Go big or go home!

Any of you ever take it into your mind that you just had to start a new project and it just had to be some big, amazing. crazy kind of project?
Yeah, that's me too apparently. I had been thinking about a crochet project. I don't usually crochet but once in a great while I take into my head to do a little something. I also don't do afghans - EVER.
This January though, I took it into my head to start a temperature blanket. Because why not. I mean, really, lots of people make afghans. It shouldn't be that difficult, right? So I went to the knitpicks website and started color shopping. I knew right off that I wanted to use Swish DK - not to big and not to small but nice and soft and washable. After checking out the colors they had and considering what colors I like I came up with a plan.

1. Wonderland Heather color 1: 0-10

2. Gulfstream color 2: 11-18

3. Twilight color 3: 19-26

4. Dusk color 4: 27-35

5. Delft Heather color 5: 36-42

6. Dove Heather color 6: 43-49

7. Carnation color 7: 50-56

8. Rouge color 8: 57-64

9. Hollyberry color 9: 65-70

10. Marble Heather color 10: 71-77

11. Sugar Plum color 11: 78-82

12. Amethyst Heather color 12: 83-88

13.Eggplant color 13: 89-94

??color 14: 95-100

 By the time my first order arrived January was more than half gone so I was starting out behind the 8 ball already. So I began tracking the local high temps for each day and planning for when the I could start.

 So, these are the colors that January will be made of. Let's see how it goes!!

Have you ever created a temperature blanket? Have you ever started a temperature blanket? Do ou prefer bigger project or quicker, smaller projects?

Yay! I'm done!.......or not.

Jan 14th: I was so excited yesterday to sit down at my wheel and finish spinning the last little bit of Charollais fiber that I had left in this spin. It has been a very enjoyable spin but I was kind of getting a hankering to move on to another thing.
So I spin, spin, spin my little heart out and then finish that little last bit! I snapped a quick photo so I could share the spun singles here on the blog.

 Then I ran to my room, grabbed the bag that contains my extra bobbins for this wheel and promptly noticed a large chunk of fiber sitting there. Hmm, well, okay, I must have picked out the next thing I was going to spin already. That's okay. It only looked like a one-ounce bump, so no biggie.  And then I glanced at the name on it....Charollais....WHAT?!?!?!?! Aww man! Apparently, I'm NOT done with this spin. It's a good thing I have been enjoying this spin.

So let's talk about Charollais fiber since it looks like I am going to be focused on that for a bit longer.
Origin - France
Purpose - primarily meat but also grow a lovely fiber
Color - Generally white
Staple length - 1.5 to 2.3 inches but this claims to be 3 inches.
Micron count - 29-30.5

Charollais was developed as a breed in the early 1800s by crossing a local landrace and Leicester longwools. I grew up being very aware of Charollais as a cattle breed but had never heard of it as a sheep breed. But my family was definitely more heavily invested in cattle. We just weren't sheep people. And then I learned to knit & spin and it all changed.
Hopefully, soon I will have a finished yarn to show off.
Have you ever spun or worked with Charollais? If so what are your thoughts on it? Once this is plied I may have to dye it up and work up a pair of socks!