Pantone Picks the Colors of Fall 2015

I know it seems crazy to be thinking about fall when winter isn’t even over yet, but that’s the way fashion works, and based on the New York City runway shows for fall, Pantone has released its list of the top colors for next fall.

And I’ve got to say, the future looks pretty good.

Of course Pantone’s color of the year, Marsala, is featured in a collection that’s said to “reflect a landscape of hope, fun, fantasy and all things natural.” They go on to say that these colors are “evocative of a love for nature and a timeless appreciation for warmth and security, which are conveyed through naturally inspired colors that remind us of things that are real and protective.”

OK then. They also note that the season’s colors are a departure because there aren’t men’s colors and women’s colors; all of the colors are great for anyone (though I don’t know if I know any guys who would wear the soft pink of Cashmere Rose, they’re mostly right that this is a more gender neutral palette).

The full top 10 colors for fall, as proclaimed by Pantone, are:

PANTONE 18-4214 Stormy Weather, a cool blueish gray
PANTONE 16-1144 Oak Buff, a golden yellow reminiscent of fall leaves
PANTONE 17-0627 Dried Herb, a sort of khaki green
PANTONE 18-1438 Marsala, a deep reddish brown
PANTONE 18-4726 Biscay Bay, a deep teal
PANTONE 15-1340 Cadmium Orange, probably the most lively color in the bunch
PANTONE 16-2215 Cashmere Rose, a soft, unobtrusive hue
PANTONE 16-0110 Desert Sage, which, wouldn’t you know, is a light sage color
PANTONE 19-4326 Reflecting Pond, a dark, almost black blue
PANTONE 17-3628 Amethyst Orchid, a pretty purple they call the “jewel in the crown” of this palette

I really like this collection and could see it influencing my knitting color choices if I were buying yarn this year. (I’m really trying not to.) What do you think? Would you knit with any of these colors? I’d love to hear your thoughts.

Specific to knitters, you can join our Knitting Patterns Only group to get, well, knitting patterns, ask questions and gain inspiration for what to knit next.

Looking for Yarn online? Check out Lionbrand our preferred source for purchasing yarn online.

Looking for Fall patterns to Knit? Check out these Fall knitting patterns we found on Etsy.

Generally I like knitting patterns where I feel like you can use whatever yarn you have (because my stash is big enough and I want to use it, thanks) and make a successful project. This is one of those times when a special yarn makes the process that much easier.

The Floral Bouquet Shawl from Xandy Peters uses a specific extended color pooling yarn from Feisty Fibers, which allows you to place the bobble flowers with increasing frequency as you knit the project.

It starts with a solid color yarn, then the two color yarn is added in, and you make a bobble whenever you encounter the color pops. This would be hard to replicate with other yarn that doesn’t have the extended color pooling built in.

The background of the shawl is ribbed, making the project reversible.

The shawl uses fingering/sock yarn and comes out to be an asymmetrical triangle that’s 54 inches/137 cm long and 36 inches/ 90 cm deep and 60 inches/150 cm across the top edge.

Xandy says the pattern is for intermediate to advanced knitters. Knowing how to work traditional bobbles would probably help, but there’s a great video tutorial for how to work the floral bobbles so you can practice on other yarn or even incorporate the bobbles into other projects.

The bobbles are five-petaled flowers but they also kind of look like starfish to me, which could be fun on a child’s cardigan or other pattern. They’d also be fun on the leg of a sock or around the brim of a hat for extra whimsy.

The pattern includes photo and video tutorials, and written and charted instructions. It also includes tips on what to look for if you choose to use different yarn for the project, and instructions on how to dye your own yarn to use in the project.

If you want to give it a try, you can find the pattern on Ravelry.

[Photo: Xandy Peters]

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