I'm going to admit right up front that I knit largely with (gasp!) acrylic. From various knitting podcasts I've listened to, and various knit blogs I've read, it seems that that places me "on the wrong side of the tracks", knitting-wise. Now, I did discover wool-blends, a couple years back, and I've done a fair amount with good old Lion Wool-Ease, and fairly recently expanded to actual superwash wool-based sock yarn, but the bulk of my stash (almost entirely composed of 'leftover' yarn, as I don't buy yarn, without a particular project in mind) is comprised of big one-pound skeins of Caron yarn, and the occasional Bernat. The reasons for this are two-fold - first, that the VAST majority of my friends and family are people to whom you don't DARE give anything that isn't machine washable and dryable, and second, I generally can't see spending more on the yarn for something than I'd spend on an actual finished project. I mean, I started knitting the bulk of the Christmas gifts one year when money was particularly tight - using mondo-expensive yarn would have totally defeated the purpose, even if it hadn't been for Consideration #1. Now, that said, I have spent more on sock yarn than I would for a pair of socks, but that is largely because I like having at least partly-wool socks for the winter, rather than your typical store-bought cotton ones, and I haven't the foggiest idea where I could actually find wool socks that aren't specifically 'hunting socks'." Even then, though, I don't go for anything more expensive than Jawoll - and frankly, the fact that those skeins come with that spool of reinforcement thread makes me feel better about spending even that much.

Someday, when I have actual disposable income again, perhaps I will make more forays into finer yarns than my one half-used ball of kid merino laceweight, but until then, bring on the $5/pound acrylic! At least I won't be freaking when KatyBeth spits up my sweater, or one of her many afghans...