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Temperature Cross Stitch Essentials: Everything You Need to Track a Year
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items Everything you need to turn a year of temperatures into a cross stitch project—from choosing a pattern and color palette to hoops, needles, organization and tracking your daily temperatures. These are the tools and supplies I’ve actually used while s...
Sections
7
The Pattern
Fabric & Floss
Hoops & Stands
Needles & Notions
Tracking the Temperature
Organization & Storage
The Pattern
Choosing a pattern is the crucial first step. Before falling in love with a design, think about what you actually want to track—daily highs, lows, both high and low, or average temperature—and how much stitching you realistically want to commit to fo...
This is the pattern I originally chose for 2026. It’s absolutely beautiful, but ultimately it wasn’t the right temperature project for me. There were a lot of additional decorative stitches and frequent color changes beyond the actual temperature tra...
Cross Stitch Pattern - High Low Temperature Stitch-along - Garden with Cottage
This is where I found my replacement temperature project! Sign up for the Caterpillar Cross Stitch newsletter and they’ll send you a bundle of free patterns, including the tracker design I adapted for my daily highs and lows. It’s been a MUCH better ...
Caterpillar Cross Stitch Links
Fabric & Floss
Choosing the color palette is one of my favorite parts of a temperature project. This is the DMC palette I use to turn temperatures into a gradient from deep purples and cool blues through yellows, oranges and rich reds. I originally created it for o...
I needed a large piece of Aida cloth for this project and ultimately decided to go with a light green as the background for my gardens.
Aida Cloth 14CT Cross Stitch Fabric 19x28in
The coldest shade in my temperature palette. I use DMC 550, a gorgeous deep violet, for temperatures of 1°F and below.
DMC 550 Cotton Embroidery Floss
Part of the deep purple range in my temperature palette. DMC 3834 represents temperatures from 2–6°F.
DMC 3834 Cotton Embroidery Floss
Moving a little lighter through the purples, DMC 3835 represents temperatures from 7–11°F in my palette.
DMC 3835 Cotton Embroidery Floss
The lightest of my true purples. DMC 554 represents temperatures from 12–16°F before my palette starts shifting toward blue.
DMC 554 Cotton Embroidery Floss
This is where my temperature palette starts transitioning from purple into blue. DMC 341 represents temperatures from 17–21°F.
DMC 341 Cotton Embroidery Floss
A pretty blue-violet that bridges the purple and blue sections of my palette. I use DMC 340 for temperatures from 22–25°F.
DMC 340 Cotton Embroidery Floss
We’re officially moving into the blues. DMC 3838 is my shade for temperatures from 26–29°F.
DMC 3838 Cotton Embroidery Floss
DMC 3839 continues the gradient into cooler blues and represents temperatures from 30–33°F.
DMC 3839 Cotton Embroidery Floss
A rich blue right in the heart of the cool side of my palette. DMC 825 represents temperatures from 34–37°F.
DMC 825 Cotton Embroidery Floss
Here come the turquoises! DMC 3810 adds a little brightness to the cool side of my palette and represents 38–41°F.
DMC 3810 Cotton Embroidery Floss
A soft, light blue for temperatures that are finally getting a little less offensive. 😂 DMC 827 represents 42–45°F.
DMC 827 Cotton Embroidery Floss
DMC 3811 is a pale turquoise that represents temperatures from 46–49°F as the palette starts moving toward its lightest shades.
DMC 3811 Cotton Embroidery Floss
The palest blue in my temperature palette – and one of the most used colors in my project. DMC 3756 represents 50–53°F and takes me right to the edge of the warmer colors.
DMC 3756 Cotton Embroidery Floss
And we have yellow! DMC 745 marks the beginning of the warmer side of my temperature palette and represents 54–57°F.
DMC 745 Six Strand Floss - Light Pale Yellow
A sunny pale yellow for some very pleasant temperatures. DMC 727 represents 58–61°F in my palette.
DMC 727 Cotton Embroidery Floss
Things are officially warming up. DMC 725 is a brighter golden yellow that represents temperatures from 62–65°F.
DMC 725 Cotton Embroidery Floss
The beginning of the oranges! DMC 722 is my light orange shade for temperatures from 66–69°F.
DMC 722 Cotton Embroidery Floss
DMC 721 kicks the warmth up a notch with a deeper orange for temperatures from 70–73°F.
DMC 721 Cotton Embroidery Floss
The last stop before we hit red. DMC 720 is my warm orange shade for temperatures from 74–77°F.
DMC 720 Cotton Embroidery Floss
We have officially entered the reds. DMC 666 is the bright red I use for temperatures from 78–81°F.
DMC 666 Cotton Embroidery Floss
DMC 335 moves my warmer gradient from bright red into deeper pinky-red tones and represents 82–85°F.
DMC 335 Cotton Embroidery Floss
Getting hotter and darker. DMC 309 is my deep rose shade for temperatures from 86–89°F.
DMC 309 Cotton Embroidery Floss
We have entered HOT. 😂 DMC 816 is the first of my deep garnet shades and represents temperatures from 90–94°F.
DMC 816 Cotton Embroidery Floss
The “why is it this hot outside?” section of the palette. 😂 DMC 815 covers 95–103°F, a wider range reserved for seriously hot days.
DMC 815 Cotton Embroidery Floss
The hottest shade in my entire temperature palette. DMC 814 is reserved for temperatures of 104°F and above—a range I hoped would be mostly theoretical. Virginia had other plans. 😂
DMC 814 Six Strand Floss - Dark Garnet Red
DMC 3362 is one of the additional colors used for the decorative and accent stitches in this particular temperature pattern, separate from my temperature-tracking palette.
DMC 3362 Cotton Embroidery Floss
DMC 840 is an accent color used for the decorative elements of this temperature pattern rather than for tracking a specific temperature range.
DMC 840 Cotton Embroidery Floss
DMC 612 is part of the additional floss palette needed for this particular pattern’s decorative stitches; this shade isn’t assigned to a temperature range.
DMC 612 Six Strand Floss - Light Drab Brown
DMC 310 is an accent color used for the decorative elements of this temperature pattern rather than for tracking a specific temperature range.
DMC 310 Cotton Embroidery Floss
DMC 22 is part of the additional floss palette needed for this particular pattern’s decorative stitches; this shade isn’t assigned to a temperature range.
DMC 22 Cotton Embroidery Floss
DMC 353 is part of the additional floss palette needed for this particular pattern’s decorative stitches; this shade isn’t assigned to a temperature range.
DMC 353 Cotton Embroidery Floss
DMC 977 is an accent color used for the decorative elements of this temperature pattern rather than for tracking a specific temperature range.
DMC 977 Cotton Embroidery Floss
DMC 3363 is one of the additional colors used for the decorative and accent stitches in this particular temperature pattern, separate from my temperature-tracking palette.
DMC 3363 Six Strand Floss - Medium Pine Green
DMC 807 is an accent color used for the decorative elements of this temperature pattern rather than for tracking a specific temperature range.
DMC 807 Cotton Embroidery Floss
DMC 938 is part of the additional floss palette needed for this particular pattern’s decorative stitches; this shade isn’t assigned to a temperature range.
DMC 938 Cotton Embroidery Floss
DMC 3862 is an accent color used for the decorative elements of this temperature pattern rather than for tracking a specific temperature range.
DMC 3862 Six Strand Floss - Dark Mocha Beige
Hoops & Stands
The hoops and stands I use to stitch comfortably, whether I’m working a little each day or catching up later.
I swear by my Nurge hoops for long term projects.
Nurge Square Embroidery Hoop - Blue Set of 4
My trusty Nurge stand. It saves my wrists and hands from gripping the hoop for long periods at a time. Plus, it makes it easy to swap out projects.
Nurge Adjustable Embroidery Table Stand Wood
With a large, long-term project, you'll want a way to secure the extra Aida cloth to keep it out of your way. These work SO WELL.
Brothread 65pcs Thread Spool Savers - No Loose Ends
These magnetic loops are another of my favorite ways to secure loose fabric. And bonus: needle minder!
SMART&COOL Silicone Magnetic Cable Ties 20-Pack
A grime guard will also help you keep your fabric clean and neat when you're working on a long-term project.
Grime guard, Q-snap cover, Nurge hoop, Cross stitch protector, Needlepoint grime guards, Hoop cover, Grime guard for nurge hoops, Needlework
Needles & Notions
My go-to needles and small stitching tools that make the process smoother and more enjoyable.
I'm a simple gal when it comes to my cross stitch needles. These are my old faithful and what I do 90% of my stitching with.
DMC 1767-24 Tapestry Hand Needles, 6-Pack, Size 24
If I want to feel fancy, I go for these gold needles instead.
DMC Gold Tapestry Hand Needles, Size 24 4/Pkg
Small, sharp scissors are a must for cutting your threads. Why not get a fun pair?
BIHRTC 4.5Inch Sharp Tip Sewing Scissors
A needle minder is a must-have. A cute one is a bonus. This is my current favorite and the one I'm using with this project.
Needlepoint Cat Magnetic Needle Minder: Cross Stitch Accessory
Thread conditioner helps when working with uncooporative threads.
Sewing Quilting Notions - Thread Magic
I always keep a couple pairs of tweezers with my cross stitch projects in case I need help pulling short threads when playing “thread chicken”
Chumia Reverse Grip Precision Tweezers Multi-color
Tracking the Temperature
The tools I use to track daily high and low temperatures, keep everything organized and match each day to the correct floss color.
My go-to source for the daily temperature data I need for my projects. Whether you’re tracking highs, lows or averages, Weather Underground makes it easy to look up historical temperatures when—inevitably—you fall a few days behind on your stitching....
Weather History & Data Archive | Weather Underground
After tracking my first temperature project on paper, I moved everything into Google Sheets and I’m never going back. I use it to log my daily highs and lows, assign the correct DMC colors and keep the whole year organized in one place. It also makes...
Google Sheets: Online Spreadsheets & Templates | Google Workspace
Organization & Storage
How I keep my floss, fabric, and works-in-progress organized throughout the year.
I swear by the cardboard bobbins for my thread. I thought I would prefer the plastic, but these do a far better job of holding the thread in my experience.
DMC Cardboard Floss Bobbins, 56/Pkg
I love these rings for organizing the threads I'm using during a project. I'm using two rings for my temperature project because there are so many colors. One ring is for the “extras” in the pattern. The other ring is for the threads that correspond ...
DMC Metal Rings 2.5", 2/Pkg
These pouches are perfect for organizing projects. The variety in sizes pretty much ensures there's one for every project you're working on. I use one of the smaller bags to hold my scissors, extra bobbins and a pen, tweezers and Thread Magic.
EOOUT 30pcs Mesh Zipper Pouch Bags, 8 Sizes & Colors
Comfort & Extras
Lighting, accessories, and small upgrades that make long-term stitching more comfortable and sustainable.
Lighting is so important when you're stitching. I prefer to have mine attached directly to my head.
LHKNL 2-Pack Rechargeable LED Headlamp
If you prefer a clip on light, this one is pretty good. I use it sometimes when I don't want to wear the headlamp because I'm in public.
Gritin 19 LED Rechargeable Book Light, Eye Care