I Don't Think This is a Dye Lot Issue

  I saw a skein of this at a Walmart when we were in Kentucky(bottom) and remembered that a rainbow yarn with short runs of color really does exist.  For some reason I didn't pick up one while we were there.  I checked a few Walmarts near me and didn't even see a spot for it.  Since I really wanted to make some rainbow octopi I ordered some off the Yarnspirations website.  I didn't see the jumbo, like I saw at Walmart, so I just ordered a few skeins(top left).  When we were recently at the cabin we needed to stop at Walmart to get a few things.  I swung by the yarn to see what they had and spotted something interesting.  They had three jumbo skeins of the Mexicana(top right) but I noticed something odd.  Going through all three I picked out the most vibrant one.  The other two looked even more muted and muddy.  I thought I possibly was remembering the color wrong or something, but it looked so very different.

  They look like two different yarns to me, they even pool differently.  The newest one looks like they mixed the colors with grey.  They even look like two different weights of yarn when put next to each other.

  After doing some more research, I discovered that the top right skein was made in 2022 in India while the top left was made in 2025 in Türkiye.  I did not take a detailed enough photo of the bottom one to tell when or where it was made.  I like how the older one works up, so I'm really hoping the newest one and it's friends on the shelf were outliers.

  With all the traveling we have done recently, I seem to come down with a bad case of startitis.  I may have also gotten it from one of the many doctors visits.  What you are looking at is a hexagon cardigan for Miss Spud, a Jester hat that I'm already planning on making a second one of, a Worry Worm, a Textured Cat Hat, and a test piece for a future dress for Miss Spud.  In the middle of all of this I managed to make the two rainbow octopi for the yarn comparison.

  Now, I've never claimed to be a monogamous crafter, but this is a bit much.  Luckily the beads for the Worry Worm will be dry before too long and that should also get another skein finished as well.  The Textured Cat Hat is the next closest to being done, I just have to close up the top and weave in my ends.  The test dress is one row short of dividing the sleeve caps from the body, so it will go quicker for a bit until the skirt starts to get full.  The jester hat will feel like it takes a while with the single crochet ribbing, but should go faster than I think it will.  The hexagon cardigan is barely started.  I plan to make it about the same size as her pumpkin sweater so we will get some wear out of it.

Yearly Yarn Tracker:

Yarn In: 10 (10)
Yarn Out: 2 (2)

Total: 8