Superwash merino wool has become popular with indie-dyers because the same chemical process that strips the little barbs off the wool to make it machine washable, makes it incredibly efficient at soaking up all kinds of glorious colors and speckles.  Who can resist a good speckle?!  But when you want to knit that colorwork cowl or need a big cozy sweater, non-superwash wool just can't be beat for its loft, ability to bounce back and retain its shape, and its tendency to grip its neighboring stitches, making colorwork that much easier.  Rest assured, you are not sacrificing softness when you choose one of my non-superwash merino bases.  They all pass the squish test with flying colors!