No, I’m not celebrating Christmas now, I’m simply getting around to posting all the gifts I made for Christmas. Well, most of the gifts. I forgot to take pictures of a couple.
I had to mail the presents for my niece and her family. She got 4 wool dryer balls and 2 cotton potholders.
My nephew and his family also had their gifts mailed. Also 4 dryer balls and 2 potholders.
Also mailed were gifts to my dear friends in West-by-god-Virginia – 4 dryer balls and 2 pairs of hand knitted socks. They had dropped several not-so-subtle hints for socks. 😉
For all 26 dryer balls that I made, I started at the thrift stores. I bought 100% wool sweaters, cut the seams, and unraveled, and wound them into balls. Then I needle felted some really beautiful roving from Cindie onto the outside before doing the wet finishing.
Then I was able to give gifts in person on Christmas day. I forgot to take photos of the 6 dryer balls I gave my son or the knitted socks for my son-in-law, but did get other photos. My daughter had admired a Katniss-inspired cowl, so I crocheted one of those, from this pattern. I’m not that good at crochet, and using this super bulky yarn didn’t make it any easier, so I’m not particularly proud of it, but I got it done.
My daughter also got a pincushion I’d made from a felted wool sweater – CORRECTION: fulled, not felted.
Then my grandson got a knitted superhero. This was BY FAR the most time consuming thing I made. Took me FOREVER, at least in part because the orange yarn I chose was fuzzy and hard to work with. I used this book, and the instructions were clear and easy to follow. The tiger’s body is about 11″ long, plus tail.
He liked it, and asked if I could make him a Domo Kun. I agreed, although I assured him it wouldn’t come quickly. He got it about a week ago. I used felt, hand stitched it together in just over 2 hours from start to finish. This pattern served me well. I put my remote in the picture for size.
I wasn’t able to get together with my sisters until mid-January. They each got 4 dryer balls and a pincushion, also made from old wool sweaters. The first dryer ball is in a tiny clay pot, the second in a little jelly jar.
So you see, I was busy!
The dryer balls must have taken about 26 sweaters to complete. And the hours you put into them. I was trying to describe how you made them the other day, and my explanation was really bad. I guess I didn’t pay enough attention when you told me how you did it!
I’m amazed at the range of colors you achieved in the balls!
The SUPERhero is SUPER! That must have been a great book of patterns you found!
Thanks again for all your hard work!
Alma – For the first few sweaters I got 4 balls per sweater. Then I found one of those really thick, scratchy wool sweaters from South America and got 8 dryer balls out of it. Hah! Buy thick sweaters, not fine wool!
I achieved the colors from the roving I bought, not the sweaters themselves. You can’t see the sweater color in most of the balls.
Judy – I learned my creativity from my big sisters 😉
Theresa – He did turn out well, even though I didn’t really enjoy making him. Called him “that damn tiger” for what seemed like weeks during the making.
Tobie – I was pleasantly surprised to find wool sweaters at the thrift stores; I didn’t expect to.
Wonderful gifts! Lucky recipients.
Our goodwills and other used thrift stores have lots of sweaters but rarely wool. When I see one, I snap it up even if I have no plans
for it.
Great gifts. Lucky super hero recipient! That one is way too cute.
And what awesome gifts they all are! Love love love each and every one Peg and am happy to see the photos of them all. Handmade gifts are the best! You’re so creative and talented!!! Love you! ?