I am shaking my head here; where in the world did this month go? I had such high hopes of finishing the lingering Project Spectrum knits on my needles before the month’s end. Alas, my needles are still full of pink, green, and yes, even two blue projects from the last color triad! Some catch up time is desperately needed…

I was right on track with the Shades socks, but then I hit that bump, and never recovered. Second sock is cast on, but I didn’t get back to it because of Wren, and the swap scarf. Seeing Katy’s finished ones makes me realize how much I need to finish my own! One sock to go - I think I can do that fairly quickly.

The Verdant Shrug - my token acrylic project . I worked steadily on this project, although it did not get much blog time. I am almost finished with it - only have to pick up stitches for the ribbed facing, seen here on the pattern. I do like this deep green with the subtle striping.

The Canyon Hiking Socks are coming along too - I am working on the calf stripes right now for sock two.

I won’t be too hard on myself, however: I did manage to finish a pair of socks AND a cardigan in these two months!

…I think it would be wise to clear these knits out before starting some of the bigger projects I have planned for June and July…

Did you reach your pink, green, and yellow goals?

What are you planning for the black, red, and metallics months of June and July?

Acrylics: a great majority of knitters “cut their teeth” with this synthetic fiber. I was among them. My first scarf was knit (and unknit) in Lion Brand Wool-Ease Chunky, which is a blend heavy on acrylic. As time goes by, many knitters prefer to work with other yarns, expanding their repertoire by using various natural fibers. I have developed a taste for the natural fibers as well, and usually prefer a nice wool over an acrylic, or a blended yarn.

However, as the market has expanded, and new knitters come into “the fold”, the large yarn companies represented in the craft stores (Lion Brand, Caron, and yes, even Red Heart) have truly raised the bar. Rarely do the new acrylics squeak against the needles as they used to, and there is often no competition on the price.

There is such a thing as a nice quality acrylic yarn.

Don’t get all high-horse, holier-than-thou on me. Admit it. Go into a craft store’s yarn department and tell me that there is not one yarn -not even one- that doesn’t tempt you or make its way into your basket.

Last fall, I was shopping with my mom and my aunt. We decided to stop in the craft store. I decided to check out the yarn and needle selection.

I saw some fugly fuzzy yarns, yes, but I also saw some really pretty colorways, and they felt great too. I came home with 3 skeins for $6.00. No denying that that is a deal.

Fast Forward.

I was working on my stash inventory spreadsheet and found these three balls again. Fell in love with the yarn all over. Also loved the ball band pattern. Why not swatch it up and see how it looks? Well, the swatch turned into a sleeve…

Stacey called it Noro-ish. The great thing is, I didn’t pay Noro-ish price for it! and I can throw it in the washing machine without a care!

…That is the beginning of this…

Free Pattern on Caron’s site. I am using a slightly darker colorway than the one shown here. The color I bought is called “Dark Moss”. Kind of like a worsted weight Trekking yarn, don’t you think? That is probably what drew me to it. Dark Moss is a emerald base with lime, turquoise, magenta, and yellow highlights. Sounds like a pretty match for the next Project Spectrum sequence!

The ball band called it Simple Shrug, but because of the luscious green, I am going to call it VERDANT.

What about you? Is there an acrylic yarn that you love? what are some of your favorite acrylic projects?

Updates:  I bought the yarn… I got the pink colorway.   Also, Glee is done.  Still trying to figure out if I like it…