# So talk me through my newest idea...



## hercsmama (Jan 15, 2004)

So, earlier this summer, I did a nice thing and bought a huge amount of wool from a group of 4H girls. They had a silent auction, and I came away with large feed sacks of fleeces. Mostly lambs, and rams, some just too short for proper spinning, but it was for a good cause, so no worries on my part.
Mind you, it all weighs somewhere close to 100 pounds or so, maybe a bit more..
I really need to do something with it, rather than just composting it or letting it rot out in the feed sacks. It hasn't been skirted, the girls did the shearing, so lot's of seconds, it's a mess....
I was thinking, as I am already planning on doing the Farmers Market next year, what if I turn all of this filthy, too short wool, into dryer balls, and maybe felted soaps to sell?:bored:
I could maybe make back some of the 90.00 I spent on it, get it out of my Broken house/storage building, and have something to keep me busy all winter long...
The only real questions are, I have no idea if they would sell, what to sell them for, or what type of soap to use..
Any ideas?


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## kandmcockrell (Oct 10, 2008)

i love my dryer balls! hand made soap would be good if you could maybe find some to purchase in bulk. maybe you could get the end cuts, that aren't so pretty. Know what i mean? Once encased in the wool, it would not matter. your could have fun with dyes for the felted soap bars as well.


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## Maura (Jun 6, 2004)

You have to wash it first. I think felted soaps would be great. I don&#8217;t know anything about dryer balls. Use the short fibers with some longer fibers for the felting. I don&#8217;t know what the ratio should be, short:long, but felted bags may be good sellers.


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## kandmcockrell (Oct 10, 2008)

What about felted potholders? My favorite potholder is knitted out of wool then felted. Maybe you could wet felt sheets thick enough, or layer and quilt them together. Then crochet and edge, if you crochet, to hold them together as well as be decorative. You could do trivets too! 

http://soulflowerfarm.blogspot.com/2012/08/wet-felting-with-raw-wool.html

I wonder if you can do it like in the link above, but not having to card it. Maybe just teasing the ends open?


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## hercsmama (Jan 15, 2004)

Great thoughts ladies!
Maura, this is all pretty short, but I have a ton of that Alpaca, that's pretty long.
Maybe I could mix and match there......
As far as washing, dh just called, and I mentioned it to him. He's on board to help!
He suggested that he rig a screen for the bathtub, being a plumber his first concern is always the drains, lol.:teehee:


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## Kasota (Nov 25, 2013)

There were some outrageously fun hats at Shepherd's Harvest that were felted.  I have only a poor picture...but it gives a little idea anyway. 

I would LOVE to make some of these but I have no clue how.


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## DragonFlyFarm (Oct 12, 2012)

What about cat toys -- make 'em the same way you do dryer balls, but much smaller. After the balls are felted, you can do some needle felting designs on them. Super cute and cats love them. Dryer balls also double as dog toys.......Can't wait to see what you come up with!


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## Kasota (Nov 25, 2013)

Oh, there have got to be tons of needle felting ideas on Pinterest! That's a great idea!


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## Kasota (Nov 25, 2013)

Oh, here is another one that I used to do with fiber seconds from my friend's alpacas. We would felt them into shoe or boot liners. We just did the bottoms, not the whole liner that covers the whole inside of the boot. They were soooo warm!! The hunters and farmers just loved them. It gave them a whole extra layer of insulation between their foot and the frozen ground.


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## StarofHearts (Jan 6, 2014)

Felt beads dyed all sorts of fabulous colors.


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## Marchwind (May 10, 2002)

Dryer balls are super easy to make. Gather knee highs and/or pantyhose cram a huge over stuffed handful of fibers into the toe of the hose and tie a knot above the wad. Make sure you have it tightly packed in the toe. Them do it again just above that knot and tie another know above the second blob of wool and tie another knot keeping it all tight. I would experiment with one of two first to make sure you have a wool that will felt. Toss the hose with the wool into the washing machine with towels or or work clothes. If you have a top load it works a lot better than a front load. Ater the wash toss it into the dryer with all the clothes. When it is finished cut the hose away and peel them off the balls. If the balls aren't as hard/firm as you want them you can toss them back into the dryer with more wet clothes if you want. You can add colored yarns or locks or roving. The felt balls also make great toys and bath toys for babies and little kids (hint, hint).


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## Kasota (Nov 25, 2013)

I love you, Marchwind! I am going to make some of those!!!


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## Marchwind (May 10, 2002)

Love you too Kasota :kissy: let us know how they work out. Obviously, or not, you want to stuff a LOT of fibers down in those hose. Ball the up as well as you are able. Remember they will shrink down and be a smaller ball when it is all said and done.


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## featherbottoms (May 28, 2005)

I don't own or use a dryer but I've been following this thread. Now I have to ask, what do you use felted dryer balls for?


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## Taylor R. (Apr 3, 2013)

You use them in place of fabric softener, featherbottoms. They remove the static beautifully.

Debi, some of the rich ladies I used to clean house for were obsessed with felted soap. I imagine both would sell just fine!


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## DragonFlyFarm (Oct 12, 2012)

You can also make your dryer/cat/dog balls with regular socks instead of panty hose.....I can only get a few uses out of the panty hose, but can use the socks over and over. The dollar store is a great place to get the socks.....kid size for smaller balls, adult size for larger ones.


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## hercsmama (Jan 15, 2004)

DFF, thanks forthe tip on the dollar store socks!
I went into Goodwill this morning looking for old pantyhose, they didn't have any. 
I haven't worn the stuff in at least 20 years, pantyhose and Texas just do not go together, way to hot! Needless to say, I was figuring I would spend a fortune buying them. I'll be back in town Sunday, so I'll hit the dollar store then, Thanks again!


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## Marchwind (May 10, 2002)

You can get pantyhose at the dollar store too. They don't have to be quality. I'm such a pack rat that I have lots left over from my days of corporate life. I'll have to try the sock idea.


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## 7thswan (Nov 18, 2008)

As Kasota suggested, felted boot sole liners-but make just sheets of felt and let people cut their own,set out an example for people to see. I can't find the liners for boots -ever anymore.And the soles cut out can be used with knitting and crochet for those crafters that go to shows. Another thing-felted Mucklucks , There are many on pinterest, I have even pinned some. Great for those of us that like to barefoot in the summer, they are nice in dry snow.


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