Spinning the 2026 Pantone Color of the Year: Cloud Dancer

Meet Cloud Dancer

Every year, secret committees of designers and color forecasters meet to choose the color of the year. Before the year is half over, paint companies, clothing companies, and online retailers have already declared the next year’s ultimate color, one that will define all the trends. Above them all, Pantone watches and waits, then declares their color of the year in early December.

This year, coffee in hand, I hit refresh on my browser repeatedly, waiting for the color to be announced. It took a little bit of patience to discover that Pantone’s Color of the Year for 2026 is “Cloud Dancer,” not a color at all but white. They say it's meant to be calming, quiet, serene—a blank canvas upon which we can explore our creativity. But is it?

Like last year’s Mocha Mousse, I found myself disappointed. A self-proclaimed lover of all things colorful, the absence of it leaves me underwhelmed. But as I sat and thought about what to make of Cloud Dancer in my textile work, I realized there’s plenty of possibility to learn from—and even ignore—in this year’s color recommendation.

Find a Fleece

As spinners, we often reach for bright colors of hand-dyed braids to keep us entertained while we spin. But if you want to embrace Cloud Dancer in your spinning, you need look no further than undyed wool. Why not finally tackle that fleece you couldn’t resist at the fiber festival? Those locks are a pile of clouds unto themselves and sure to make you a better spinner as you take them from scouring, through carding or combing, to spinning the final yarn.

From Joann Zeman’s Scandalously Easy Scouring to a deep dive on scouring in How to Wash Wool, we have plenty of resources to get you started!

Washed and unwashed wool rest on top of snow fencing. In the background is an orange salad spinner. Joann Zeman's Scandalously Easy Scouring method will have you spinning in no time! Photo by Joann Zeman

Knitting on Cloud Nine

When it comes to knitting up your Cloud Dancer yarn, turn to textured stitches to keep you engaged while you work. Cast on the Double-Cable Socks for Spinners or the Towline Hat?

Kerry Bullock-Ozkan's Towline Hat. Photo by Matt Graves

Add a Touch of Color

It turns out that Cloud Dancer isn’t pure white—it has a touch of gray in it. If you find that you absolutely must have some color while you spin, as I often do, dial that gray up a notch and consider a natural gray wool that will still have you floating in bliss. Then knit your own version of the Horseshoe Cap or a textured poncho to pair with anything in your wardrobe!

The Horseshoe Cap by Janet Wray is a quick way to incorporate the color of the year. Photo by Joe Coca

Melanie Smith's textured poncho is a cozy accessory for every day. Photo by Joe Coca

There’s More than One Way to Spin a Cloud

As spinners, we have the luxury of doing it our own way! If all these suggestions still have you yearning for bright and delightful colors, why not spin from the cloud? In addition to celebrating the spirit of Pantone’s Color of the Year—if not this year’s pick—you’ll be building a new skill and spinning in bliss.

red fiber Spinning from the cloud opens up a world of possibilities! Photo by Kate Larson

Whether you take this year’s Pantone Color of the Year literally or make it your own, remember that you’re the boss of your spinning! These ideas are just the tip of the iceberg. While Cloud Dancer might be a trend that comes and goes with the new year, one prediction I feel confident making is that spinners, shepherds, and farmers will continue to adore the beauty of undyed, natural-color fiber for many years to come.

Originally published December 5, 2025, updated December 10, 2025; updated December 12, 2025