Showing posts with label dryer balls. Show all posts
Showing posts with label dryer balls. Show all posts

Wednesday, June 1, 2016

Felt Dryer Balls- Part 3 of 3

Wrapping wool covered balls...


                                        ...with bright roving and colorful yarn ties.



                                               Variegated 'thick and thin' yarn...



                               ...is used to create spirals and other festive designs. 


                                             Wet-felting with soap, hot water...



                                              ...and lots of rubbing and rolling.



                                                          The finished balls...



                                                                  ...drying.



                                                       All of them together...



                                         ...with their various decorative accents...



                                                       ...standing in a row...



                                               ...or clustered around 'mother'! ;)



                                            They do take a long time to air dry...

                      ...but you can speed that up by simply using them right away!



                                            They work beautifully as intended...

                            ...(as non-chemical fabric softeners in the tumble dryer)...



                                          ...and they 'collect' any errant tissues...

                                        ...that make it through the wash cycle!! :)



Monday, May 30, 2016

Felt Dryer Balls- Part 2 of 3

Winding small balls of acrylic yarn...

...(for dense centers)...


                              ...and wrapping them with multiple, thin layers of wool...



                                                              ...from a batt.


       
                                            Adding decorative embellishments...

                                            ...like lengths of dyed tussah silk...



                                              ...bits of brightly colored roving...
     

                                             ...windings of highly textured yarn...



                                   ...or snippets of pre-felt (made with silk paper)...



                                                     ...for a bit of shimmer.


                                            Two of the fully wrapped dryer balls...

                                                       ...awaiting wet-felting.



                                                    Next time: a bright yarn spiral...

                                        ...and all of my completed dryer balls.

Saturday, May 28, 2016

Felt Dryer Balls- Part 1 of 3

Winding small, dense balls of acrylic yarn...


                                  ...and covering them with layers of wool roving...



                                               ...and bright embellishments!

              (A couple of jabs with a felting needle help to hold everything in place.)



                           Carefully inserting the ball into the toe of a nylon stocking...

                                        ...and tying it closed with a piece of yarn.



                                                     Preparing a second ball...

                                                   ...with hand-dyed roving.



                     After popping them into the washing machine with a load of clothes...



                                           ...I cut them free from their 'casings'. :)



                      Because I'm not happy with the quality of the finished felt at first...



                                      ...I wet-felt them again in the 'usual' manner.



                                                   Next time: more balls!! ;)