Acrylic

Acrylic is the synthetic made to imitate wool: a soft, warm, lightweight fiber spun from polyacrylonitrile and crimped to trap air like a fleece. DuPont introduced it as Orlon around 1950, and it became the cheap, machine-washable, moth-proof staple of sweaters, blankets, fleece linings, and acrylic yarn for hand knitting. It holds bright colors well and resists sunlight, which suits it to outdoor furnishing and awnings, though it pills readily and can feel less breathable than the wool it replaces.