Spin your Pet's Hair
How does it work?
You provide your pet’s fur. I wash it (no fun working with smelly pet fur!), and then spin it into a two-ply yarn. I do not blend the fur with other fibers – you get back yarn tha
t is entirely made from your pet fur. Cost: $25/50 yards of yarn plus shipping.
What does pet fur yarn look like?
The yarn (sometimes called ‘chiengora’!) develops a halo, becoming soft and fuzzy, much like angora. Though the actual yarn is not too thick, once the halo has formed, it behaves like a thick yarn.
What can you make from pet fur yarn?
Pet fur yarn is e
xtremely warm, much warmer than wool, due to all the insulating air trapped by the fuzzy halo. Use your pet fur yarn as trim on a garment (hat, scarf, sweater, mittens) or knit/crochet/weave a square as a keepsake or memorial. You can even make your yarn into a fuzzy stuffed animal.
What Pet Fur works best?
The best yarn comes from undercoat brushed from your dog, cat, or other furry animal. Clipped hair can in most cases also be spun, but the resulting yarn will be bristly and hairy, not soft and fuzzy.
What is the best way to collect and store the pet fur?
Brush your pet as usual. Remove any especially dirty parts, mats, vegetable matter. Store the fur lo
osely with no compression in a box, not a plastic or paper bag. Clear plastic clamshell boxes used for holding fruits and vegetable at the grocery store work well, as do shoe boxes. Please do NOT wash the brushings yourself, as washing the fiber requires special handling.
But I already have a bunch of brushed pet fur stored in plastic/paper bags?
Probably this fur is fine for spinning! You can check it by pulling out a handful and seeing if it pulls apart easily – if so, it can be spun. If clumps of fur are stuck together, contact me and we can see what can be done. BUT – please put your bags of fur into a box right away. The fur should fit loosely with no compression.
How can I get it to you?
The fur should be in a box when you bring it or ship it to me to prevent felting due to compression in transport.
Contact me and we will work out the details.