Yes, with Woofspun products you can order quality knitted items made from genuine dog fur, or even collect your own from a favorite pet (or 2, or 3) and they'll turn it into yarn for you!
Given that 2 of the Grumpy dogs are less than 20 pounds, I doubt they give off enough in a lifetime to make a decent pair of gloves. Although if Mello doesn't stop pulling food off the counter and eating it (including a tub of artichoke & olive hummus, FFS!) she's going to be a rug pretty soon.
I grew up with a Samoyed. We used to say he was 75 lbs and 50 of it was the fur.
ReplyDeleteThe amount of fur that came off that dog on a regular basis was insane. The amount that came off in the spring, when the winter coat blows off, was beyond insane. You could fill a trash bag with one brushing. I am not making this up.
My mom used to regularly threaten to have the dog's fur spun and made into clothing. It's not just plentiful but strong and soft. Then she'd try to figure out a way to short-circuit the process and just wear the dog himself as a stole. Unfortunately (?), Samoyeds are very, very friendly and curious dogs and that would have lasted only as long as something caught his attention. "Excuse me, ma'am, your wrap is eating the dip."
Samoyeds are wonderful dogs, great with kids, and very smart. But dear gods, the FUR!!!
My dog's hair is 1/2" and bristly. Not a comfy sweater-in-waiting.
ReplyDeleteI've actually seen commercially-spun Samoyed-fur blend yarn. It was fuzzy, sort of partway between mohair and angora. Sent some to a knitter friend, who turned out to have a pattern for socks that called for Samoyed-blend yarn.
ReplyDeleteIf I remember correctly from "Knitting with Dog Hair" (yes, I have seen this book), with most dogs you use only the undercoat, which is softer. You can't really use the hair from shorthaired dogs unless you sprinkle it on something you can actually spin up. I have been tempted to spin the hair from one of our cats, as she has a gloriously long soft coat. She's smallish, though, so a sweater would take a while. There are people who spin guinea-pig hair as well.
My dog is a 120lb newfie mix who has to be sheared with horse clippers. Every time we do it and we're left with a large black trash bag full of fur, we joke about turning it into yarn.
ReplyDeleteI had some of the hair from my daughters dog spun up and made into little Christmas ornanaments for her.
ReplyDeleteI have actually spun the undercoat from lots of dogs into wonderful yarn that was made into great vests and cardigans for the owners of the less fluffy (temporarily) dogs. It works better when mixed with some wool. This one is really a great gift.
ReplyDeleteeeewwww all I can think about is the smell.I love my dog but he smells like a....well like a dog
ReplyDeleteSo Doc, I see some of your patients have commented this AM, just saying Christmas Ornaments and yarn ????
ReplyDeleteGetting caught in the rain while wearing that sweater might not have the best outcome. "Wet dog" is definitely not the most pleasant of smells!
ReplyDeleteSweaters are nice, but how about lingerie?
ReplyDeleteNow those of us allergic to dogs can also have allergic reactions to human beings! Fabulous!
ReplyDeleteI have a hat I knitted from a spun mixture of sheeps wool and samoyen. The warmest yet the most light weight hat I have. Every one wants one like it.
ReplyDeleteIf you wear it out in the rain you WILL smell like a wet dog.
ReplyDeleteI was working for St. Martin's Press in the early 90s when "Knitting with Dog Hair" was first published. All the employess got a memo asking to bring in dog hair so the company had samples when promoting the books. I don't know if the sale people brought it with them on sales calls to bookstores or if there were given out at author signings. I remember the reaction to the memo -- it was one of the funniest day in the office. Everyone thought it was the most ridiculously funny idea. Apparently the book did well.
ReplyDeleteWe owned a Samoyed. He had beautiful, white hair. It's a medullated fiber, which makes it very warm. Samoyeds don't have to be shorn like sheep; we just brushed him. My first reaction was, who'd want to wear something that would smell like wet dog any time it rained, but this breed of dog does not have hair with an odor.
ReplyDeleteI prefer spinning alpaca, though. The Samoyed only has a staple length of 3-5 inches, and we get 7-8 inches from our alpacas. Then again, depending on where you live, it might be easier to own dogs than alpacas :)
I had a pair of mitts knit from our neighbour's samoyed. They were the warmest mitts I ever owned!
ReplyDeleteactually have spun and knitted Sheltie fur, great but smelled like wet dog when , well , wet. you can buy it on E-Bay as chiengora. it actually does make a nice yarn.
ReplyDeleteGlenda
Hey, Dr. Grumpy, not surprised Mello is pulling food of the counter. Based on that picture a few weeks ago, she doesn't look like she's missed many meals.
ReplyDeleteyuk. I have 3 dogs already and wear enough dog hair thank you very much. I really do not need it sewn into a sweater!
ReplyDeleteHave you ever smelled a wet sheep? BLECK. Once the fleece is cleaned and spun it's fine. That wool sweater you are wearing used to be on a stinky smelly sheep or alpaca or angora rabbit or something.... It's all animal fur.
ReplyDeleteWeez ben savin' up them little ol' pube hairs at the bottom of the shower stall fer years now! Figure my missus be a spinnin' and a knittin' me a cozy warm sweater!
ReplyDeleteNow if I could just find me some crotch warmin' pants fer them bare spots...