I do love a simple pattern for dishcloths. This is a variation of my go-to pattern, which can be found here. As always, you may use the pattern below to make your own, or you can hop over to Hamlin Craftworks and buy a few!
Row 1: DC in third chain from hook and dc across. Turn. (27)
Row 2-12: Chain 2 (doesn’t count as a stitch), dc in first stitch and each stitch across. Turn. (27)
For the border, you can change colors or not, whichever you prefer. Work sc around the edges, with 1 sc in each stitch along the top and bottom, 3 sc in each corner, and 2 sc in each dc along the sides.
Finish off.
For me, this pattern works up to be roughly 9″ by 8″, which I think is a good size for a dishcloth. The size is easily adjusted by adding or removing chains or rows to get the size you desire.
I first heard about dryer balls a year or so ago, but I didn’t give them more than a passing thought. Someone mentioned them to me a few months ago, and since Craftworks was up and running, I figured I’d look into it a bit more. I discovered that dryer balls are very easy to make and do a wonderful job. They reduce both the drying time and static electricity. I haven’t used fabric softener since I started making these. Since they last a really long time (2-3 years or 1000 loads, depending on who you ask), they’re saving me money in multiple ways.
Making these are easy, but if you’d rather, you can just pop over to Hamlin Craftworks and buy a set – that’s even easier!
I use 100% wool in my dryer balls. I don’t stuff the middle with old socks or t-shirts like I’ve seen suggested on some sites. The only thing I occasionally do is, if I can get a really good price on one particular wool, I’ll use that for the center and use the slightly more expensive wool for the outside. This lets me save a little money and offer a larger selection of colors in the store.
The key is to make sure you’re using 100% wool, not a wool blend, and not superwash. The blends and superwash wool won’t felt, which dramatically increases your chances of the ball coming unraveled in the dryer and leaving your with a tangled mess of yarn.
These are some of my favorite brands for making dryer balls. I particularly like the Patons Wool Roving and the Wool Naturals. KnitPicks is nice for the colors, but the thicker the yarn, the easier it is to felt. Be aware, just as with any yarn, very dark colors may bleed during the wash cycle.
So, to make wool dryer balls.
1 – Wind the wool into a ball and secure the end. I like to poke a crochet hook through the ball, grab the loose end, and pull it back through. Any little tail left over, I just weave in. I’ve found this is a particularly good way to keep the ball from unraveling.
2 – Place the balls into a nylon stocking and put a knot between each ball. I’ve found that I can get five balls into a knee high. Both the stocking and the knot are important because they keep the balls from felting onto your clothes or each other. Be prepared to lose the stocking, though, as you may end up having to cut the balls out.
3 – Run the balls through multiple loads of laundry, both washing and drying. It’s best if you can do at least one load with hot water and high heat to dry. I’ve found that three to four loads works well for me (not to mention it gets my towels super clean). After the last pass through the dryer, remove the balls from the stocking. If you’re more skilled (or just luckier) than I, you might be able to untie the knots and gently pull the balls out of the stocking. I tried that once. Now I just cut the knots and rip the stockings. It’s much less stressful. The more loads you put the balls through, and particularly the more loads with hot water you use, the more the wool will felt, and the more likely it is to stick to the stocking. It will pull apart, you just have to be patient.
I don’t make exceptionally large balls, so I use six in the dryer. Fewer would work with most loads, but I’m lazy and don’t feel like having to look around for the extra ball or two if I do a large load of towels. The six balls live in the dryer – when I pull the dry clothes out, I toss the balls back in so I know they’ll be there the next time I need them.
Florence has come and gone (for us, at least) and we’ve made it through with minimal damage, unlike the poor folks in eastern North Carolina.
The chickens were freaked starting on the 14th and spent most of that day tucked up in the front corner of their pen.
On the 15th, the wind really picked up, but by the end of the day on the 16th, the worst had moved through.
Thankfully, we got most of the wind before the rain fell, so at least the ground wasn’t already saturated. I have a feeling that if it had been reversed, we’d have had a lot more trees down than we did. We were also super lucky that the bulk of the limbs and trees that came down did so well away from the house, vehicles, fence, and coop. There were a couple of limbs that came down right beside the chicken pen, which made me glad I’d left their coop door open for them to escape if they needed. A tree also landed on the back corner of the fence. I spotted it from the kitchen and was able to move the tree and push the fence back up enough to still be a decent barrier for the dogs.
I’ve been tossing around ideas for marketing my proofreading business and decided to Google court reporter conferences to see what might be local-ish to me. I was really anticipating that I’d missed everything for this year, but luck was on my side. The South Carolina Court Reporters Association (SCCRA) State Conference is next month, only about 45 minutes away from me, and they’re still accepting vendors! Hamlin Proofreading is officially registered at the upcoming conference. It’s two days, so hopefully that will give me a lot of time to talk to folks about using a proofreader, and, more importantly, hiring me. Fingers crossed!
With Florence heading our way, it’s time to start prepping. I’m out in the country and on a well, so I have to make sure the animals and I are good for a few days without power and water.
Took a trip into town and came back with bags of kibble and chicken feed, a few gallons of drinking water, bread for peanut butter sandwiches, and other non-perishable foods that don’t have to be cooked to eat. And, of course, the all-important hurricane chocolate. Note to self: save that until Florence actually gets here.
Here at the house, I’ve rinsed out old milk and orange juice jugs and filled them with water to use for washing and flushing, should it be necessary. I’ll fill tubs and buckets when we get closer, since those will sit out on the carport and I don’t want to hatch any more mosquitoes than necessary. I’m moving all the loose items to covered areas and securing as much as possible. I also have several flashlights, batteries, candles, and matches easily accessible for when the power goes out.
I’m putting together packs for the dogs and cat, just in case we have to relocate temporarily. Khar gets a bag with kibble, litter and tray, her medical records, and a catnip mousie. Her carrier is out so she won’t panic and hide if it suddenly appears. For the dogs, it’s medical records, medications for Kodiak, kibble, jugs of water (we’ll share), and a couple of bouncy balls. Their crates are already loaded in the van and leashes are hanging by the door.
The pine trees are my biggest concern, and there’s nothing I can do about them. I’ve heard more than once that the lady who used to live here worried about those trees, especially the ones that are right near the house. For some reason, nothing was ever done about them when they were still small enough to deal with easily. Now that they’re huge, the cost of having them cut down is rather prohibitive.
Ah, well. I’ll do what I can and hope things aren’t too bad.
Interesting note: This date last year was my first day at the new job, and we had a hurricane hit us. I’m thinking I should have heeded the warning of the combination of a hurricane and 9/11 as a start date…
If Florence is headed in your direction, here are some good resources for getting prepared:
Since I didn’t have anything else to do, I thought, “Why not?” So I did. I started a second blog, specifically for book reviews. I’ll talk about new releases, old favorites, and everything in between. All books, all the time. If you’re interested, you can find it at All the Books Fit to Eat.
I must have lost my mind. That’s the only thing I can think of that would possibly explain what I’ve done. For some unknown, clearly insane reason, I have booked myself for four craft shows this fall. Two outside, two inside. Two where I can hopefully sell some of my really nice (read: expensive) pieces, and two where I’m more likely to sell smaller, less expensive pieces. I seriously gotta get hookin’.
I’ve got to completely re-do my booth – it was okay for last year’s one show, since it was the first I’d ever done, but it’s certainly not going to be good enough for the two higher-end shows. I need to photograph everything I’ve made and create a portfolio for people to look through. I think I need to get some battery-powered lighting for one of the shows, too. And I need to make more stuff. Did I mention that already? Oh, well. It’s not like I have anything else to do, right? Oy…
If you’re in the area, Hamlin Craftworks will be at the following shows:
Waxhaw Autumn Treasures, October 13th and 14th
Afire Student Ministries Annual Fall Craft Fair, October 27th
Indian Land Fall Festival, November 3rd and 4th
38th Annual B&B Craft Show, November 24th
I first heard about dryer balls a year or so ago, but I didn’t give them more than a passing thought. Someone mentioned them to me a few months ago, and since Craftworks was up and running, I figured I’d look into it a bit more. I discovered that dryer balls are very easy to make and do a wonderful job. They reduce both the drying time and static electricity. I haven’t used fabric softener since I started making these. Since they last a really long time (2-3 years or 1000 loads, depending on who you ask), they’re saving me money in multiple ways.
We were lucky, and I’m grateful for it.
I’ve been tossing around ideas for marketing my proofreading business and decided to Google court reporter conferences to see what might be local-ish to me. I was really anticipating that I’d missed everything for this year, but luck was on my side. The South Carolina Court Reporters Association (SCCRA) State Conference is next month, only about 45 minutes away from me, and they’re still accepting vendors! Hamlin Proofreading is officially registered at the upcoming conference. It’s two days, so hopefully that will give me a lot of time to talk to folks about using a proofreader, and, more importantly, hiring me. Fingers crossed!