Last boxes from Iona’s final shearing • In 7 active carts • Going fast
Iona's Sheep Wool Dryer Balls (Set of 3)
Iona's Sheep Wool Dryer Balls (Set of 3)
Ships within 1–2 days
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Iona's Sheep Wool Dryer Balls (Set of 3)
Felted on a hill farm in Antigonish County, Nova Scotia
Three of her ewes, felted into dryer balls you’ll use for years.
Solid wool from Iona MacPhail’s own Suffolk-cross flock, 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 barn.” — Iona
Made by hand on the MacPhail farm
In 2009 the wool cheque came back smaller than the shearer’s bill, and the plan was to burn the fleeces. Iona carried them into her kitchen instead. She washed them in a canning kettle, 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-acre hill pasture next door, which her flock has grazed since 1979, has been sold to a buyer from Ontario for cottage lots, and her lease ends on December 31. 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 Krista packs every order between her school bus routes and writes the card that goes inside. “If you’re going to give somebody a box with my sheep on it,” Iona says, “it ought to come with a few words from us.”
Iona MacPhail
Shepherd · Antigonish, Nova Scotia
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 Iona’s daughter Krista 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 liquid 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
Felted solid, no core
No stuffing, no plastic centre, no yarn wound around the outside. Felted from the middle out, so there is nothing to unravel in your dryer.
Wool from one flock
Every fleece grew on the MacPhail hill and was washed in Iona’s kitchen. Nothing is bought in.
Faces 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.
Nothing added
No added fragrance and no softening coating. They smell like clean wool, which is to say almost nothing.
Load after load
They go back in the drum instead of in the garbage. Iona’s own first set from 2009 is still working.
Fluffier 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. Iona’s wool balls
| Dryer sheet | Iona’s wool balls | |
|---|---|---|
| How long it lasts | One load, then the garbage | 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. Iona’s are the dense kind – you can tell by the bounce.”
— Duncan MacEachern, retired wool grader, Nova Scotia wool co-op
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. Iona’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 flock on one Nova Scotia hill, 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 Krista, not a printed insert
- Free shipping across Canada with tracking, sent out 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
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 Iona puts it.
Orders ship 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 | Iona MacPhail · near Antigonish, Nova Scotia |
| Shipping | Within 1–2 business days |
| Guarantee | 90 days, money back |
The Last Shearing
The Last Shearing
A note from the farm:
Iona MacPhail has kept Suffolk-cross sheep on a hill farm outside Antigonish, Nova Scotia, since 1979. In 2009 the wool cheque came back smaller than the shearer’s bill, so instead of burning the fleeces she felted them into dryer balls at her kitchen table and gave each one a face like her ewes. Seventeen years and roughly 30,000 boxes later, the hill pasture her flock grazes has been sold and her lease ends on December 31. What is left is the wool from the last two shearings. When these boxes are gone, there will not be more.
Free Shipping
Free Shipping
Free shipping across Canada
- Ships within 1–2 business days, delivery in 5–10 business days
- Every box is packed by hand with a handwritten card
- 3 wool dryer balls per box, each about the size of a tennis ball (7 cm)
- 90-day money-back guarantee — just email info@craft-folk.com
Frequently Asked Questions
Got a question? Here's how to reach us.
Got a question? Here's how to reach us.
My daughter Krista and I personally respond to every single email — as fast as we possibly can. Whether you have a question about your order or just want to talk sheep, we're here.
You can reach us:
- Mon – Fri: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM (AT)
- Saturday: 10:00 AM – 3:00 PM (AT)
Email: info@craft-folk.com
Can I return my order if I don't like it?
Can I return my order if I don't like it?
Of course. We stand behind everything on Craft Folk 100%. If you're not happy, neither are we. Just shoot us an email within 90 days and we'll make it right — no hassle, no headaches.
How are your products made?
How are your products made?
Every single product on Craft Folk is 100% handmade — crafted by hand, using only premium quality materials. We're proud to carry on a tradition of craftsmanship that has been passed down through generations.