Fall is just around the corner, and we’re pleased to share our newest colours to keep your needles and hooks busy! As we mentioned in our previous blog post, each of our  colourways has a story behind it, and today we’d like to introduce you to each of our 2015 Fall Colours and share the stories and inspiration behind them.

Nostalgia played a big part in developing many of this year’s colours: Intensity, Spectacle, Kitsch, Flamboyant and Great Scott! were all inspired by the intense, bright colours of the ’60’s, ’70’s and ’80’s. Intensity was inspired by a poncho that Caroline’s mother made for her when she was seven, while Flamboyant is based on the colour of her sister’s matching poncho. Great Scott! is based on one of Caroline’s favourite party dresses from the ’80s, and gets its name from the Back to the Future movies (“Great Scott!” was the first thing that jumped to Caroline’s mind when she pulled it from the dye pot). Spectacle is an homage to Caroline’s mother, who always said this particular hue made her think of sunlight and smiley faces. Last but not least, Kitsch was inspired by Caroline’s Great Aunt Mary, whose house was filled with colorful China knick knacks – a constant source of fascination as a child.

A colour theme we always enjoy exploring is, of course, nature. A Rolling Stone (Gathers no Moss) is inspired by three elements, including handmade pottery with its lovely rich glaze, the great outdoors, and of course an old proverb. In the dye pots, these elements became a beautiful collage of rich browns, greens, and every shade in-between. Sagebrush is a fascinating plant that comes in many different varieties and colours; our colourway is based on a variety that is found around the base of the Rocky Mountains (and happens to be Caroline’s favourite!). African Violet is the same brilliant hue as its namesake; we could also put this colourway in the category of “nostalgia,” since it also reminds Caroline of her mother’s love of these flowers as she was growing up – the house was never complete without at least four or five of these plants! Jewel in the Crown was inspired by crown jewels – elements found in nature which are then cut and polished to perfection. This colourway includes the subtle shade of old gold and the richness of purple sapphires. It is meant to pool and pattern like a crown when you knit with it!

A trip to France inspired a few of our colourways, too: A Midnight Clear has many inspirations behind it it – a favourite pair of deep indigo jeans, the blue of the night sky at just the right moment, and long walks along the river Seine in Paris to see the Eiffel tower by night lit up in all its glory. The iconic Eiffel Tower inspired the colourway of the same name; Paris is often overcast with an almost white sky, which softens and deepens the colours of the tower itself, the land around it, and the river nearby. This colourway incorporates the sky, the deep blue black of the river Seine, the brown and purple-brown shades of the tower itself, and the golden lights that cover the tower at night. Herbes de Provence commemorates the glorious French cuisine enjoyed while travelling the French countryside. This colourway incorporates the soft shades one sees in dried herbs including savory, marjoram, rosemary, thyme, and oregano.

Perhaps in a class all their own, we have Davy Jones Lockerand Marsala. As you may have guessed, Davy Jones Locker is the latest addition to our pirate-themed collection of colours. This colourway captures the colour of the deep sea in the Caribbean, where pirate ships traded shots back and forth with merchant vessels. Davy Jones Locker is where sailors might have ended up were they unfortunate enough to encounter Blackbeard or one of his compatriots! We can only hope they were allowed to take their knitting with them to pass the time!

We also couldn’t resist commemorating this year’s Pantone Colour of the Year, Marsala. Our take on this complex, rich mix of brown and burgundy is a joy and pairs well with many of our colours; a red undertone gives it life and subtlety.

Last but certainly not least, we’ve added four new colourways to the Meow and Woof collections. Each one is inspired by the breed of dog or cat from which its name derives and are chosen by popular request! Harlequin Cat is meant to pattern in larger colour blocks and is a companion to our Calico Cat colour. Harlequin Cat can be used for colour pooling patterns and to represent cats with larger colour blocks in their coats, while Calico Cat is ideal when you don’t want large colours blocks or pooling. Abyssinian is a rich fall colour that is as gorgeous as its namesake; it has many shades of rich browns and cinnamons and pairs up well with many colours from our main colour line – we think it would be absolutely stunning with A Midnight Clear, A Rolling Stone (Gathers no Moss) or Herbes de Provence! Both Brindle Dog and Pug Dog were both highly requested colours this year for theWoof collection. The former was designed to capture the unique irregular markings of the brindle coat pattern which can be found in many breeds of dogs as well as other animals; the latter probably needs no explanation, as the two colours are based on the most common colouring for this breed, light fawn with a black muzzle.

They join our many other colourways from these colour collections, which were created to help raise awareness and promote responsible pet ownership. A portion of the proceeds of the sale of all Meow Collection and Woof Collection yarns will be donated to benefit stray and abandoned animals in the US & Canada.

We look forward to seeing your projects this fall – be sure to join our Ravelry group so you can share your latest projects using Ancient Arts Yarns with us!