Year of Color 2026 — Month 5 of 12

Welcome to Year of Color!

Thermocline is a free mosaic knit square pattern worked in slip-stitch, using six shades of Cascade Heritage fingering weight yarn. Part of the Year of Color 2026 MAL, this square uses a sliding color sequence that moves from pale sky blue through deep navy, with a deliberate reordering of the yarns about a third of the way up to explore how the same colors read differently in a new sequence.

The mosaic technique works one color at a time. Slipped stitches carry the resting color through the fabric, creating a woven, textured look that’s much simpler to knit than it appears. The square is worked flat.

The name comes from oceanography: a thermocline is the boundary layer where warm surface water meets the cold depths below. That’s exactly what this square does in yarn.

Materials

Yarn: Cascade Heritage Fingering in 5781 Clear Sky (A), 5630 Anis (B), 5745 Riviera Heather (C), 5604 Denim (D), 5637 Cerulean (E), 5603 Marine (F)

Needle: US 6 (4mm) straight or circular needles or size needed to obtain gauge.

Gauge: 28 sts and 32 rows = 4″

This gauge is smaller/tighter than the others because slipped stitches naturally compress gauge.

Notions: Tapestry needle, scissors

Finished size: 8.5″ × 8.5″ blocked

Pattern

Striped Section

Row 2 (RS, Clear Sky A): *K4, sl1wyif* until 4 sts rem, k4.

Row 3 (Clear Sky A): *P4, sl1* until 4 sts rem, p4.

Row 4 (Anis B): K6, *sl1wyif, k4* until 8 sts rem, sl1wyif, k7.

Row 5 (Anis B): P7, *sl1, P4* until 7 sts rem, sl1, p6.

Row 6 (Riviera Heather C): *K4, sl1wyif* until 4 sts rem, k4.

Row 7 (Riviera Heather C): *P4, sl1* until 4 sts rem, p4.

Row 8 (Denim D): K6, *sl1wyif, k4* until 8 sts rem, sl1wyif, k7.

Row 9 (Denim D): P7, *sl1, P4* until 7 sts rem, sl1, p6.

Row 10 (Cerulean E): *K4, sl1wyif* until 4 sts rem, k4.

Row 11 (Cerulean E): *P4, sl1* until 4 sts rem, p4.

Row 12 (Marine F): K6, *sl1wyif, k4* until 8 sts rem, sl1wyif, k7.

Row 13 (Marine F): P7, *sl1, P4* until 7 sts rem, sl1, p6.

Repeat Striped section a total of 2 times.

Dappled Section

Row 2 (RS, Clear Sky A): *K4, sl1wyif* until 4 sts rem, k4.

Row 3 (Clear Sky A): *P4, sl1* until 4 sts rem, p4.

Row 4 (Denim D): K6, *sl1wyif, k4* until 8 sts rem, sl1wyif, k7.

Row 5 (Denim D): P7, *sl1, P4* until 7 sts rem, sl1, p6.

Row 6 (Anis B): *K4, sl1wyif* until 4 sts rem, k4.

Row 7 (Anis B): *P4, sl1* until 4 sts rem, p4.

Row 8 (Cerulean E): K6, *sl1wyif, k4* until 8 sts rem, sl1wyif, k7.

Row 9 (Cerulean E): P7, *sl1, P4* until 7 sts rem, sl1, p6.

Row 10 (Riviera Heather C): *K4, sl1wyif* until 4 sts rem, k4.

Row 11 (Riviera Heather C): *P4, sl1* until 4 sts rem, p4.

Row 12 (Marine F): K6, *sl1wyif, k4* until 8 sts rem, sl1wyif, k7.

Row 13 (Marine F): P7, *sl1, P4* until 7 sts rem, sl1, p6.

Repeat Dappled Section a total of 3 times. On Row 13 of last repeat, do not follow the above directions. Instead, BO all stitches loosely.

Blocking: Block to 8.5″ so that when you take it off the blocking wires and it compresses, it will be 8″.

Finishing: Weave in ends.

About Year of Color

This square is part of Year of Color 2026, a 12-month program that teaches you a new colorwork technique every month through two free square patterns (one crochet, one knit). Each month features a curated color palette, technique tutorials, and color inspiration articles. By December, you’ll have 12 squares to join together into whatever you’d like, and a whole year of new skills to show for it.