It was a challenge on Thanksgiving eve. The house had been cleaned and all the projects lying about had been hastily stored away.  I needed a project that would not require pulling out a lot of supplies, and one that I could start and finish so I did not have to deal with storing a WiP while company was here for Thanksgiving.

Inspiration arrived while I was folding laundry.

Dryer ball

I’ve made felted dryer balls before. One of my cats goes crazy for them, and so when I make them, she usually grabs it and I don’t have the heart to take it away. After they get beat up enough that they are fuzzy, they go back to their original purpose for a while. If I throw them into a load or two being done in hot water, then into the dryer, they return to a smooth shape.

Using felted  dryer balls serves two purposes. It reduces static cling (and the need for fabric softener) and it reduces the time needed for a load to be dried (saving energy).  These can be made with wool yarn rolled into a ball and then tied into an old nylon stocking and washed in hot water. Or, if you are like me and have some extra wool roving in your stash, they can be needle felted.  This may look like it will come apart, but those fibers are bound together. I will put this through the wash and dry cycle next time I do laundry to really get it tight, unless it gets claimed by a certain kitty first.

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone who celebrates it on Thursday! May your turkeys be juicy and your hearts (and bellies) be full.

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