Going to the dogs?

I remember the first time I entered an item in the CraftAdventure for judging. There was a small pair of mittens with a ribbon on them. It appeared that the person who entered them loved their cat so much that they decided to harvest the hair the cat shed, and spin it into a beautiful fiber to create their entry called "Kitten's Mittens."

Since that time, I've read many interesting articles about people using their pets hair (unlike using the hair from what we traditionally think of ... sheep, llamas, rabbits, and such), and find the topic so interesting!

I am not a spinner (yet), but I do crochet with unspun roving that I purchase through various vendors. I'm not a pet owner either, so for me to get on this "utilizing your pet" bandwagon, like those in Michigan, will not be a possibility for me. However, like I stated, I do find it very interesting! This topic even made it into an issue of Crochet! magazine recently!

I think my daughter's favorite "pet hair" sighting was at The Big E in the Agricultural Building. There was a lady there showing off this tiny pony. And from her daily brushing of the pony's mane & tail, she collected within a years' timeframe enough fiber to spin into a yarn and knit up into a beautiful circular shawl.

If you click onto the above image, it will take you to the website that offers patterns you can use with your pet's fiber. Imagine having a pair of mittens, a sweater, a shawl, or throw created by your hand, possibly with your favorite pet watching near by. Now, that's what I'd call a gift of love!

I do want to note though, if you're going to do this, look into deodorizing the hair/fur. IMHO, nothing is worse than smelling like a wet dog. The website above will solve two problems for you ... spinning the fiber and deodorizing it. All you have to do is collect it, and they have suggestions on how to do that too.

If you intend to sell your finished pet hair projects, then I strongly recommend you look into what the law is in your state. Apparently, it's illegal to do so in the state of New Jersey.

Interested in learning more? Then check out these websites:

Test your dog's hair for spinnability

Wolf Tales

Spinning a Yarn

Clothes made from dog's hair! Why not?