Wool Dryer Balls

Have you heard about these?  They're starting to be all the rage.  Word is that you can stop using fabric softener altogether, and just throw a few wool balls in the dryer.  They're supposed to help fluff your clothes, reduce drying time, and prevent static.  They're especially popular among the cloth diapering crowds (which I'm a part of). 
I've been hearing so much about them, and they popped up on one of those deal-a-day site, so I broke down and bought a set of 3.  Do they live up to the hype?  Well, maybe.  I'm not in a position to sit around and time the dryer or stack up my towels and measure loft.  But in the last month, I haven't used any fabric softener except for when I've washed our microfiber blankets (and those are static factories!!).  Fabric softener can leave residue on your clothes that will take a while to wash out.  So I don't know if it has washed outs and the balls are working, or if it's just softener residue leaving my clothes so soft.  Either way I''m using less fabric softener.
I came across this tutorial for making your own dryer balls on craftgawker, and I decided to give it a try.  I followed the directions exactly, except I skipped the wool roving step at the end.  My yarn was designed for felting, and I didn't want to add another product to the shopping list, so I skipped it.  Besides, I had selected a nice colorful yarn, so the pretty wool roving would've hidden it.  I bought the yarn from my fabric/craft superstore:  Bernat brand Felting Natural Wool, color 94222 "Snap Dragon".
After the first pass through the wash, the yarn was still pretty separate, but I just let them go for a few dryer cycles (the dryer will be their new home anyway), and after a few more tumbles, they became nicely felted together.  SUCCESS!!  You can also add a few drops of essential oils,  The set I purchased was lavender fragrance, yumm.
Was it worth the effort?  Well it only took about 15 minutes to wind the balls.  The yarn cost around $7 for 2.6 ounces, and I made 2 from it.  You could go with as little as 1 ounce per ball, I think.  The set I purchased was around $20 for the 1/2 off deal.  I see them on Amazon for as low as $20 and on Etsy with prices ranging up to $60.  I also find it very satisfying to make something useful, and with 3 kids under the age of 5, its difficult to get anything started never mind finishing, so a 15 minute craft is a dream come true.
One more word of caution, these get lost in the wash easily!  They disappear up a sleeve, or get balled up in the corner of your sheets.  The set I bought was natural colors, beige and tan.  I have already lost a ball that I know was in the dryer when I started it, and disappeared after the cycle.  In the future, I will be using BRIGHT colors.
I've seen tutes for wool felted cat toys, bowls, covered soaps, and this delightful bowl.  I am interested...

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