The Book Blanket Project
In last week’s February Reading Wrap-Up post I teased a cozy bookish project — and today I’m spilling the beans!
Have you seen book blankets floating around on social media? I know I have, and I decided to ring in the new year by making one of my own. It’s the perfect blend of two of my favorite hobbies: reading and crochet!
For each book I read in 2026, I’ll make a granny square inspired by the colors on the book’s cover. Depending on how many books I read this year, the final project will either be a blanket or a scarf.
Epic Yarn Chicken
My goal is to shop from my existing yarn stash — scrap yarn, abandoned projects, and whatever I have on hand. So far, I’ve only had to purchase four new skeins for this project, and I know my bank account appreciates that!
Granny squares are excellent stash-buster projects, but last night I ended up playing a stressful game of yarn chicken with one of them — and somehow managed to win with over a foot of yarn to spare!
In case you’re unfamiliar, yarn chicken is a high-stakes game where you get close to the end of your skein and keep crocheting, hoping (and praying) you have just enough yarn left to finish the project.
God Provides
I was praying the whole time. God really does care about the little things in our lives, people!
I was stressed, but God made sure I had more than enough to finish — as He often does. We ask for a little, and He gives abundance.
I even measured the leftover strand because I’m dramatic like that, and it came out to roughly 21.5 inches!
How I’m Arranging the Squares
I’ll be arranging the squares in the chronological order I read the books for maximum chaos!
As I mentioned in a previous post, I’m very much a mood reader, so it’s been comical to see the lineup so far: three rom-coms, a moody Gilded Age romance, and then another rom-com hockey romance to round things out.
And no — I will not be choosing a book for the aesthetic of the blanket. I will be choosing purely based on what I feel like reading at the time.
Squares So Far:
I’ll be sure to post progress updates! Here are the squares I’ve made so far and their corresponding covers:
Final Thoughts
My reading goal for this year is 50 books, but we’ll see if I reach it — or maybe even surpass it.
I can’t wait to see this project through to the end and discover what my year of reading looks like in textile form! I am already loving the chaotic mix of squares.
If y’all would be interested in a granny square tutorial, let me know in the comments below!
Do you have a reading goal for 2026, or are you participating in any reading challenges this year? If so, I’d love to hear about it!