swatching for minnaert

According to Punxsutawney Phil, we still have another six weeks before temperatures start to warm up again—but we say, let the winter knitting continue! Who can deny the extra warm and cozy feeling that this season brings to fiber-crafting? The Danes call it “hygge” (pronounced hue-guh), and while there’s no one-word equivalent in English, we like to think of it as a feeling of cozy contentment or a sense of home. So, while the chills of February can sometimes feel like a drag, we’re reminded of the simpler things in life that sooth our knitterly souls: we’re reminded of wool.

Yes, wool. And all the wonderful ways that you can transform it—from raw fiber to spun yarn to knitted fabric and beyond. On that note, we’re pleased to introduce the newest (woolly) pattern of the month: introducing Minnaert by Kelly Forster!

Minnaert by Kelly Forster knit in our warm and cozy, tonal-dyed Phoebe (100% American extra-fine merino wool).

Equal parts warm and cozy, Kelly’s capelet is a unique statement piece that celebrates what we love about our tonal-dyed Phoebe: its luxurious ultra-softness and variegated palette. A split ribbed neckline gives way to a simple, yet satisfying, colorwork yoke, followed by a smooth cascade of stockinette and ribbing. 

Minnaert by Kelly Forster knit in Phoebe Mercury (MC) and Luna (CC).

Accessible by design, Minnaert is a piece that’s easy to pop over an outfit for extra warmth and no-fuss wearing. Shown here in a subtle color pairing of Phoebe, we envision it in many combinations across the spectrum for a look that’s uniquely yours. Of course, acknowledging the limitations of our own imaginations, we can’t help but swatch a few colorway pairings—and we hope you find these helpful in choosing your own colors for this beautiful capelet.

Our first swatch for Minnaert celebrates the stunning contrast of the Mars (MC) and Venus (CC) colorways, for a look that definitely leans into spring—reminding us of Valentines, cherry blossoms, and wildflower blooms.

The warm and springy Minnaert swatch, shown here in Mars (MC) and Venus (CC).

For our next color pairing, we chose Pluto and Sol for a playful combination of warm and cool colors. The result? A uniquely Phoebe color combination that reminds us of the color play in Alexis Winslow’s Leonarda socks (to be released later this April!).

Our second Minnaert swatch, knit in Phoebe Pluto (MC) and Sol (CC).

And for our final swatch? We opted for two cool shades that contrast nicely with each other: Earth (MC) and Jupiter (CC). Truth be told, these two colors would work just as well if they were swapped so that the main color was Jupiter and the contrasting color was Earth. 

Our third Minnaert swatch, knit in Phoebe Earth (MC) and Jupiter (CC).

Of course, with twenty-two stunning colorways of Phoebe to choose from, there are many more combinations you can dream up for a Minnaert capelet that’s just to your liking. For even more patterns to explore in Phoebe, we think you’ll enjoy browsing our selection of patterns designed in this cosmically-inspired yarn.

We hope you enjoyed this post on colorwork swatching, and look forward to hearing which colors you plan to knit with in the comments below! Want to swatch accurately for patterns worked in the round, but not sure where to start? Check out our tutorial, Techniques: Speed Swatching for Colorwork. You may also enjoy Gennaker Reborn, where we re-imagine a classic Quince pattern in our newest yarn, Wren, a wool/cotton blend.