I have long had a love of temperature blankets. In fact, I have an entire page on this blog dedicated to them. I am always trying to reinvent the concept. This time, I think I succeeded.
Without further ado, I bring you the Temperature Ornament!
The premise remains the same. Track every day’s temperature in your city. Create a color-coded temperature guage out of yarn. Crochet each day into a historic heirloom.
For my ornaments, I chose to use a palette of modern Christmas colors using 10 skeins of Premier Anti-Pilling Everyday DK. (You can see the exact colors I chose in the pattern below.)
Assign your temperatures. I took the high we usually get minus a common low and then divided by nine colors. You may live in an area where there is less or more temperature variation. Feel free to adjust the pattern to fit.
I am using a neutral color for the top and bottom of my ornaments. I chose white. You can choose any color or choose to use more of Day 1’s color at the bottom and the last day’s color at the top.
Track the temperatures
I will be tracked only the high temperature for my ornaments using a scrap piece of paper. Use any method that works for you. Temperatures can be found up to two years back on www.accuweather.com. It does not matter which site you use to track, just make sure to use the same one for each month for consistency.
I had so much fun making these. I was able to make Rounds 1-27 before needing to stuff the 4″ plastic ornament inside the work. The remaining rounds were a little difficult, but got easier after the first one or two.
I labeled each ornament with the month, year, and zip code using a wooden tag that I purchased on Amazon.
I love the idea that the year can be displayed on a Christmas tree and kept for years to come! There are so many other things that could be done with the pattern.
- Anniversary Ornaments: Make one ornament for every year you’ve been married. Use the average highs and/or lows of each month giving each three rows of the pattern.
- Birthday Ornaments: The same as the Anniversary Ornaments except tracking each year of life. These would be great to pass on to kids when they’re grown and flown.
I am offering you the basic temperature ornament pattern for free below. If you would like the five alternate textures, you will have to purchase the pattern here.
Temperature Ornaments
Follow the Basic Ornament Pattern using your temperature key for each of the 12 months. You can choose to use a 4” plastic ornament on the inside of your crochet work (as I did) or you can choose to fill the ornament with stuffing.
Buy the easy-to-print PDF for the Basic Ornament Pattern as well as five additional texture alternates here for $4.99.
Finished size: 4” round
Yarn: Premier Anti-Pilling Everyday DK—10 colors
I used:
- 88-95+: 1107-69 Cherry
- 80-87: 1107-37 Carnation
- 72-79: 1107-70 Coral
- 63-71: 1107-04 Magenta
- 55-62: 1107-71 Green
- 46-54: 1107-11 Green Apple
- 37-45: 1107-12 Treetop
- 24-36: 1107-74 Aqua
- 23 and below: 1107-03 Taffy
- Neutral: 1107-01 White
Hook: 3.00 mm (This is not a lettered hook. It is between a C and D)
Gauge: 6 sc x 7 rows = 1”
Abbreviations:
- Ch—Chain
- Sc—single crochet
- Sc2tog—single crochet two together (see special stiches)
- St—stitch
- Sl st—slip stitch
- PM—Place stitch marker
Additional materials:
- 12 clear plastic 4” Christmas ornaments
- Stitch markers
- Stuffing (optional replacement for the plastic ornament)
- Hot glue (optional)
- Wooden labels (optional)
Special Stitches
Sc2tog: Insert hook into next st. Yarn over and pull up a loop. Repeat in next st. Yarn over and pull through all three loops on hook.
Basic Ornament Pattern
For the basic ornament, you will start with three rows of a neutral color (or more of Day 1 color) and end with 2, 3, 4, or 5 rounds of a neutral color depending on how many days are in the month.
The pattern is worked in the round without joining at the end of each row, so using a stitch marker is important.
You do not need to fasten off your yarn with each color change, but can carry it on the inside. When you do fasten off, leave a tail 2” long and anchor under a couple of stitches of the next row, then hide inside ornament.
Rows with a * have different directions for the alternate patterns. Row with a ** also have different directions for one of the alternates, which are only available by purchase here.
Round 1: Ch 4, join with sl st to first ch to form a ring, ch 1. 8 sc in ring. PM in last stitch made. (8 st)
Round 2: Starting in the next st, 2 sc in each st around ending on the stitch with the marker. PM in last st made. (16 st)
Round 3: (sc in next st, 2 sc in next st) around ending on the st with the marker. PM in last st made. (24 st)
Round 4—Day 1: (sc in next 2 st, 2 sc in next st) around ending on the st with the marker. PM in last st made. (32 st)
Round 5—Day 2: (sc in next 7 st, 2 sc in next st) around ending on the st with the marker. PM in last st made. (36 st)
Round 6—Day 3: (sc in nest 5 st, 2 sc in next st) around ending on the st with the marker. PM in last st made. (42 st)
*Round 7—Day 4: Sc in each st around ending on the st with the marker. PM in last st made. (42 st)
Round 8—Day 5: (sc in next 6 st, 2 sc in next st) around ending on the st with the marker. PM in last st made. (48 st)
*Round 9—Day 6: Sc in each st around ending on the st with the marker. PM in last st made. (48 st)
Round 10—Day 7: (Sc in next 7 st, 2 sc in next st) around ending on the st with the marker. PM in last st made. (54 st)
*Round 11—Day 8: Sc in each st around ending on the st with the marker. PM in last st made. (54 st)
Round 12—Day 9: (Sc in next 8 sc, 2sc in next sc) around ending on the st with the marker. PM in last st made. (60 st)
*Round 13—Day 10: Sc in each st around ending on the st with the marker. PM in last st made. (60 st)
Round 14—Day 11: (Sc in next 9 st, 2 sc in next st) around ending on the st with the marker. PM in last st made. (66 st)
*Round 15—Day 12: Sc in each st around ending on the st with the marker. PM in last st made. (66 st)
Round 16—Day 13: (Sc in next 10 st, 2 sc in next st) around ending on the st with the marker. PM in last st made. (72 st)
* **Round 17—Day 14: Sc in each st around ending on the st with the marker. PM in last st made. (72 st)
**Round 18—Day 15: Repeat Round 17. (72 st)
* **Round 19—Day 16: Repeat Round 17. (72 st)
** Round 20—Day 17: Repeat Round 17. (72 st)
* **Round 21—Day 18: Repeat Round 17. (72 st)
**Round 22—Day 19: Repeat Round 17. (72 st)
Note: As you begin to decrease, you might need to put the ornament inside your work so that it still fits. I was able to make it to about Round 27 before it wouldn’t stretch around the ball anymore. If you are using stuffing instead of a plastic ornament, you might put some stuffing in here.
Round 23—Day 20: (Sc in next 10 st , sc2tog) around ending on the st with the marker. PM in last st made. (66 st)
*Round 24—Day 21: Sc in each st around ending on the st with the marker. PM in last st made. (66 st)
Round 25—Day 22: (Sc in next 9 st, sc2tog) around ending on the st with the marker. PM in last st made. (60 st)
*Round 26—Day 23: Sc in each st around ending on the st with the marker. PM in last st made. (60 st)
Round 27—Day 24: (Sc in next 8 st, sc2tog) around ending on the st with the marker. PM in last st made. (54 st)
*Round 28—Day 25: Sc in each st around ending on the st with the marker. PM in last st made. (54 st)
Round 29—Day 26: (Sc in next 7 st, sc2tog) around ending on the st with the marker. PM in last st made. (48 st)
*Round 30—Day 27: Sc in each st around ending on the st with the marker. PM in last st made. (48 st)
Round 31—Day 28: (Sc in next 6 st, sc2tog) around ending on the st with the marker. PM in last st made. (42 st)
Round 32—Day 29 (or neutral color): (Sc in next 5 st, sc2tog) around ending on the st with the marker. PM in last st made. (36 st)
Round 33—Day 30 (or neutral color): (Sc in next 4 st, sc2tog) around ending on the st with the marker. PM in last st made. (30 st)
Round 34—Day 31 (or neutral color): (Sc in next 3 st, sc2tog) around ending on the st with the marker. PM in last st made. (24 st)
Round 35 (neutral color): (Sc in next 2 st, sc2tog) around ending on the st with the marker. PM in last st made. (18 st)
Round 36 (neutral color): (Sc in next st, sc2tog) around ending on the st with the marker. PM in last st made. (12 st)
To finish: Sl st into next st and tie off. Either tuck the ends into the ball or behind the crochet. Label your ornament with the month and year. I am using wooden markers, but you could use gift tags or any other method you choose.
***If you are stuffing your ornament, you will need to complete one more round.***
Round 37 (neutral color): sc2tog in each st around. Leave a six inch tail and fasten off. With needle, weave the tail through each of the stitches and pull tight. Weave the end through the middle of the ball.
You may want to glue an ornament top to your ornament or simply attach a string for hanging. Label your ornament with the month and year.
Will you be making temperature ornaments? If you do, make sure to tag me on Facebook or Instagram @thehazelnutskein .
Happy Stitching,
–Heidi
P. S. Here’s a bonus homage to Charlie Brown.
