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I just finished knitting this hat and I’ve got to say, I feel a little “meh” about the pattern, but I’m in awe of this gorgeous grey tweed yarn with all the rainbow-colored flecks. And guess what? …. it’s 100% acrylic! Poor acrylic yarn had a rough debut in the 1950s and, despite considerable improvements in quality over the past 70 years, we haven’t let it live down that bad reputation. (BTW…. does anyone see what I did there? I called it a “rough” debut because acrylic yarn used to be sort of scratchy and stiff? I crack myself up!) Anyway, let’s take a beat to talk about the benefits of acrylic yarn, shall we?
Acrylic Yarn is Durable
First, acrylic fibers are super durable. In fact, when I’m shopping for sock yarn, I always check to make sure it contains at least 20% acrylic or else those socks are gonna have holes in the soles in a matter of weeks! That durability really shines through if this is an item you’ll be washing often, which is why I also always use acrylic or acrylic blends when I make stuff for babies. Acrylic is also perfect if you are making items to donate to people experiencing housing instability because you don’t know what their laundry situation is like, so it’s best to keep your materials as easy-care as possible. In fact, I’m donating this hat to one of my favorite nonprofits, Knit the Rainbow. (And, yes, I know the pompom makes it non-machine washable… there’s a long backstory behind the addition of the pompom that I won’t get into…)
Acrylic Yarn is Cheap and Easy to Find
The second reason why I love acrylic is that it’s affordable and it’s easy to find on the shelves of Big Boxes, dollar stores, or online. These elements make knitting more accessible for folks on a budget. And let’s face it: we’re all on a budget! I’m blessed that I can splurge on a $30 skein of sock yarn from time to time, but if I’m knitting a large project like a sweater or a blanket, you’d better believe there’s a cap on how much I can spend on yarn. The Hue Shift Afghan is a perfect example! I made one several years ago using Knit Picks Brava. I decided to knit another one using wool… until I priced that idea out: yikes!! It was a $150 price difference! Acrylic definitely won out.
Acrylic Yarn Comes in Variety of Colors
That blanket is also a fabulous example of my third favorite feature of acrylic yarn: it comes in every color under the sun! (You can even buy glow in the dark acrylic yarn! I kid you not!) I have a giant bin of acrylic in every color that I lovingly call my “box of chaos”, and I love playing around with different color combinations as I layer on motifs in my My Favourite Things Scarf.
Acrylic Yarn is Animal-Friendly
Finally, I’ll throw in that acrylic yarn is great for vegans or folks sensitive to animal fibers. If want to knit a pattern written for wool, it’s much easier to substitute in an acrylic yarn vs. a plant fiber, which often has an entirely different drape.
And there you have it! Pepper’s Ode to Acrylic. Happy Knitting, Friends!
p.s. The acrylic yarn in the hat that inspired this whole post is Loops & Threads Impeccable Tweed. I got the grey, blue, and pink colorways at Michaels. (Take a minute to google around for a coupon! There’s always one out there! I use the Honey browser extension to find coupons).
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