sass is inclusion order dependent. In order to get the full-palette vs standard-palette, it required a separation of the content in material.less into _material.less to separate dependencies vs content.

less/_material.less

@@ -1,9 +1,3 @@
-@import "_colors.less";
-@import "_variables.less";
-@import "_mixins.less";
-@import "_icons-material-design.less";
-@import "_shadows.less"; // these are mixins only, and must be placed at the top before use (sass requiremnt)
-
 body {
   background-color: @body-bg;
   &.inverse {

less/material-fullpalette.less

@@ -1,2 +1,6 @@
-@import "material.less";
+@import "_colors.less";
+@import "_variables.less";
 @import "_mixins-fullpalette.less";
+@import "_icons-material-design.less";
+@import "_shadows.less";  // these are mixins only, and must be placed at the top before use (sass requiremnt)
+@import '_material.less'; // include the material content given the mixins above (sass requirement for inclusion order of mixins)

less/material.less

@@ -2,138 +2,5 @@
 @import "_variables.less";
 @import "_mixins.less";
 @import "_icons-material-design.less";
-@import "_shadows.less"; // these are mixins only, and must be placed at the top before use (sass requiremnt)
+@import "_shadows.less";  // these are mixins only, and must be placed at the top before use (sass requiremnt)
-
+@import '_material.less'; // include the material content given the mixins above (sass requirement for inclusion order of mixins)
-body {
-  background-color: @body-bg;
-  &.inverse {
-    background: #333333;
-    &, .form-control {
-      color: @darkbg-text;
-    }
-    .modal,
-    .panel-default,
-    .card {
-      &,
-      .form-control {
-        background-color: initial;
-        color: initial;
-      }
-    }
-
-  }
-}
-
-
-body, h1, h2, h3, h4, h5, h6, .h1, .h2, .h3, .h4 {
-  font-family: "RobotoDraft", "Roboto", "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;
-  font-weight: 300;
-}
-
-h5, h6{
-  font-weight: 400;
-}
-
-a, a:hover, a:focus {
-  color: @primary;
-}
-
-// Well and Jumbotrons
-@import "_welljumbo.less";
-
-// Buttons
-@import "_buttons.less";
-
-// Checkboxes
-@import "_checkboxes.less";
-
-// Toggle buttons
-@import "_togglebutton.less";
-
-// Radios
-@import "_radios.less";
-
-// Text inputs
-@import "_inputs.less";
-
-legend {
-  border-bottom: 0;
-}
-
-// Lists
-@import "_lists.less";
-
-// Navbar
-@import "_navbar.less";
-
-.dropdown-menu {
-  border: 0;
-  box-shadow: 0 2px 5px 0 rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.26);
-  .divider {
-    background-color: rgba(229, 229, 229, 0.12);
-  }
-  li {
-    overflow: hidden;
-    position: relative;
-    a:hover {
-      background-color: transparent;
-      color: @primary;
-    }
-  }
-  .variations(~" li a:hover", color, @primary);
-}
-
-// Alerts
-@import "_alerts.less";
-
-// Progress bar
-@import "_progress.less";
-
-// Typography
-.text-warning {
-  color: @btn-warning;
-}
-.text-primary {
-  color: @btn-primary;
-}
-.text-danger {
-  color: @btn-danger;
-}
-.text-success {
-  color: @btn-success;
-}
-.text-info {
-  color: @btn-info;
-}
-
-@import "_tabs.less";
-
-@import "_popups.less";
-
-@import "_icons.less";
-
-@import "_cards.less";
-
-@import "_dialogs.less";
-
-@import "_labels.less";
-
-@import "_panels.less";
-
-@import "_dividers.less";
-
-// Prevent highlight on mobile
-* {
-  -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);
-  -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent;
-  &:focus {
-    outline: 0;
-  }
-}
-
-
-// External plugins
-@import "_plugin-snackbarjs.less";
-@import "_plugin-nouislider.less";
-@import "_plugin-selectize.less";
-@import "_plugin-dropdownjs.less";

sass/_material.scss

@@ -0,0 +1,135 @@
+// This file has been autogenerated by grunt task lessToSass. Any changes will be overwritten.
+
+body {
+  background-color: $body-bg;
+  &.inverse {
+    background: #333333;
+    &, .form-control {
+      color: $darkbg-text;
+    }
+    .modal,
+    .panel-default,
+    .card {
+      &,
+      .form-control {
+        background-color: initial;
+        color: initial;
+      }
+    }
+
+  }
+}
+
+
+body, h1, h2, h3, h4, h5, h6, .h1, .h2, .h3, .h4 {
+  font-family: "RobotoDraft", "Roboto", "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;
+  font-weight: 300;
+}
+
+h5, h6{
+  font-weight: 400;
+}
+
+a, a:hover, a:focus {
+  color: $primary;
+}
+
+// Well and Jumbotrons
+@import '_welljumbo';
+
+// Buttons
+@import '_buttons';
+
+// Checkboxes
+@import '_checkboxes';
+
+// Toggle buttons
+@import '_togglebutton';
+
+// Radios
+@import '_radios';
+
+// Text inputs
+@import '_inputs';
+
+legend {
+  border-bottom: 0;
+}
+
+// Lists
+@import '_lists';
+
+// Navbar
+@import '_navbar';
+
+.dropdown-menu {
+  border: 0;
+  box-shadow: 0 2px 5px 0 rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.26);
+  .divider {
+    background-color: rgba(229, 229, 229, 0.12);
+  }
+  li {
+    overflow: hidden;
+    position: relative;
+    a:hover {
+      background-color: transparent;
+      color: $primary;
+    }
+  }
+  @include variations(unquote(" li a:hover"), color, $primary);
+}
+
+// Alerts
+@import '_alerts';
+
+// Progress bar
+@import '_progress';
+
+// Typography
+.text-warning {
+  color: $btn-warning;
+}
+.text-primary {
+  color: $btn-primary;
+}
+.text-danger {
+  color: $btn-danger;
+}
+.text-success {
+  color: $btn-success;
+}
+.text-info {
+  color: $btn-info;
+}
+
+@import '_tabs';
+
+@import '_popups';
+
+@import '_icons';
+
+@import '_cards';
+
+@import '_dialogs';
+
+@import '_labels';
+
+@import '_panels';
+
+@import '_dividers';
+
+// Prevent highlight on mobile
+* {
+  -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);
+  -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent;
+  &:focus {
+    outline: 0;
+  }
+}
+
+
+// External plugins
+@import '_plugin-snackbarjs';
+@import '_plugin-nouislider';
+@import '_plugin-selectize';
+@import '_plugin-dropdownjs';

sass/_mixins-fullpalette.scss

@@ -3,6 +3,8 @@
 
 @mixin generic-variations-colors($args) {
 
+  //@debug "multi-palette generic-variations-colors called with #{inspect($args)}";
+
   $material-colors: (
           "red-50": (name: "red", color: $red-50, number: "-50"),
           "red-100": (name: "red", color: $red-100, number: "-100"),
@@ -299,28 +301,7 @@
             material-color-number: map-get($color-attributes, number)
     ));
 
+    //@debug "generic-variations-color #{map-get($color-attributes, name)} #{map-get($color-attributes, color)} #{map-get($color-attributes, number)}";
     @include generic-variations-color($args-variation-color)
   }
-
-  //// FIXME: see _mixins.scss regarding variable names and the below FIXME
-  //$material-color-names: "red" "pink" "purple" "deep-purple" "indigo" "blue" "light-blue" "cyan" "teal" "green" "light-green" "lime" "yellow" "amber" "orange" "deep-orange" "brown" "grey" "blue-grey";
-  //@each $material-color-name in $material-color-names {
-  //  // given a color build multiples depths
-  //  $material-color-numbers: "" "-50" "-100" "-200" "-300" "-400" "-500" "-600" "-700" "-800" "-900" "-A100" "-A200" "-A400" "-A700";
-  //  @each $material-color-number in $material-color-numbers {
-  //
-  //    $args-variation-color: map-merge($args, (
-  //            material-color-name: $material-color-name,
-  //            material-color-number: $material-color-number
-  //    ));
-  //
-  //    // FIXME: these colors are defined in _colors.scss.  Since there is no way to access a variable as a string
-  //    // FIXME: in sass, this needs to be changed to get a permutation as an actual variable object.
-  //    // FIXME: http://krasimirtsonev.com/blog/article/SASS-interpolation-in-a-name-of-variable-nest-variables-within-variables
-  //
-  //    // FIXME: The following shows a valid approach and adds a color lookup function from a map, but would require changes in the less files:
-  //    // FIXME:     https://github.com/darrenkopp/libsass-net/issues/12
-  //    @include generic-variations-color($args-variation-color)
-  //  }
-  //}
 }

sass/material-fullpalette.scss

@@ -1,4 +1,8 @@
 // This file has been autogenerated by grunt task lessToSass. Any changes will be overwritten.
 
-@import 'material';
+@import '_colors';
+@import '_variables';
 @import '_mixins-fullpalette';
+@import '_icons-material-design';
+@import '_shadows';  // these are mixins only, and must be placed at the top before use (sass requiremnt)
+@import '_material'; // include the material content given the mixins above (sass requirement for inclusion order of mixins)

sass/material.scss

@@ -4,138 +4,5 @@
 @import '_variables';
 @import '_mixins';
 @import '_icons-material-design';
-@import '_shadows'; // these are mixins only, and must be placed at the top before use (sass requiremnt)
+@import '_shadows';  // these are mixins only, and must be placed at the top before use (sass requiremnt)
-
+@import '_material'; // include the material content given the mixins above (sass requirement for inclusion order of mixins)
-body {
-  background-color: $body-bg;
-  &.inverse {
-    background: #333333;
-    &, .form-control {
-      color: $darkbg-text;
-    }
-    .modal,
-    .panel-default,
-    .card {
-      &,
-      .form-control {
-        background-color: initial;
-        color: initial;
-      }
-    }
-
-  }
-}
-
-
-body, h1, h2, h3, h4, h5, h6, .h1, .h2, .h3, .h4 {
-  font-family: "RobotoDraft", "Roboto", "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;
-  font-weight: 300;
-}
-
-h5, h6{
-  font-weight: 400;
-}
-
-a, a:hover, a:focus {
-  color: $primary;
-}
-
-// Well and Jumbotrons
-@import '_welljumbo';
-
-// Buttons
-@import '_buttons';
-
-// Checkboxes
-@import '_checkboxes';
-
-// Toggle buttons
-@import '_togglebutton';
-
-// Radios
-@import '_radios';
-
-// Text inputs
-@import '_inputs';
-
-legend {
-  border-bottom: 0;
-}
-
-// Lists
-@import '_lists';
-
-// Navbar
-@import '_navbar';
-
-.dropdown-menu {
-  border: 0;
-  box-shadow: 0 2px 5px 0 rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.26);
-  .divider {
-    background-color: rgba(229, 229, 229, 0.12);
-  }
-  li {
-    overflow: hidden;
-    position: relative;
-    a:hover {
-      background-color: transparent;
-      color: $primary;
-    }
-  }
-  @include variations(unquote(" li a:hover"), color, $primary);
-}
-
-// Alerts
-@import '_alerts';
-
-// Progress bar
-@import '_progress';
-
-// Typography
-.text-warning {
-  color: $btn-warning;
-}
-.text-primary {
-  color: $btn-primary;
-}
-.text-danger {
-  color: $btn-danger;
-}
-.text-success {
-  color: $btn-success;
-}
-.text-info {
-  color: $btn-info;
-}
-
-@import '_tabs';
-
-@import '_popups';
-
-@import '_icons';
-
-@import '_cards';
-
-@import '_dialogs';
-
-@import '_labels';
-
-@import '_panels';
-
-@import '_dividers';
-
-// Prevent highlight on mobile
-* {
-  -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);
-  -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent;
-  &:focus {
-    outline: 0;
-  }
-}
-
-
-// External plugins
-@import '_plugin-snackbarjs';
-@import '_plugin-nouislider';
-@import '_plugin-selectize';
-@import '_plugin-dropdownjs';