The Colorblind Yarn Picker

I have, in some way, access to three different Michael's locations.  They are all far away, but, as my life would have it, I'm near each of them on at least a weekly basis.
Tis the season for socks.  Good thing because Michael's only carries sock yarn this time of year in our area.  This is what we have available for your (lengthy) sock knitting pleasure:

This is 7 of the possible 12 Sock-Ease yarns by Lion Brand.  You can find the others 5 shown at http://www.lionbrand.com/yarns/sockease.html
As I had never examined the color selection on the website, my initial reaction was to whine about Michael's and their choice of colors.  (Seriously, the colors are much better in the photo than in person.) Now I know better.  LB has only12 colors, and they are just weird.  Some are ok...but how many pink and purple socks can I make?


Possible legit reasons for Y.S. (yarn snobbery):
1.  The local stores never carry a decent selection and we are forever forced to knit with pink or blue baby yarns.
2.  The manufacturer makes limited variety in wonky colors.  Or styles.  Or both.


I honestly think that in most cases, reason #1 prevails.  A quick comparison to what is available in stores as compared to online shows that, at least in my area, that's the reason. 
As for Sock-Ease...UGH.  It's not my favorite for other reasons, but, come on, have you seen these colors?
If anyone has successfully knitted something they like with the crazy colors of this yarn, please share!
However, I still can't understand yarns that become wildly popular--all my friends are knitting with it--I love it--and then it disappears forever.  Sometimes it disappears locally, sometimes entirely.  I'm certainly no yarn-manufacturing expert, but, since a lot of yarn is made in Turkey...and they have Turkish prisons....just saying...