Good morning!
What does the weatherliar say punkin? The sun is out here so far today, but it's too late to save my tomatoes.
What does the weatherliar say punkin? The sun is out here so far today, but it's too late to save my tomatoes.
This is an official Punkin forecast!
The weather liars are wrong most of the time so I made my own forecast. 
The dryer balls work great!
Mrs Punkin has a couple of questions:
How long for the wool balls to dry? If you do 3 loads of wash in the same day, can you continue to use the same set of wool balls for each load or must they dry out before using them again?
How much time do you save, if any, in the drying cycle?
Thanks and good morning!
Punkin, they don't have a need to dry, since you only put them in the dryer. So yes you can use them for however many loads you do.Mrs Punkin has a couple of questions:
How long for the wool balls to dry? If you do 3 loads of wash in the same day, can you continue to use the same set of wool balls for each load or must they dry out before using them again?
How much time do you save, if any, in the drying cycle?
Thanks and good morning!
And I have no idea how much time is saved since I have one of those wonky dryers that senses moisture and doesn't go by timed cycle. Plus I can never hear the buzzer since it's in the basement.
What I wanted was a replacement for fabric softener. It tends to make the dryer vent clog up with lint.
IF you want to make your own.
How to Make Wool Dryer Balls (Felted Yarn)
Choosing Your Yarn
Finding the right yarn is the most critical part of making these wool balls. Look for 100% wool yarn. Most hobby stores sell it, or you can purchase it online.
Note: Stay away from any wool labeled “superwash” or “machine washable.” This type will NOT felt.
I have successfully used many types of wool yarn to make felted wool dryer balls, but I prefer the thick, lightly spun roving yarn (pictured in beige below). It felts much better than the Fishermen’s Wool or the other tightly spun wool yarns.
Be really thrifty and “green” by unraveling an old 100% wool sweater you’re not wearing, or purchase wool sweaters at a second hand store and use the yarn for this project (or other projects). If you use a yarn with even the slightest bit of acrylic or other blend, your balls won’t felt correctly, if at all. If they are not felted, they will unravel in the dryer and you’ll have a stringy mess.
I like to use brightly colored yarn so I can easily separate the dryer balls from my clothes when coming out of the dryer. I haven’t had trouble with colors from the yarn balls bleeding onto fabrics, but you can choose lighter colors of yarn if you’re worried about this.
Supplies for Making Wool Dryer Balls
1. Begin wrapping your wool yarn around your first two fingers about 10 times.
2. Pinch the bundle of yarn in the middle and pull off your fingers. Wrap more yarn around the middle of this bundle.
3. Wrap yarn around the entire bundle until you have the beginnings of a ball.
4. Continue wrapping tightly until your ball is the desired size. (I make mine softball-sized to help cut drying time more, but tennis ball or baseball-sized will help save money on yarn. You can also fill your ball with an old, wadded up sock or piece of fabric if you don’t want to use so much yarn.)
5. Use a blunt-tipped yarn needle or crochet hook to tuck the end of the thread under several layers of yarn. Pull it through and cut the end.
Repeat these steps with more yarn until you have 4-6 balls.
6. Cut the leg off an old pair of nylons, or use knee-high stockings. Put balls into the toe of the nylons, tying tightly in between each one with string, or cotton/acrylic yarn. (Just don’t use wool yarn or it will felt around the nylons.) Tie off the end. Take a few minutes to play with your yarn ball caterpillar if you like.
Felting the Wool Dryer Balls
7. Throw the entire yarn caterpillar into the wash with towels (or a load of jeans if you used brightly colored yarn).
8. Wash in a hot wash cycle with a cold water rinse cycle. Dry your yarn caterpillar with your laundry using the hottest dryer setting.
Remove balls from nylons and check for felting. Some types of wool yarn will not felt well on the first try. You may need to repeat the washing and drying cycles up to 3 or 4 times. You’ll know felting has occurred when you can gently scrape your fingernail over the ball and strands do not separate.
Using your Wool Dryer Balls
Just throw these babies in the dryer with your freshly washed clothes, and let them do their work! For regular loads, use at least 4-6 balls to notice a decrease in drying time. For large loads, use 6 or more wool balls. The more you use, the more quickly your clothes will dry.
Store your dryer balls in the dryer between uses or display them in a basket in your laundry room.
If you want to lightly scent your laundry you can add 1-2 drops of your favorite essential oil to each ball before throwing in the dryer. If you’re using a good quality, pure essential oil, you will not have trouble with the oils spotting your clothes. (Find 100% pure essential oils here.) Just be sure to use a clear essential oil.
Love the idea, but don’t want to learn how to make wool dryer balls?
Find 100% wool dryer balls here, already made for you!
How to Make Wool Dryer Balls (Felted Yarn)
Choosing Your Yarn
Finding the right yarn is the most critical part of making these wool balls. Look for 100% wool yarn. Most hobby stores sell it, or you can purchase it online.
Note: Stay away from any wool labeled “superwash” or “machine washable.” This type will NOT felt.
I have successfully used many types of wool yarn to make felted wool dryer balls, but I prefer the thick, lightly spun roving yarn (pictured in beige below). It felts much better than the Fishermen’s Wool or the other tightly spun wool yarns.
Be really thrifty and “green” by unraveling an old 100% wool sweater you’re not wearing, or purchase wool sweaters at a second hand store and use the yarn for this project (or other projects). If you use a yarn with even the slightest bit of acrylic or other blend, your balls won’t felt correctly, if at all. If they are not felted, they will unravel in the dryer and you’ll have a stringy mess.
I like to use brightly colored yarn so I can easily separate the dryer balls from my clothes when coming out of the dryer. I haven’t had trouble with colors from the yarn balls bleeding onto fabrics, but you can choose lighter colors of yarn if you’re worried about this.
Supplies for Making Wool Dryer Balls
- skein of 100% wool yarn (NOT wool labeled “superwash” or “machine washable”) – find my favorite kind here
- scissors
- nylons or knee-high stockings
- blunt-tipped needle or crochet hook
- string or cotton/acrylic yarn (to secure the wool ball in the pantyhose)
1. Begin wrapping your wool yarn around your first two fingers about 10 times.
2. Pinch the bundle of yarn in the middle and pull off your fingers. Wrap more yarn around the middle of this bundle.
3. Wrap yarn around the entire bundle until you have the beginnings of a ball.
4. Continue wrapping tightly until your ball is the desired size. (I make mine softball-sized to help cut drying time more, but tennis ball or baseball-sized will help save money on yarn. You can also fill your ball with an old, wadded up sock or piece of fabric if you don’t want to use so much yarn.)
5. Use a blunt-tipped yarn needle or crochet hook to tuck the end of the thread under several layers of yarn. Pull it through and cut the end.
Repeat these steps with more yarn until you have 4-6 balls.
6. Cut the leg off an old pair of nylons, or use knee-high stockings. Put balls into the toe of the nylons, tying tightly in between each one with string, or cotton/acrylic yarn. (Just don’t use wool yarn or it will felt around the nylons.) Tie off the end. Take a few minutes to play with your yarn ball caterpillar if you like.
Felting the Wool Dryer Balls
7. Throw the entire yarn caterpillar into the wash with towels (or a load of jeans if you used brightly colored yarn).
8. Wash in a hot wash cycle with a cold water rinse cycle. Dry your yarn caterpillar with your laundry using the hottest dryer setting.
Remove balls from nylons and check for felting. Some types of wool yarn will not felt well on the first try. You may need to repeat the washing and drying cycles up to 3 or 4 times. You’ll know felting has occurred when you can gently scrape your fingernail over the ball and strands do not separate.
Using your Wool Dryer Balls
Just throw these babies in the dryer with your freshly washed clothes, and let them do their work! For regular loads, use at least 4-6 balls to notice a decrease in drying time. For large loads, use 6 or more wool balls. The more you use, the more quickly your clothes will dry.
Store your dryer balls in the dryer between uses or display them in a basket in your laundry room.
If you want to lightly scent your laundry you can add 1-2 drops of your favorite essential oil to each ball before throwing in the dryer. If you’re using a good quality, pure essential oil, you will not have trouble with the oils spotting your clothes. (Find 100% pure essential oils here.) Just be sure to use a clear essential oil.
Love the idea, but don’t want to learn how to make wool dryer balls?
Find 100% wool dryer balls here, already made for you!
Making your own would be pricey and time consuming. But you would know the quality. From what I read the more balls you use the shorter the dry time.
I really really want a tortoise. Mr. V is ignoring my whining. I'll keep it up anyway. Or I could up the ante to whining that I need goats so he settles for a tortoise.
Thank you Bamrz, I'll get a set too. I'd have to order yarn to make my own, so it's cheaper for me to Amazon them.
Cool and damp here again, my weatherliar was wrong if you can imagine that. I think it's time to close the pool for the year. We got 2 weeks use from it this year, so not really worth the salt and electricity it uses. darn it all.
I really liked Burt, the news makes me sad.
Thank you Bamrz, I'll get a set too.
I'd have to order yarn to make my own, so it's cheaper for me to Amazon them.Cool and damp here again, my weatherliar was wrong if you can imagine that. I think it's time to close the pool for the year. We got 2 weeks use from it this year, so not really worth the salt and electricity it uses. darn it all.
I really liked Burt, the news makes me sad.
Good morning.
Tortoises are herbivorous I feed weeds and grass. But the goats would eat much more and clear the fields and woods for ya. WE had them wen I was a kid. The only thing I didn't like was the milking.
Tortoises are herbivorous I feed weeds and grass. But the goats would eat much more and clear the fields and woods for ya. WE had them wen I was a kid. The only thing I didn't like was the milking.
Good morning. See, I need both!
Today is fence repair for Mr. V. I cleaned the coop yesterday, so today I'm just working on laundry. We do need to go over to the camper and check on it, I'm thinking a fire and s'mores are in order this evening over there. The season is almost over, the campground locks the gates on 10/15.
Today is fence repair for Mr. V. I cleaned the coop yesterday, so today I'm just working on laundry. We do need to go over to the camper and check on it, I'm thinking a fire and s'mores are in order this evening over there. The season is almost over, the campground locks the gates on 10/15.
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