CC — Contrast color (Abbreviation)
CC stands for "contrast color" — any color in a pattern that isn't the main color (MC), used for stripes, accents, motifs, or any secondary element the design calls out against the dominant background.
Numbering multiple contrast colors
A pattern using more than one accent color typically labels them CC1, CC2, CC3, and so on, established in the pattern's materials list or abbreviation key the same way MC is — "2 rows CC1, 2 rows CC2, 2 rows MC" describes a three-color stripe sequence using this numbering convention rather than naming each actual yarn color repeatedly through the instructions.
Why CC is defined relative to MC, not as its own fixed category
CC only makes sense as a concept in relation to whichever color has been designated MC — it's not an absolute label describing a specific type of color (like "the accent color" in a fixed, universal sense), just a stand-in for "whatever isn't the main one." This is exactly why swapping which physical yarn is assigned to MC versus CC, for a personalized colorway, works cleanly: the abbreviations are relative markers, not fixed identities.
Where it shows up
Striped and color-blocked patterns, colorwork motif charts (where CC often marks the pattern or foreground color against an MC background), and any multi-color materials list establishing which yarn plays which role before the instructions begin.
Related abbreviations
- MC — main color, the dominant color CC is defined against
FAQ
Does CC always mean a single specific color, or can it represent a group of colors used interchangeably? Normally a single specific color per CC label (CC1 is always the same yarn throughout a pattern) — a design using genuinely interchangeable or randomized accent colors would typically say so explicitly, rather than relying on CC's normal fixed-per-label convention.
If I want to substitute my own color palette, does the CC numbering order matter? Generally not for how the pattern instructions execute — CC1, CC2, etc. just need to consistently refer to the same yarns you've assigned them to throughout your own project; the actual colors you pick for each numbered slot are entirely up to you.