Encounters with the Davis Family: Book blanket

Sunday, February 9, 2025

Book blanket

Have you heard of the temperature blanket? It's a blanket that you crochet using different shades of yarn for each temperature. I believe a color represents ten numbers, like blue for temps in the 30's or yellow for temps in the 70's. Anyway, I heard about it a year or so ago but it didn't appeal to me. I couldn't see doing a year long project about temperature. Well, last year I heard about a book blanket that was made in the exact same way. I thought it was a cool idea, but I was overwhelmed and knew I couldn't take on a year long project.

In December I heard about Granny Square book blankets (click the link to see some super cool squares and blankets). I was super excited about the idea and decided I would do a year long book blanket, LOL! I just wasn't willing to do one with rows, it felt like more work to decide colors for genre or however that one works. So, I am doing a book blanket with classic granny squares.

The first thing I needed to do was learn how to make a granny square! I teach crochet but had never learned how to do one. It's not a skill that is first learned. The first one I did was a little wonky, the second one turned out better, but in both of those I had not switched colors. Regardless, I felt ready to start.

Instead of doing a classic granny square with five or six rounds, I am choosing to do mine with four rounds. I typically read 200ish books a year (last year 227) and if I am making that many squares, five or six rounds is going to make the blanket way too big (I think). Since I have never made one, I have no idea if that is true, but it is my assumption.

I think the hardest part is deciding what colors to put on the granny square.

I am also not quilting as I go. I will attach my squares after they are all finished. I have no idea how many books I will actually end up reading (and I am not including DNFs or 2-star reviews, or books that I didn't like that much), so I wouldn't know how many to put in a row.

I start the foundation with the least prominent color and end with white as the border, so when I crochet them together, you won't see the seams as easily as you would if they were different colors. I think when I first started at the beginning of January I was doing the most prominent color first, but I set it aside for a while (was 14 squares behind) and when I picked it back up, I think I started doing the least prominent color first. The good news is, there are no hard and fast rules! If you decide to do something like this, do it in whatever way works best for you! I refuse to stress myself out about something that is supposed to be fun. Let's be real, at the end of the year, or even next year, I am not likely to remember which square represents which book, unless I make posts with pictures along the way! My memory is just not that great.

I did come across the The Ultimate Granny Square Source Book. It was fun to flip through it, but I think, for now I will stick with my original design. If I get bored sometime during the year, then I will switch it up. I like this one because it is easy, and only takes about 30 minutes to do a square, including weaving in the tails. I did see another one (sunburst granny square) I was contemplating doing, it was gorgeous, but it takes more yarn and I am trying to use what I have without buying too much (because of course I have already bought a few colors I needed that I didn't have, isn't that part of the fun?). I think the best part is combining two hobbies that I love, books and crocheting to make one project. An extra bonus is that while I am crocheting the granny squares from the books I have finished, I am listening to an audiobook 😁. Other times I am watching TV with the family (again combining two things I love, crocheting and time with the family).

"Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows." James 1:17