There are some yarns that you can substitute almost without thinking twice—and Log House Cottage Squishy Sock is one of them.

This lovely fingering-weight yarn combines 80% extra fine superwash Merino with 20% nylon, giving you that familiar balance of softness and durability that makes a great sock yarn. Each 4 oz / 115 g skein contains approximately 420 yards / 384 metres, making it especially easy to substitute into patterns written for a standard 100 g or 115 g skein of 80/20 sock yarn. Log House Cottage describes the base as soft, plump, lofty and bouncy, with clear stitch definition.

But sometimes you need a substitute. Perhaps you’re looking for a particular colour, your favourite Log House Cottage colourway isn’t currently available, or you’d simply like to try another independent dyer. And if you’re knitting a pattern that calls specifically for Squishy Sock, finding something with a similar combination of fibre content, yardage and construction can make the substitution much less stressful.

The good news? There are several excellent options, including a number of Canadian indie-dyed yarns that are remarkably close to the original.

Quick Yarn Information

Log House Cottage’s 8-ply Squishy Sock is a plied fingering-weight yarn. Ravelry lists it at 14 wraps per inch, with a gauge of 28 stitches per 4 inches, while the dyer recommends US 1–4 / 2.25–3.5 mm needles.

A Quick Note

Every knitting project is unique, and while the yarns below have very similar characteristics, no substitute is ever an exact match.

Even when two yarns contain the same fibres and have identical yardage, they can behave differently on the needles. One might be a little rounder, another slightly more tightly spun, and another may have a softer or more drapey fabric once washed.

Before casting on, I always recommend knitting a gauge swatch and considering how differences in fibre, construction and drape may affect your finished project.

For socks and other fitted projects, gauge is particularly important. For shawls and accessories where fit is less critical, you have a little more freedom to experiment.

How I Chose These Substitutes

Rather than simply matching yarn weight, I look for yarns with similar fibre content, yardage, gauge, construction and intended use.

For this particular guide, I gave extra weight to yarns that are:

• Fingering or sock weight
• Approximately 80% Merino and 20% nylon
• Around 400–430 yards per skein
• Superwash
• Plied rather than single-ply
• Suitable for socks and other next-to-skin accessories

Several of the recommendations below are remarkably close matches. In fact, a few are also 80% Merino / 20% nylon and 420 yards per skein, making them particularly straightforward substitutions.

Best Yarn Substitutes for Log House Cottage Squishy Sock

• Tanis Fiber Arts – Blue Label Fingering Weight
• Dream in Color – Smooshy
• Knitted Wit – Sock
• Fiber Optic Yarns – Foot Notes
• Yarn Love – Juliet Sock
• Savvy Skeins – Sensible Sock
• Riverside Studio – Merino Nylon Sock
• Fibrelya – Kasso
• Allison Barnes Yarn – Basic Sock
• Subculture Yarn – SW Merino Nylon Fingering
• Sea Turtle Fiber Arts – Ridley Sock

Patterns That Use Log House Cottage Squishy Sock

If you already have Squishy Sock in your stash—or you’ve decided on one of the substitutes above—you might be wondering what to knit with it. This yarn is particularly versatile because the Merino/nylon blend gives you both softness and durability, while the fingering weight works beautifully across everything from socks to large shawls.

• Shambala
• Among the Clouds
• The Quest

Looking for more inspiration? Browse the full collection of sock, shawl, hat, cowl and mitten patterns.

Tips for Choosing the Right Substitute

• Match the fibre content whenever possible.
• Pay attention to total yardage, not just the number of skeins.
• Look at yarn construction as well as fibre content. A plied yarn can behave quite differently from a single-ply yarn.
• Superwash and non-superwash yarns behave differently.
• Remember that different Merino bases can have noticeably different levels of softness, bounce and drape.
• For socks and other fitted projects, always knit a gauge swatch.
• Consider the intended use of the finished item. A yarn that’s perfect for a shawl may not have the durability you want for hard-wearing socks.
• When substituting hand-dyed yarn, buy enough yarn from the same dye lot or dye batch where possible.
• If you’re using multiple skeins, alternate skeins when recommended by the dyer to help minimise visible differences between skeins.

Looking for More Options?

If none of these yarns are quite what you’re looking for, both Yarnsub.com and Ravelry.com maintain extensive yarn databases that can help you discover additional alternatives.

Your local yarn shop can also be an excellent resource. Shop owners and staff often know which yarns behave similarly on the needles and may be able to point you towards regional or independent dyers you haven’t discovered yet.

And sometimes that’s the best part of substituting yarn: you start looking for one particular base and end up discovering an entirely new dyer to love.

Learn More

• How to Substitute Yarn Successfully (Without Ruining Your Project)
• Sock Yarn Guide
• Caring for Merino Wool
• Canadian Yarn Dyers
• Yarn Weight Guide

Disclaimer

The yarns recommended in this guide are suggestions based on fibre content, yarn weight, yardage, gauge, construction and intended use. While every effort has been made to recommend comparable alternatives, they have not all been personally tested as direct substitutes, and results may vary depending on your project and knitting style.

rhyFlower Knits is not affiliated with the yarn manufacturers, dyers or retailers mentioned in this guide and cannot provide information about their stock availability, colourways, pricing or business operations. For questions about a specific yarn or company, please contact the manufacturer or retailer directly.