And that dog just so happens to have some of the softest fur on the planet. You already know where this is going, don’t you?
I’ve always cringed at discarding the fluffy, furry clouds I get from brushing Kate, our beloved Golden Retriever. For a while my husband was scattering it in the garden to ward off deer, but, truly, it didn’t work. Now he puts it in a little paper bag for me. Sweet, no?
It’s the September issue of Crochet! magazine that’s got us squirreling away dog hair. Pages 16-18 have basic information about spinning yarn from dog hair and a pattern for a tam (oh, and some cute doggie pics!). While I won’t be making the hat, I was rather elated to see that, yes, you can spin dog hair. I’m thinking a scarf and possibly socks. Had I bothered to look on the web before, I would have been saving dog hair a long time ago (see resources below).
Kate likes the plan because she thinks it means she’ll get brushed more often. She’s probably right. Now I just need to learn to spin.
Our little pile so far and our little sweetie.
Resources: Spinning Dog Hair
- Spinning the Hair of the Dog
- Chiengora Chic: Handspinning Dog Hair
- Wolf Tales/Wolf Yarn
- VIP Fibers: Hand Spun Yarn from your very important pet!
- Rover’s Comb: Handspun Dog Hair
- What to do with Fido’s brushed-out fur? Wear it
- Book: Knitting with Dog Hair by Kendall Crolius and Anne Montgomery
Edit: Thanks to Jenn for bringing up the subject of odor. From what I’ve read, once the yarn is washed, odor is usually not a problem. Of course it does depend on the dog, as some are more oily and naturally more odorous than others. If Kate’s turns out to be, ahem, fragrant, I’ll be putting either Nature’s Miracle or Smells Begone in the final rinse. These are excellent products I’ve been using for years; I can’t say enough good things about them. NM is available in nearly all pet stores. SB is a bit harder to find, but is readily available online (google it). If you have something SB won’t get the odor out of, you’d better burn it, LOL.
13 responses so far ↓
1 Holly // Jul 31, 2004 at 8:05 pm
Awww, your Kate is adorable.
I used to be involved with Golden Retriever Rescue. A few years ago, a big group of us collected brushings (all from Goldens) and sent them to a woman who spun it. An afghan was made from the yarn and then raffled off as a fund raiser.
I didn’t get the pleasure to see it in person but the winner said it was so incredibly soft and not stinky at all.
Holly
2 Kary // Aug 3, 2004 at 12:46 pm
Dog hair is wonderful to spin! I usually blend it with wool to give it some ‘memory’ – it is warm than wool too! Have fun!
3 marie // Aug 3, 2004 at 10:24 pm
hehehe I came across some of those sites by accident some time ago and I have to admit the thought of stashing away my dogs hair did occur to me! I have no spinning talent as of yet and my husband was totally grossed out by the idea, but I still think I may do it one day. Lord knows our Labrador sheds enough to create two sweaters a month! hahaha
4 Donna // Jul 30, 2004 at 6:10 pm
I should have thought to mention that, Jenn. :lol: From what I’ve read, once the yarn is washed, odor is usually not a problem. Of course it does depend on the dog, as some are more oily and naturally have more odor than others.
5 Jenn // Jul 30, 2004 at 5:49 pm
Interesting…question though…
Does the yarn you make from the dog hair smell like dog? Just the thought of wearing something that would smell like a wet dog when damp, makes my stomach do little flipflops.
Otherwise and interesting thought…
6 Stacie // Jul 31, 2004 at 11:11 pm
Kate is a cutey! I want to spin the hair from my cat Zoe. One of these days I’ll learn to spin myself.
7 Tiff // Aug 2, 2004 at 3:14 am
Kate is beautiful and her fur looks like it will make great yarn. :D
8 Chelle // Aug 2, 2004 at 6:43 am
Oh girl, I knew exactly where you headed by just reading your first sentence lol. I cant wait to see your doggie hair yarn. When are you going to learn to spin, huh huh?? ;)
9 sUsAn // Aug 2, 2004 at 3:10 pm
Oh, yes, Kate is adorable! I can just tell from the photo that she is so soft! Very interesting post!
10 Julie // Jul 31, 2004 at 2:24 am
Sweet little Kate! A willing donor for your next project. Can’t wait to see how you do this. :)
11 Chie // Jul 31, 2004 at 1:03 pm
What a coincidence, you posted about your puppy too?! :))) Kate sure is a cutie, she is smiling on the photo! :)
I have seen some people spin dog hair before on TV or somewhere… I think it was some Japanese people… People send her their dog’s hair, andn she spins and use it to make a sweater… I remember I was shocked then. LOL
I can’t wait to see your crocheted doggie hair work!
12 Sarah // Aug 10, 2004 at 8:36 pm
What a lovely pup!
I’ve been saving up dog hair for the past couple months, and I’m just learning to spin. I think the fur from our Australian Shepherd is going to make a lovely yarn, but I don’t want to waste it until my spinning abilities improve.
I’ve know a couple people who have tried this, and their end products (a throw and a sweater) didn’t smell ‘doggy’ at all.
13 Rebecca // Aug 21, 2004 at 1:34 pm
Yes Its Made from My Dogs Hair: An Owners Guide to Harvesting Your Pets Coat and Spinning It into Yarn-Detta Juusola
here’s another one … i wish i had one with fluffy wonderful hair. all 3 of our dogs have very short hair – such a bummer – even my cat’s hair isn’t that long…. there is a lady in my spinning (internet) group that spins the hair of her persians and great pyranese. both so white and beautiful….my sissy has a maltese with fabulous hair, but she gets him groomed once a week, so the groomer gets all his :( anyhow, i think it’s a neat idea – economical too :)i mean, really, is there anything better than free yarn!: he he he
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