Easter socks

I finished my socks yesterday, and ... I am amazingly proud of them! Why?

Well, in my last post I had cast on my pal's Monkey socks with the handpainted merino sock yarn that just arrived from an Etsy seller. While the color combination was beautiful, and the yarn felt very soft, by the time I reached the heel I was having second thoughts. not only were the colors pooling, the gauge on 2.5mm needles felt too loose. I re-checked the specifics and the yardage was over 800yds/4 oz skein. A very generous yardage, more than enough for two pairs of socks, but I think the yarn is more suitable for delicate lace items, especially since it's not superwash. I do love the yarn, especially the color combination, but it's just not right for the Monkey socks, which is sort of sad because I got two skeins (combined shipping $9).

So I had to re-t(h)ink, and fast. Well, I decided to give sock dyeing another go, and the result is this pair of Monkey socks in what I consider a beautiful color combination ... and what I really like about it is that not only is there NO pooling, but the two socks are almost identical twins. It's 100% merino sock yarn, but unfortunately it's also not superwash. Do you think it will be a problem? My pal has so far only used 75% wool sock yarn, and while this yarn is way more cushy and comfortable, the question is, would she be ok with handwash? I probably still have time to knit a pair in standard 75% wool sock yarn. I wouldn't have time to order more but I do have some stash English handpainted sock yarn that she might like. Tell me what you all think, is non superwash a problem? I won't post any pictures coz I don't want to spoil the surprise yet.