Photographing Colors

Why is it that some colors simply will not photograph properly?

Have you ever tried to take a picture of a blue flower? It ain't your fault if it came out lavender or purple -- they're like that, obstreperously uncooperative. If you look at the flowers labeled as blue in seed catalogs, you may notice that the leaves are also blue from the color correction done on the blooms.

And this dang ball of yarn,
photographed multiple times with varying white balance settings, in daylight on a neutral color background.

Now what color would you call it?

Orange?

That's what it looks like.

It's a little better here in photo #umpteen after fiddling with it in Photoshop.
But it's really red.

Red, RED, RED!

It's frustrating.