
Please don't leave comments that if I really wanted to be eco-friendly I would just hang my clothes outside to air dry. We live in a desert and everything that's outside for more than a minute is covered in a fine layer of dust. So, I'm doing my best here and I dug through my yarn stash to find some half used skeins of wool to make dryer balls.
In case you haven't heard of them before, folks across the interwebs claim that dryer balls can reduce the time your laundry needs in the dryer and reduce wrinkles in your clothes. Also, if you add a few drops of your favorite essential oil to the dryer balls you can even make your laundry smell fresher. I'll let you judge for yourself if the claims are true.
I think using three dryer balls in the laundry works nicely, but you can use more or less if you like.
Small Crochet Dryer Balls Pattern
Materials
- worsted weight, 100% wool yarn)
- US E (3.5 mm) crochet hook
- digital food scale (optional)
- scented essential oil (optional)
Abbreviations
ch - chainsl st - slip stitch
sc - single crochet
dec - decrease by inserting the hook in the next st and draw up a loop, insert the hook in the next st and draw up a loop, yarn over and draw through all three loops
Directions
There's no need to work a gauge swatch for this project, however you will need to use a hook that is a few sizes smaller than what the yarn label recommends in order to make the top and bottom of the balls curve slightly.Also, it doesn't really matter which side of your work is the right side because the stitches become much less noticeable after felting. The pattern is worked in continuous rounds. so no need to turn your work at the end of each round.
Ch 3, sl st in first ch to form a loop (or you can use the magic loop method), ch 1.
If you want them to smell extra nice, add 3-5 drops of your favorite essential oil to each ball. I like jasmine best. Let the oil soak in over night. You can add a few more drops of oil any time the dryer balls start to lose their scent.
Now, just toss in your dryer balls when you are drying clean laundry for fluffier, fresher smelling laundry with less wrinkles. At least that's what my skeptical hubby believes. ;)