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.

Over the years I have shared a lot of pumpkin knitting patterns, and I’ve knit and crocheted a lot of pumpkins myself. But it feels like there are always more fun things to try with knit pumpkins, so this year I wanted to look a little more beyond basic stockinette or ribbed pumpkins and share some pumpkin patterns with cables, bobbles and colorwork.

In the cable collection we’ve got these cute little basic cable and ribbed pumpkins from Elly Bear Knits. There are two sizes that make a wide, flat pumpkin and a taller round pumpkin. Both are worked in the round as a tube that’s cinched top and bottom when you’re done, and they use bulky weight yarn.

Another cute cable pumpkin knitting pattern comes from Gray Bear Akswokrat. This one is knit flat and it looks like a chunky yarn but you could use other weights to make pumpkins of different sizes. This one also has an I-cord stem and uses yarn to cinch up the sections of the pumpkin, giving it a more natural look.

Add some bobbles to your pumpkins with this design from Autumn Shelter Makes. Also worked in the round in a tube, it features a repeating pattern of bobbles and uses yarn wrapped around the outside to make segments. This one looks like worsted weight yarn to me.

Of course there’s nothing that says your pumpkin has to be a single color, so let’s throw in some colorwork. I love the look of the Cozy Fall Pumpkin knitting pattern from South Stitch Girls. The little leather loop adds a rustic touch but you could also just add a stick. These pumpkins have five colorwork options and are worked in worsted weight yarn in the round.

There’s also the Autumn Fair Isle Trio pumpkins pattern from Equestriann Style, which has three different sizes of pumpkins with four colorwork designs. They are worked in super bulky yarn in the round and look good with high contrast or more muted color combinations.

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