Merrilyn's Sheep Wool Dryer Balls (Set of 3)

Felted on a sheep farm in western Victoria Three of her ewes, felted into dryer balls you’ll use for years. Solid wool from Merrilyn Dunstan’s own Suffolk-cross mob, felted from the centre out, with a black sheep face needled in by hand. Toss three in with a wet load instead of a dryer sheet – and leave them in for the next one. Final run · last two shearings“I made them look like what was standing in my shed.” — Merrilyn 3balls per box 2009felting since 0added fragrance Made by hand on the Dunstan farm In 2009 the wool cheque came back smaller than the shearers’ bill, and the plan was to burn the fleeces. Merrilyn carried them into her kitchen instead. She washed them in a stockpot, rolled them into tight balls and felted them in the washing machine until they bounced. Her six-year-old granddaughter asked for faces like the sheep – so every ball has had one since. Seventeen years and roughly 30,000 boxes later, the 220 acres of leased paddocks her mob has run on since 1979 have been sold to a carbon-farming company, and her lease runs out on 31 December. Thirty-four acres of her own will carry maybe twenty ewes. What you can order now is the wool from the last two shearings, already felted and boxed. When it’s gone, there is no more. Her daughter Kirsty packs every order between her school bus runs and writes the card that goes inside. “If you’re going to give somebody a box with my sheep on it,” Merrilyn says, “it ought to come with a few words from us.” Merrilyn Dunstan Sheep farmer · Hamilton, Victoria What arrives at your door 3 wool dryer ballsEach about the size of a tennis ball, each with its own hand-needled sheep face. A window gift boxReady to give as it is – the three faces look out through the window. A handwritten cardWritten by Merrilyn’s daughter Kirsty for every single order. How to use them Load the dryer as usual and drop three balls in with the wet laundry. For big loads of towels or bedding, use six. Skip the dryer sheet and fabric softener. The balls do their work by tumbling, not by coating your fabric. Dry on your normal setting. Check the load a little earlier than you’re used to the first few times – many people find it’s done sooner. Leave them in the drum for the next load. Want a scent? Add two or three drops of essential oil to one ball and let it soak in before use. Six things that make these different No. 01Felted solid, no core No stuffing, no plastic centre, no yarn wound round the outside. Felted from the middle out, so there is nothing to unravel in your dryer. No. 02Wool from one flock Every fleece grew in the Dunstan paddocks and was washed in Merrilyn’s kitchen. Nothing is bought in. No. 03Faces needled by hand The black face is wool too, worked into the ball with a felting needle – a few hundred jabs each. Not printed, not glued. No. 04Nothing added No added fragrance and no softening coating. They smell like clean wool, which is to say almost nothing. No. 05Load after load They go back in the drum instead of in the bin. Merrilyn’s own first set from 2009 is still working. No. 06Fluffier towels, less cling By keeping the load apart while it tumbles, they help towels come out loose instead of stiff and cut down on static cling. Dryer sheets vs. Merrilyn’s wool balls Dryer sheet Merrilyn’s wool balls How long it lasts One load, then the bin Years of loads How it softens Leaves a thin coating on fabric Tumbles the load apart, nothing left behind On towels Many towel makers advise against it Made for towel loads Scent Built-in perfume None added – your choice of oil Where it comes from A factory, by the box One flock, one kitchen, one family From someone who handles a lot of wool “The quality difference in dryer balls is almost all in the felting. A ball that’s felted solid through holds its shape and keeps working for years. One that’s just yarn wrapped over a core starts coming apart in months. Merrilyn’s are the dense kind – you can tell by the bounce.” — Graeme Hosking, retired wool classer, Western District Quality you can check yourself Three things to try the day your box arrives Squeeze it. A solid-felted ball barely gives under your thumb. A yarn-wrapped one feels spongy, because there is loose stuffing or a core under the surface. Drop it on a hard floor. Merrilyn’s bounce back up. That bounce is the density, and the density is what keeps them working for years instead of months. Look at the edge of the face. The black wool runs into the white without a line, a seam or a glue edge. You can’t peel it off, because there is nothing to peel. What you get with every box Wool from one mob on one Victorian farm, washed and felted in one farmhouse kitchen A sheep face needled in by hand on every ball – three in every box A handwritten card from Kirsty, not a printed insert Free shipping Australia-wide with tracking, dispatched within 1–2 business days 90 days to try them in your own dryer, with your money back if they’re not for you Perfect for Towels & bath sheetsSheets & beddingFleece & flannelChristmas presentsStocking fillersSheep loversNew homeownersNans who have everything Good to know Each face is needled by hand, so no two are exactly alike. You will hear a soft thump in the drum. Most people stop noticing after a few loads. They get greyer and fuzzier over time. That’s normal and doesn’t change how they work. Every batch is washed twice in hot water before boxing. If you’re cautious, start them with a dark load. For tumble dryers. Results vary with your dryer, load size and fabrics. 90-day money-back guarantee Use them for three months. If they don’t earn their spot in your dryer, send them back and you get your money back. “Somebody else will want them,” as Merrilyn puts it. Orders are dispatched within 1–2 business days. Care: If they start to feel flat after a long time, wash them on hot with a load of towels and dry on high – that tightens the felt again. Store them dry between uses. Essential oils: Let the oil soak fully into the wool before the next load so it doesn’t touch damp fabric directly. Product details Contents 3 wool dryer balls in a window gift box, handwritten card Material Felted sheep’s wool, solid (no core); faces in black wool Size About the size of a tennis ball each Fragrance None added Use Tumble dryers; 3 per normal load, 6 for large loads Made by Merrilyn Dunstan · near Hamilton, Victoria Shipping Dispatched within 1–2 business days Guarantee 90 days, money back