My Own Friday Night Knitting Club - Sort of

I know this will make two posts in one day, but I was still on my "knitter's high" from finishing the wool dryer balls yesterday and wanted to get the yarn for MY wool dryer balls.  So this afternoon I made a quick run to my local yarn store.  Note that I said yarn store, not craft store (like JoAnn's or Michael's or A.C. Moore).  I had already been to the craft store last week and wanted to see more selection of wool yarn. 

I drool every time I go to this store.  The colors and textures are just so beautiful and inspiring.  I always look around to see what's different since my last visit.  The owners/employees always seem so nice when I go in.  Today when I walked in, I looked around for about a minute or two before the lady asked if she could help me find something.  I asked her if she had anything on clearance.  She pointed out to me what she had for 40% off.  I went to look.  Beautiful colors and beautiful yarn.  Wools, organic cotton, merino wool, earth colors, beautiful deep rich colors, jewel colors and pastel colors.  I picked out two skeins each of two colors.  Then I decided to look around a bit. 

I saw sock yarn.  Hmmmmm.  No.  I need to pass for now, because I already have sock yarn and socks to knit.  Come back for sure when they are done.  I saw hand beaded yarn.  Drool.  Then I saw 100% Peruvian Wool in a georgous rainbow of colors.  Heavier weight than what I had in my hands, which should take less time winding.  And it would end up costing about the same, if not a little bit less.  I decided to take it to the register and find out which would be better.  She had felted with the Peruvian Wool before and she said it worked well for felting.

What made it feel like The Friday Night Knitting Club to me??? (If you are a reader/knitter and you haven't read it yet, you should. There were two classes going on.  I don't remember seeing that on my other visits.  I knew they had these classes, just not going on when I've been there.  And just being there in the store in this environment makes me think of my dear knitting friends (stateside and overseas) and the friends who just enjoy hanging out with us as we knit.

So I told her about my project and she had never heard about it.  One of the other ladies there was curious as well.  As I made my purchase and prepared to leave, she asked me to bring them in when I finish them.  Come to think of it, I think she said the same thing when I bought my yarn for my Booga Bags too.  Guess I should take in the Booga Bags and the wool dryer balls soon.
Here's the yarn I came home with.  I love these colors and look forward to the finished project.  Believe me when I say, the picture just doesn't do justice for the yarn.  It's prettier in person.

Make Your Own Wool Dryer Balls

I had seen WAHMs selling wool dryer balls and had even seen some offered at a discount on one of my favorite websites.  But I got to wondering if I could make my own.  So I did a web search.  Was I happy to see that many had made their own? Yes, I was!!
You can find the directions that  I used here.  I made some this week and gave them as a baby shower gift yesterday.  I love the way they turned out and I'm anxious to make some for myself now!

Here's what I did:


I used roving wool in the pink and green colors and the cream was fisherman's wool yarn.

Here's my cores before putting them into the stockings.

Here's my cores ready for the first felting.

After the first felting and the first wool ball rolled ready for the second felting.

All the wool balls rolled and ready for the second felting.

All done!

So why do this?  Because it is a natural product that isn't laden with chemicals.  I've been using those plastic nubby balls, but they only last for so long and I didn't even think about the PVC in them.  I just knew that it wasn't softener, which you aren't suppose to use on baby clothing.  Plus, I'm trying to be "green" where ever I can within my logical capabilities.  My understanding is that these wool balls are suppose to last a very long time.

Over all, it is not too long of a process.  The roving yarn seems to take a little less time to roll.  They did make a lot of noise in the dryer, but they were tied together in the stocking, so they weren't tumbling independently.  I don't think they'll make as much noise when they aren't tied together.  I think I have enough yarn left for me to make cores for myself.  I need to get more yarn to complete my own wool balls though.