The felting group that makes our dryer balls, CBA Handcrafts, was founded in 2002 by Hari Basnet in the Balaju area of Kathmandu, Nepal. After Hari passed away, his wife, son, and nephew took over the business. CBA employs 15 women with steady work and fair wages. In addition to the wages, there is a Worker’s Development Fund. For each item produced, 10 Rupees is deposited into the fund in order to provide low-interest loans to workers for special needs or projects. Soba has worked for CBA for 10 years. When asked about her favorite part of working at CBA, she said, “I can buy my own food, my own clothes. Economic empowerment allows me to be independent.”

Sheep’s wool is an amazingly adaptable fiber. It can be dyed any color and, when hand-felted using warm mildly soapy water, it can be molded into any shape. Because the felting is all done by hand with natural materials that can be sustainably harvested, hand-felted products have a relatively soft impact on the environment.