How to make... a color palette

Several Cozy knitters took on the May/June challenge of Joji Locatelli's Starting Point Mystery Knitalong, and every version, finished or unfinished (fellow procrastinators, raise a hand!), was as unique as its owner. Because every one of the hundreds of knitters to make this wrap used the same pattern, the individuality comes from the diversity of the color palettes.

Every person has a story. For Fred, each color was a yarn from a store on his own personal Portland yarn crawl. Nancy started with two complementary variegated yarns from her favorite dyer, Shaggy Bear Farms, and then added in solid colors to match. Nicolette also used two variegated yarns, by Sunrise Fiber Co., and then alternated with stripes in the colors of the rainbow. Tom unravelled a previous mystery shawl, and reused the five beloved yarns in a new and much more satisfying arrangement.

Five colors is not very many, right? And yet the toughest question of this and many other popular knitalongs has been: which colors? If color choice has been the tough decision keeping you from making the mystery shawl of your dreams, here are some ideas for harnessing that infinite rainbow:

Choose A Color Family: Pick a color, just one, and then choose your yarns in multiple shades of that color--light, dark, variegated, tonal. (Yarns here are Cascade Heritage, CandySkein Luscious, and Three Fates Yarns Eponymous Sock)

Use Yarn For Inspiration: Start with a colorful variegated or speckled yarn, and then use its colors to select matching solids or semisolids. (Yarns here are Sunrise Fiber Co. Classic Sock, DragynKnyts Dragyn Feet, Malabrigo Sock, and Cascade Heritage)

Neutral + Pop: Neutrals always go together, but to keep things lively, add in one bright color. (Yarns here are Cascade Heritage, DragynKnyts Dragyn Feet, and Sunrise Fiber Co. Classic Sock)

Mystery and other multicolored shawls are a fun way to bust your stash and experiment with color; the next time your favorite designer sends out a call to action, we hope you feel confident to answer with your own unique work of art!
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