DIY Wool Balls

So simple!  Wool dryer balls made from scraps of upcycled wool sweaters, wool ends of yarn, and wool roving.  They can be used as dryer balls to cut down on drying time and save energy; or as cat toys (add a little catnip or a small bell inside before felting); or dog toys; or soft playtoys for toddlers to toss and catch.

How to make wool felted balls:
1) Make a small bundle of 100% woolen sweater scraps.  These can be off-cuts from any larger felting project you've used your sweaters for.  Any colour will be fine as you won't see this inner core once the ball is finished.

2) Wind 100% wool yarn around the woolen sweater scraps tightly.  Wind into a small ball, several inches in diametre (completely cover up the woolen sweater scraps with your yarn windings). 

3) Then wind layers of wool roving in colours you like (these will be visible) around the yarn ball.  The thinner the layers the better.

4) Stuff you wool ball into an old nylon stocking and tie up tightly to secure.

5) Repeat with as many balls as you like, to fill up the whole nylon.

6) Wash on hot, 2-3 full cycles in a load with towels.  Wool will be tightly felted once you are done!  Remove from the nylon, let balls dry.  Then use!

For dryer use, they can be sprinkled with a bit of pure lavender essential oil (or other scent) optional.  Use 2-12 per load (more balls decreases drying time). 

We LOVE these balls to toss around with our toddler, and for our cat to play with. They make lovely gifts, simple and recycled, and useful too.

A Little Bird Told Me Craft Sale Vendor Profile: Once Upon A Tree

Over the weeks leading upto our annual handmade holiday craft sale, "A Little Bird Told Me", on Sat, Dec 10, we are highlighting each one of the participating vendors.  Here is a short interview with Trevor Ewert from Once Upon A Tree:

Little City Farm: Describe the products you will have at the Little Bird Sale?

Once Upon A Tree: Food grade salad and fruit bowls and cutting/serving boards in various sizes.

 

Little City Farm:  How did you learn this craft?

Once Upon A Tree: I've been involved in woodworking for over 15 years as a violin bowmaker and am now making wooden objects for a wider audience.

Little City Farm: What inspires your craft?

Once Upon A Tree: The materials I use are really the inspiration for the craft.  Domestic local hardwoods and burls present some of the most highly figured and beautiful wood that can be obtained anywhere.

Little City Farm: Describe how your craft is eco-friendly?

Once Upon A Tree: All of my bowls and boards are made from domestic species that have grown no further than 50 miles from here.  Much of the wood is salvaged from roadside work done by hydro or roads crews, and the rest is purchased from firewood/pallet operations.

Little City Farm:  Do you have favourite music to listen to while you craft?

Once Upon A Tree: Too noisy to listen to music with the machine tools running.

Little City Farm: Do you have a website/blog/online store?

www.onceuponatree.ca

Find Trevor from Once Upon A Tree selling his gorgeous one-of-a-kind wooden bowls and cutting boards at the A Little Bird Told Me Sale!

Gathering wood

We are always on the look-out for wood - firewood for the winter months, and firewood for the outdoor bread oven.  The nice thing about the bread oven is that it really only needs the smallest pieces to make a good baking fire, so the larger logs stay stacked up for heating our house.  Now, during tree trimming season, it seems to be the best time to collect firewood.  We have done some trimming in our own yard, mostly Manitoba maples which need to come down before they get too large.  Since we've moved to this property we had let them grow to create a quick privacy screen from neighbouring properties, and are now cutting them back to create more gardens, a new pond for the greywater recycling expansion here, and plant in the fruit trees and others we do want here longterm.  We also are fortunate to have friends around the city offer us wood - for example, yesterday, a neighbour Trevor (owner of Once Upon a Tree, where he makes gorgeous artisan bowls from reclaimed wood) brought by a traile load of wood from a tree just taken down in their yard.  Stacking the wood is incredibly meditative for me; Greg finds his zen in the physicality of chopping the larger logs; and Maya created her own game of making a "campfire" with the smallest twigs. 

Wool Pants from Sew Oiseau

Our little daughter has been staying cozy with these wonderful woolen pants, made by our friend at Sew Oiseau (www.sewoiseau.com) - from recycled wool sweaters! We absolutely love these pants - she had another pair of striped ones that are already outgrown, and now she's ready for this lovely green earthy coloured pair. Since they are still quite long and baggy, we simply roll them up, and they should fit at least another year - a great investment! As they are 100% wool they also help to keep the body dry by wicking away moisture, and soaking up any stray diaper leaks. By the way, Sew Oiseau also creates a beautiful line of adult clothing - shawls, wraps, skirts, sweaters, shirts, sloves (fingerless gloves) - all made from upcycled wool sweaters.

I'm considering the purchase of a new sewing machine (I've been working on a vintage one speed one stitch Viking model purchase by my mom for $160 from an Eaton's store in 1975 - not a bad machine back in those days - on which she sewed many of our clothes, curtains, bedding, pillows and more over the years). I've decided it's time to upgrade as I have a huge list of unfinished sewing projects that I'd like to whittle away at during the indoor winter months - clothing for Maya, mending, at least one quilt, some lavender & buckwheat dream pillows, woolen stuffed animals...and I'd like to have a few more options on my machine.

I do have an ancient Singer treadle sewing machine, and in case of emergency can always fall back on this - it must be over 100 years old as I found a very similar model on the internet dated 1901. It is a beautiful machine, has a heavy cast iron body and full wooden sewing table and five drawers for sewing accessories (notions). I have a friend who does all her sewing on an old treadle like this, very inspiring!

The Compact - Can you go a year without buying anything new?

After my recent post where I was musing about a year of buying nothing (or nothing new), a friend sent me information about a movement called The Compact. This international movement started in San Francisco in 2004 when a group of friends was sitting at a dinner party discussing the frustrations of recycling and consumer culture. They set up the "experiment" to live a year without buying anything new (other than a few necessities like medication, underwear and foodl). The movement now consists of thousands of participants, and numerous websites and blogs, where people look at how:

1) to go beyond recycling in trying to counteract the negative global environmental and socioeconomic impacts of U.S. consumer culture, to resist global corporatism, and to support local businesses, farms, etc;
2) to reduce clutter and waste in our homes (as in trash Compact-er);
3) to simplify our lives (as in Calm-pact)

Resources: www.groups.yahoo.com/group/thecompact/