MKAL 2026 — Color Kaleidoscope

The 2026 Westknits Mystery Knit Along (MKAL), titled the Color Kaleidoscope Shawl, is a shawl pattern by Stephen West that calls for a palette of eight contrasting colours of fingering weight yarn. The result is a bold, geometric, kaleidoscopic shawl — and it's the perfect excuse to dive deep into colour theory.

The pattern can be obtained from Ravelry here: MKAL 2026 Color Kaleidoscope Shawl on Ravelry.

More information is available directly from Westknits: westknits.com and the product page.

Yarn Requirements

• Weight: Fingering weight / 4-ply yarn
• Quantity: Eight 50g skeins (or four 100g skeins divided)
• Yardage: Approximately 191 yards (175 meters) per colour × 8 colours = roughly 1,528 yards / 1,397 meters total

Colour Rules & Tips

For the Color Kaleidoscope Shawl, colour selection is everything. The design uses strong geometric shapes, and contrast is what makes those shapes pop.

• Contrast: Pick a mix of light, medium, and dark shades
• Effect: Strong contrast helps highlight the geometric, kaleidoscopic shapes
• Theme: You can knit a bright rainbow, or stick to harmonious tones within a single colour family

We've curated our yarn kits and colour harmony guides to make choosing your 8 colours as enjoyable as the knitting itself.

Stirling — MKAL26 Yarn Kit

The House Dye Stirling (Merino, Alpaca, Silk 4ply) is a beautifully draping, halo-soft luxury base with silk sheen and real depth of colour. A palette built from Stirling colourways will have warmth, luminosity, and that signature silk glow.

1) CHOOSE YOUR STIRLING PALETTE

2) BUY YOUR YARN KIT

Barossa — MKAL26 Yarn Kit

The House Dye Barossa (Merino/Silk 4ply) is a silky, smooth, and richly saturated fingering base with excellent stitch clarity and a subtle sheen. A palette built from Barossa colourways delivers clean, vibrant colour with elegant drape.

1) CHOOSE YOUR BAROSSA PALETTE

2) BUY YOUR YARN KIT

Penola — MKAL26 Yarn Kit

The House Dye Penola (Merino Sock) is a springy, durable, stitch-definition-perfect single-spun sock base. Its robust character and vivid colour uptake make it a fantastic choice for colourwork — every colour stays sharp and distinct, which is exactly what this kaleidoscopic design calls for.

1) CHOOSE YOUR PENOLA PALETTE

2) BUY YOUR YARN KIT

Coonawarra — MKAL26 Yarn Kit

The House Dye Coonawarra (Camel/Silk 4ply) is an extraordinarily luxurious base with the warmth of camel and the luminosity of silk. Colours on Coonawarra have a distinctive depth and richness.  It is very enjoyable to knit with — a truly special choice for a statement MKAL shawl.

1) CHOOSE YOUR COONAWARRA PALETTE

2) BUY YOUR YARN KIT

Frequently Asked Questions

Where do I get the pattern?

The MKAL 2026 Color Kaleidoscope Shawl pattern is available on Ravelry and directly from Westknits.

Which base should I choose?

All four House Dye bases are fingering / 4-ply weight and meet the yarn requirements for this MKAL. Your choice comes down to feel and look: Stirling for a soft halo and silk warmth, Barossa for clean silk sheen and vivid colour, Penola for springy durability and crisp stitch definition, or Coonawarra for deep camel-silk luxury. 

How do I choose 8 colours that work together?

Start with our colour harmony guides linked above — each one walks through 9 structured palettes (analogous, complementary, triadic, tetradic, and more) built from the housedye colourways. For this MKAL, the key is contrast: aim for a spread of light, medium, and dark values across your 8 picks. The colour harmony guides make that easy to visualise.