| Author |
Cleaning Up:  Wool Dryer Balls  |
|
|
Candy C.
True Blue Farmgirl
823 Posts
Candy
Mescal
AZ
USA
823 Posts |
 Posted - Mar 22 2010 : 1:13:52 PM
|
Okay, so this is going to be kind of long, sorry! 
About a year ago, I had seen an article and an ad for wool dryer balls but I had never looked them up to purchase. They sounded like something I would be interested in since I was already using the plastic dryer balls.
Last Saturday, we went to an outdoor wedding (bear with me, it will all come together in a minute! ) and the arbor was decorated with some netting. I asked the bride if I could have the netting after the wedding if she was just going to throw it away because I wanted to make the Rosebud Dish Scrubbie on page 87 of the MJ Stitching Room book. She said okay, so yesterday, I crocheted a Dish Scrubbie. It turned out great and looked just like the picture!  I was so tickled with being able to crochet a ball and started thinking of all the different kinds of balls I could crochet, kids toys, WOOL DRYER BALLS , etc.
Last evening, I crocheted a wool dryer ball using some leftover wool yarn from making socks. I stuffed it with more of the wool yarn. THEN, I went online and looked at pictures of wool dryer balls!  Nobody crochets them, they are all either sewn or just wrapped balls of yarn!
Do ya'll think my crocheted ones will work? Do I need to felt them before using them? Any suggestions would be appreciated!
Candy C.
Farmgirl Sister #977
Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. |
|
|
clothedinscarlet
True Blue Farmgirl
1333 Posts
Siobhan
Battle Creek
MI
USA
1333 Posts |
Posted - Mar 22 2010 : 5:34:56 PM
|
I think it would work just fine as long as you stuffed it firmly and then threw it in with the wash. It should felt itself as soon as you wash it on warm/hot. If it comes out kinda wonky, you could at least then use it as a core ball to wrap more yarn around for a nice felted dryer ball, I think. Give it a try and let us know how it works out.
Farmgirl Sister #1110
Siobhan - AKA Liza-Jane (my farmgirl name), wife to my best friend, Trent, and mommy to Camden (11/28/05) and Bennett (7/11/07). and Truman (7/28/09) |
 |
|
|
Julia
True Blue Farmgirl
1949 Posts
Julia
Shelton
WA
USA
1949 Posts |
|
|
CherryPie
True Blue Farmgirl
935 Posts
Kimberly Ann
Puyallup
WA
USA
935 Posts |
|
|
AlyssaMarie
True Blue Farmgirl
287 Posts
AlyssaMarie
Palouse
Washington
USA
287 Posts |
Posted - Mar 23 2010 : 4:13:01 PM
|
Ok this is has sparked my interest. What is a wool dryer ball? What is it used for? We sheared our sheep last weekend so I got piles of raw wool to find a use for... would this be one? :)
AlyssaMarie @ Link'd Hearts Ranch
|
|
|
|
Candy C.
True Blue Farmgirl
823 Posts
Candy
Mescal
AZ
USA
823 Posts |
Posted - Mar 26 2010 : 3:27:59 PM
|
I have used my wool dryer balls a couple of times now and they seem to be working just fine!! I made a total of three and throw them all in the dryer at the same time.
AlyssaMarie,
They work like the plastic dryer balls you can buy in the store to help fluff your clothes and to cut the amount of time it takes them to dry. Do a Google search and there is a lot of info out there and websites with several different types.
Candy C.
Farmgirl Sister #977
Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. |
|
|
|
Clee
Farmgirl in Training
17 Posts
Cindy
Hampton
VA
USA
17 Posts |
Posted - Aug 21 2012 : 3:43:27 PM
|
I am making batches of them now and trying different mediums, like 100% wool suits and sweaters found at the thrift store. I have read that the wool needs to be untreated and if a label says it's 'washable', it's been treated. The different mediums are turning out to be more of a challenge than expected. Some felt beautifully, others not so much. Sweaters w/labels from Ireland have been heavenly to use. I cut mine into strips. If they felt wonderfully, meshing together as if they intend to stay that way forever, I let them be. If not, I use 100% wool yarn to wind around them at even intervals and then re-felt them in the washer. I'd really like to try out the wool batting method, but am trying, for now, to keep it as much of a recycle/upcycle project as possible. Candy: I LOVE your idea and would like to know how it worked for you? I doubt I'll put that much time into one...UNLESS I plan to give it as a gift. The ones I'm making now are (hopefully) for a craft show. Alyssa Marie: Everything I've read says you need at least three for effectiveness. I tried 3-a bit larger than tennis balls and they definitely worked to cut the time on a small load, but for larger loads, I'd use more. I've read some reports of using 8-12 in a large load.
You can take the girl from the farm, but never the farm from the girl.
http://www.thenourishednana.blogspot.com |
|
|
|
kysheeplady
True Blue Farmgirl
1291 Posts
Teri
KY
USA
1291 Posts |
Posted - Aug 21 2012 : 4:01:04 PM
|
I have done clean carded wool in pantyhose ... felts great!
Teri
"There are black sheep in every flock"
White Sheep Farm
www.whitesheepfarm.com |
|
|
|
Bear5
True Blue Farmgirl
13055 Posts
Louisiana/Texas
USA
13055 Posts |
Posted - Aug 21 2012 : 4:27:48 PM
|
May I ask what is a wool dryer ball? And what does it do? I think I hear Teri/M giggling.
Marly
"It's only when we truly know and understand that we have a limited time on earth- and that we have no way of knowing when our time is up- that we will begin to live each day to the fullest, as if it was the only one we had." Elisabeth Kurler-Ross |
|
|
|
SallyT
True Blue Farmgirl
108 Posts
Sarah
Buford
Georgia
USA
108 Posts |
Posted - Aug 21 2012 : 5:20:17 PM
|
Marly you are not alone. Never heard of them. They certainly sound interesting and if they can save money on my electicity that would be great.
Sarah
Warmth of Friendship Necessary for Life |
|
|
|
kysheeplady
True Blue Farmgirl
1291 Posts
Teri
KY
USA
1291 Posts |
|
|
Bear5
True Blue Farmgirl
13055 Posts
Louisiana/Texas
USA
13055 Posts |
Posted - Aug 21 2012 : 5:26:29 PM
|
Teri/M: I'm happy you got a good giggle. Thanks for the link. LOL
Marly
"It's only when we truly know and understand that we have a limited time on earth- and that we have no way of knowing when our time is up- that we will begin to live each day to the fullest, as if it was the only one we had." Elisabeth Kurler-Ross |
|
|
|
star-schipp
True Blue Farmgirl
942 Posts
Starletta
Middletown
Indiana
USA
942 Posts |
Posted - Aug 22 2012 : 09:03:46 AM
|
When I made mine, I wrapped wool roving around and around and washed, dried several times until it was good and felted.
If you can't feed one hundred people, then just feed one. -Mother Teresa
Star - farmgirl sister #1927
Master Food Preserver
[url=http://www.TickerFactory.com/weight-loss/wwEh7WR/] |
|
|
|
SandraM
True Blue Farmgirl
295 Posts
Sandra
Coldwater
Michigan
USA
295 Posts |
|
|
Rosemary
True Blue Farmgirl
1825 Posts
Virginia
USA
1825 Posts |
Posted - Sep 06 2012 : 12:11:40 PM
|
I swear by my wool dryer balls. I have 6, which I purchased online from http://wooldryerballs.com a year or more ago. Now and then, I pluck lint off of them while watching TV or something -- we have 4 longhaired cats, so the balls pick up quite a lot of fuzz that the dryer itself misses -- another plus. With these for fluffing and faster drying, and white vinegar in reusable Downey dryer balls in the wash, I'm getting clean, soft clothes without the expense and toxicity of commercial fabric softeners. (Oh yeah, and for soap, I use a mixture of Borax, Washing Soda, Baking Soda and either grated Fels Naptha or the plainest, cheapest powdered detergent I can get -- and only a tiny amount. You don't need nearly as much as the manufacturers say on their boxes. I can't believe what laundry products cost in the store.
|
|
|
|
Clee
Farmgirl in Training
17 Posts
Cindy
Hampton
VA
USA
17 Posts |
|
|
Madelena
True Blue Farmgirl
1919 Posts
Mary
Central
TX
USA
1919 Posts |
Posted - Sep 30 2012 : 05:51:37 AM
|
LADIES..MAKE YOUR OWN BY FELTING WOOL ROVING.. Roving is wool that has been cleaned and carded and made into long "ropes" of about 1 inch or so wide. The strands pull apart easily. You MAKE them by starting to wrap a ball like you would start to wrap yarn into a ball.. Then you dunk them in hot water (the hottest your hands can stand) and add a little "soap goop:.
(Soap goop is and ivory soap bar that has been grated and put in a jar with some water to make a goopy solution.. About the consistency of white glue. Put lid on jar when done.. lasts forever. The soap helps the wool fibers to slide across each other easily. The hot water opens the hair shaft of the wool so that they will tangle together and felt. The massage/rubbing puts it all together.)
RUB RUB RUB YOUR BALL. MASSAGE YOUR BALL IN YOUR HANDS LIKE YOU WOULD MAKE A MEAT BALL. ROLL IT AROUND. CONTINUE TO ADD WOOL ROVING. HOT WATER. .GOOP.. MASSAGE. SEPARATE SOME OF YOUR WOOL ROVING SO IT IS MORE LIKE A THIN PIECE OF CLOTH. WRAP AROUND BALL. HOT WATER .. GOOP... RUB.. REPEAT SO YOUR BALL WILL GROW BIGGER. MAKE IT AS BIG AS YOU WANT. IT SHOULD HOLD TOGETHER AS LONG AS YOU HAVE USED HOT WATER, GOOP AND LOTS OF MASSAGE
(GOOD FOR THOSE TRICEP MUSCLES TOO!! lol)
THROW IT IN YOUR DRYER WHILE IT IS STILL DAMP. THE DRYER WILL FURTHER FELT IT AND SHRINK IT SOME. totally ready now !
NOW YOU HAVE THE PURFECT FELT BALL. 100 % INSIDE AND OUT. GET WOOL ROVING FROM WOOL FESTS OR CRAFT.. FIND A SHEEP PERSON NEAR YOU. OR START WITH CLEANED, CARDED RAW WOOL AND JUST START YOUR BALL. SOO FUN!
Also sounds like good environmentally gifts for friends and family too
"There is no unbelief: Whoever plants a seed beneath the sod and waits to see it push away the clod, he trusts in God." (Kate Douglas Wiggin) |
|
|
|
allurewool
Farmgirl at Heart
1 Posts
Canada
1 Posts |
Posted - Mar 07 2013 : 12:13:29 PM
|
Hello! You can easily make a natural wool dryer balls yourself. You need hot water, soap, merino wool and some time! Here's a great video tutorial on how to make wool dryer balls http://allurewool.com/how-to-make-wool-dryer-balls/
Drying balls will make your washing drier, faster, softer and cheaper! They look amazing! You can check wool dryer balls that I made at http://allurewool.com/
Natural handmade wool dryer balls |
|
|
|
MagnoliaWhisper
True Blue Farmgirl
2817 Posts
Heather
Haysville
Kansas
USA
2817 Posts |
Posted - Mar 07 2013 : 1:19:48 PM
|
actually I buy local wool dryer balls from a lady who crochet or maybe knits them. (I don't know how to tell the difference between crochet and knit yet). But, I love them! they sell them at a natural baby boutique here.
http://www.heathersprairie.blogspot.com |
|
|
|
Clee
Farmgirl in Training
17 Posts
Cindy
Hampton
VA
USA
17 Posts |
Posted - Mar 07 2013 : 1:34:26 PM
|
I have started covering mine because no matter how I try, I can't get comfy w/ the idea of MAYbe the yarn coming unravelled in the hands of an unattended pet or toddler. (This doesn't apply to those made w/roving.) IF interested, take a peek at http://lambseydivey.blogspot.com Hope all of you dear ladies are having a blessed evening!
You can take the girl from the farm, but never the farm from the girl.
http://www.thenourishednana.blogspot.com |
|
|
|
Clee
Farmgirl in Training
17 Posts
Cindy
Hampton
VA
USA
17 Posts |
|
| |
Cleaning Up: Wool Dryer Balls |
|
Wool Dryer Balls
