Mostly clear. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 74F. Winds S at 10 to 15 mph..

Mostly clear. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 74F. Winds S at 10 to 15 mph.

One of the quilt exhibits at our recent county fair open class display, which earned a top honorable mention rosette, was called a temperature quilt. What is a temperature quilt?

In short, a temperature quilt (or afghan) is a visual record of the high/low temperature for every day of a selected year. The temperatures are color-coded to represent specific temperature ranges and are stitched or knit/crochet together to make your project.

First, choose the specific block or stitch pattern for your quilt or afghan. Next, select the range of temperatures you are recording for the year. Some people will use temperature colors in 10-degree increments; some will use five-degree increments. The more detailed the temperature ranges, the more gradient colors you will need to record the temperatures on your project. If the location of your temperature range goes from -10 degrees to 100 degrees, you may want to choose the 10-degree range color key. Warmer temperatures are shown using red, orange and yellow colors. Cooler temperatures are recorded using various shades of green and blues.

Next, create your color key for your afghan or quilt. Write the color name on your key (along with a sample of the fabric/yarn) to use for the specific temperature. It might be helpful to organize the specific colors of fabric/yarn in small, sealable bags, marking the temperature range color choice on the outside of the bag.

Each day, write down the high and low temperatures of that day in a record book or on a calendar. Using your color key, stitch a row or sew the quilt pieces together to record the temperatures. Each day (or once a week), keep adding to your quilt/afghan using the color key until you have recorded all the days of the year. It’s somewhat difficult to determine exactly how much of each color you will need for the temperature quilt or afghan. Temperature ranges will vary depending on the year and location. A very hot summer means using more red, orange or yellow colors. A very cold winter means using more greens and blues.

Instead of high/low temperatures, some crafters choose to record the daily weather moods, such as sunny, windy, rain or snow. Other crafters will use just the high temperature or only the low temperature for that specific day to create their projects. Still others will record a year’s worth of temperatures commemorating a life event such as weddings, anniversaries or birth years. There are several internet websites where you can research the history of a specific calendar year. Separate the months of the year by adding a color block or row of stitches not included on your temperature color key chart (e.g., solid white or black block/row).

Add to your project each day, week or month. At the end of the year, you will have a commemorative record of the year’s temperatures or events with your finished project.

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