11 Rich Color Combos

As much as I love neutrals in all their infinite variety, when winter arrives I find myself reaching for cozy yarn dyed in deep, richly saturated shades.

This craving for color intensifies with each passing week, until right on schedule it reaches fever pitch in late January. In my experience, it's the best way to combat cabin fever and deal with the cold and gloom that characterizes winter in this region.

Just in case you feel the same, I thought I'd share some favorite combinations that deliver the color fix many of us need to weather winter in fiber fan style:

Bold
Black, red, purple

Burnished
Aged pewter, merlot, old gold

Coral Sea
Aqua, coral, sand

Gemtones Deep
Sapphire, ruby, emerald

Gemtones Medium
Turquoise, amethyst, citrine

New Nautical
Deep navy, faded red, fog

Plums
Redheart, Fortune, Damson

Rainbow Deep
Currant, gold, forest, indigo, purple

Sage
Sage, coral, butter

Trendy
Rosemary, chili pepper, mustard

Warmth

Walnut, pumpkin, squash

This assortment contains perennial favorites and more current color profiles, but it doesn't come close to exhausting the full range of possibilities and variations. Most of the combos shown highlight just three colors, but it's easy to expand your palette by combining two or more combos. To this day, the example below with its mix of medium and deep gemtones remains one of my all-time winter favorites:

     Drumlin Gemtones

Looking at these saturated shades speaks to a very real, very primal need. I'm eyebrow deep in knitting projects, and we all know I get a bit twitchy when there are too many things on the needles. So I'm fighting the urge to cast on something new and choosing instead to focus on active WIPs that feature soft, inviting yarns brimming with rich, vibrant color.

For more color combos and knitting tips, tricks and tools, click here.