Stop Using Acrylic Yarn in 2024! (Also, did you know I’m a Hypocrite?)
Call me Hypocritise
The more I delve into fiber arts, whether it’s crochet, knitting, embroidery, macrame, sewing etc. the more convinced I am that synthetic fibers are (in the most succinct way possible) fucking. bullshit. bad.
Now, when I say synthetic fibers I’m referring mostly to the plastic ones such as acrylic, polyester, and nylon. While things like modal, viscose, and rayon would normally be considered synthetic because of the way it is produced, it’s not made using plastic, so I tend not to consider it as a synthetic fiber.
And to put it plainly, I fucking hate polyester and acrylic.
So. so. so. much.
I hate how it looks. I hate how it feels on my body. I hate working with it. I hate how it’s aggressively poisoning our planet.
I hate it so much that if I had a genie and got 3 wishes, I would absolutely use one on just evaporating all of it from the planet.
Flip a switch, and poof, just gone.
Why are synthetic fibers such bullshit?
Because plastic is water-resistant. What makes things like cotton and linen and even wool so comfortable is that on an individual fiber level, they have holes in them. Think Bucatini vs Spaghetti noodles. So when the fiber comes into contact with moisture it’s absorbed into that hollow space, and exposed to air on the other side where it evaporates away allowing for your body to naturally regulate your temperature better. With polyester the moisture essentially stays on your skin, making you way more vulnerable to the external temperatures.
And humans are very moist people.
Even in winter, we emit a small amount of perspiration constantly. So this is not just a summer concern.
If that wasn’t bad enough, the micro-plastic fibers that come from the normal wear and washing of our synthetic garments is responsible for more plastics in our oceans than car tires! Seriously it’s ridiculous)
It’s bad you guys. Like. I will die on the hill of these things being awful.
And now we get to the part where I confess to being a massive hypocrite. I mean, this is no surprise to anyone. At least it shouldn’t be. Because I still have acrylic yarns in my stash. That I’m going to use. I have polyester and acrylic clothes that I still wear. I have plans to buy more acrylic yarn in the future.
My biggest excuse?
Accessibility.
Because polyester and acrylic are really cheap to get and sometimes it’s all I can find.
My wardrobe is absolutely in shambles from the last couple of years, I’ve had multiple mental health crashes and I had twins. My body shape and image has been all over the place, my sense of style completely untethered and I don’t feel good in 90% of what I still own. At this point I can fit every article of clothing I have into one laundry basket.
I’m not really in a position to be overly picky about everything every time.
I am painfully aware that my budget doesn’t allow for me to make everything I want out of the super soft merino wool, or baby cotton (seriously, try out the Mainstays baby cotton yarn, it’s ridiculously pleasant to work with, I love it so much.) and I’m painfully aware that my plan to make 80+ blankets with the super fuzzy bernat blanket yarn is absolutely without a reasonable alternative. And what am I supposed to do, not make everybody I know and love their own bed size fuzzy blanket of doom?
ALSO did you know I live in the middle of nowhere-ville? It’s a good 30 miles between me and a Michaels or Joann. And when I look up “yarn stores near me” I get 10 Dollar Generals before I find anything that is actually a small business yarn store. (Though while looking it up for this post I found one I’d never seen before and I’m very excited to go check it out soon with my sister!)
But for the most part, that means I have to basically…take a chance on whatever yarn I get if I order it online. Because unlike when I buy fabric online, I can’t just order a swatch of wool yarn. And sometimes I need to know for sure that the finished fabric is going to feel a specific way, and if I can’t grope the yarn before it I’m potentially wasting money on a gamble.
So, I suck it up sometimes and use the acrylic yarn. Even if it pains me. Because it would suck more not to do the fiber art at all.
Also sometimes it’s better if there’s a little bit of nylon in your sock yarn, it makes the sock last longer. Though I’m not quite experienced enough with homemade socks to qualify for an expert opinion.
Anything worth doing, is worth doing poorly.
That’s been my life motto for at least the last decade. Half-assing something is better than no-assing something. Brushing your teeth for 1 minute because you can’t do 2 minutes is still better than not brushing your teeth. Using acrylic and cotton or wool blends is better than a straight acrylic fiber.
And that’s one small step basically all of us can make. Choose the blend that’s a little more expensive but within reach. Use the acrylic in your stash to make something other than a garment. I’m excited to get into making tapestries and wall art and other decor pieces that I’m not going to wash even as often as I’d wash a blanket let alone a garment.
Instead of “Stop using acrylic yarn in 2024!” how about “start moving away from acrylic in 2024” instead? Let’s start taking some baby-steps towards improving the quality of our crafts!
