Hair of the Dog

I hate throwing anything away. I also enjoy creating something wonderful from nothing. That's why I spin dog hair. It's a great fiber to work with and you just can't beat the natural colors. Most people think "Ew! Yuck! Dog hair?" but have you hugged a long-haired dog lately and felt how soft and warm their coats are? Well, all you have to do to get rid of that "doggy" smell is to wash the fiber multiple times to wash out the body oils from the dog. This step must be done prior to spinning. After spinning it's much more difficult. Once those oils are removed your finished yarn won't smell like wet dog every time you wash it.

Just like any other fiber, if the dog hair is at least 1" in length and has a crimp to it, it can be spun by itself. But I have actually spun Bichon Frise for someone that was the consistency of dryer lint. I had to put a significant amount of twist in it to keep it together but it worked.

I have also blended shorter fibers together with wool. I have done this with cat hair because the customer didn't have enough hair for the project she wanted to make. I blended her cat hair with merino to match the fineness of the fiber. And she made a lovely tam (beret) out of it. Softness is something to consider when spinning dog hair. I have spun german shepherd before that was mainly guard hair. The result was a bit scratchy. Plying with another fiber can also double the yardage you can get.

For one of my state fair entries last year I spun my golden retriever and chocolate lab and plied them together. The entry called for two 2-oz skeins. I was literally chasing my dogs around the house with a brush to get the required amount!

If you own a long-haired pet, I recommend spinning or having your pet's hair spun into yarn. I still have two skeins I spun from my very first dog, Petey, a Keeshound that I haven't decided what to do with yet. Petey's been gone since 1996 but I love the fact that I still have a tangible part of him with me still.