns are often written more briefly than modern ones. They tend to assume the knitter already knows a few things, so I’d recommend this for confident beginners through to intermediate knitters rather than someone picking up needles for the very first time. If you’re comfortable reading shaping instructions, checking gauge, working textured stitches, and sewing seams neatly, this should be a very satisfying little project.

Before starting, make a tension square. I know, I know — no one wants to hear it, but baby garments are small enough that gauge really does matter. A tiny difference in tension can quickly change the finished size, and nobody wants to finish a beautiful baby cardigan only to discover it fits a doll or a toddler with very optimistic shoulders.

This pattern would make a lovely baby shower gift, newborn photo outfit, heirloom baby knit, or handmade market sample. It is also a nice choice for knitters who enjoy vintage patterns but prefer having them cleaned up into a more usable digital format.

If you need supplies, look for a soft DK baby yarn, smooth knitting needles, small cardigan buttons, stitch holders, and a blunt yarn needle for finishing. Mary Maxim is always worth checking for baby yarns and classic knitting supplies, while Amazon can be handy for basics like stitch holders, measuring tapes, button packs, and printed pattern binders if you like keeping your PDF patterns organised.

For anyone who enjoys traditional baby knitting, this is a sweet little pattern with plenty of charm. It has that “made by Grandma, kept forever” feeling, but with enough simplicity to make it useful for everyday babywear too.

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