Shrouded in mystery, a team of designers and color forecasters meet to discuss color trends in fashion, interior design, and product design. From those meetings, one color is picked to represent the whole coming year. Every year, I wait with bated breath to find out what it is. Is it something I’ll like? Is it already a staple of my color palette, or will it challenge me to stretch my skills?
Some years, I’m delighted. Other years, I’m underwhelmed. Pantone has just released their 2025 Color of the Year, “Mocha Mousse.” When I first saw the announcement, I laughed. As a dull brown in the red-orange family, is Mocha Mousse really worth the hype?
The funny thing is, before I even looked at the announcement, I chose between two natural brown sweaters when I got dressed for the day. And I have a stash full of naturally colored wool and cottons, so maybe brown isn’t so far off the mark after all.
Mocha Mousse is meant to evoke a sense of calm and connection to the earth in a world that feels increasingly unstable. As knitters, we know that holding yarn and needles in our hands is the best way to relax and reconnect with ourselves.
If you’re looking for the perfect pattern to stay on-trend this season, the Farm and Fiber Knits Library has plenty of options to choose from!
Find Simple Luxury with the Copper Cowl
Sarah Lamb’s Copper Cowl uses a mere 225 yards of laceweight or fingering yarn to create a stunning cowl. If you want to add a little bit of trendy color to your closet with a luxury yarn, this is a quick and cost-effective option!
Sarah Lamb’s Copper Cowl is a stylish accessory, no matter the color! Photo by Joe Coca
Go on a Journey with the North Road Hat
Shetland sheep come in a wide range of natural colors, and moorit is a shade of brown that matches Mocha Mousse perfectly. Knit Kate Larson’s North Road Hat in all natural shades or add a pop of color. Either way, you can’t go wrong!
Natural Shetland shades make Kate Larson’s North Road Hat glow. Photo by George Boe
Blend in or Stand Out with The Chameleon Shawl
Designer of the Chameleon Shawl Melvenea Hodges called this pattern the “chameleon” because it can adapt to whatever yarn, color combination, and size you wish to create. Knit by holding two natural-color cotton yarns together, you can add as many natural or dyed shades as you’d like!
If you’ve avoided knitting with cotton because it makes your hands hurt, be sure to check out Kate’s tutorial: Why You Should Wash This Cotton Yarn (Before You Knit!)
Melvenea Hodges’s Chameleon Shawl goes with anything! Photo by Matt Graves
Wool into Stone Afghan
Amy Tyler designed the Wool into Stone Afghan using natural-colored Shetland wool. Meant to evoke the varied shapes and colors of Petoskey stones, this delightful blanket is perfect to cozy up under after a long day!
Amy Tyler’s Wool Into Stone Afghan is inspired by Shetland wool and Petoskey stones. Photo by Joe Coca
Try a Different Shade with the Smith River Vest
Brown not quite your style? Why not cast on a Smith River Vest in Kami Noyes’s Smith River natural-colored Targhee yarn? Designed by Joanna Johnson with yarn made from Montana-grown wool, it’s a lovely warm gray color that’s sure to go with everything in your wardrobe for years to come.
Joanna Johnson’s Smith River Vest celebrates Montana-grown wool. Photo by Gale Zucker