Stitches

Making yarn for knitting out of pet shedding?

Has any own made yarn for knitting out of pet hair. I have a dog and a cat and they constantly shed and I collect hair by the bag. Can't I use some how. It seems like the shed hair should have some value?

Public Comments

1. I just have to say that's gross! Native Americans in the areas of Lima, Peru used lama hair.
2. Yes, you can use it. You'll have to clean, card, spin, and ply it--or pay someone else to do all that: http://www.bbkirk.com/Dog%20Hair%20Yarn.htm
3. Yes, you most certainly can!! My mom made a shawl for my grandmother once out of her dogs' hair, and she loved it!! It's a lot of work, especially if your pet's hair is very fine, and if it is, you may want to consider blending it in with alpaca hair or sheep's hair to give it something to grip onto, but once you do it and you make yourself (or someone else) something from your beloved pet's hair, it will be so rewarding :)
4. Here are a few links to show you how to do it or where to get it done. Have Fun. http://www.vipfibers.com/how-to-use-your-pet-yarn.html#knitting http://www.doggienews.com/2007/03/turn-your-dogs-hair-into-yarn.htm http://www.fortheloveofyarn.com/Issues/Summer06/articles/summer06_doghair.shtml http://www.wikihow.com/Make-Dog-Yarn http://www.menwhoknit.com/community/?q=node/477 http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/01/14/shave-your-cat-make-a-swe_n_157929.html
5. Well, the answer is yes, but it also depends on what kind of dog or cat you have. Short haired animals' fur doesn't work well, because it's short, it tends to be picky and it doesn't blend well with wool, or other fibers and will shed in the wearing, too. Long haired cats' fur tends to be very difficult to spin because it's a very slippery fiber, but can be spun successfully. Long haired dogs (fur needs to be 2 to 3 inches long at least) can also be successfully spun, but is better off blended because it can continue to smell *doggy* when wet, and because it tends to be very warm in the wearing. Any animal fur sent to be spun should be clean, free of disease, and is preferably from a shearingc trimming, or combing, rather than just picked up as it sheds, so the fiber is as uniform as possible.
6. The lady at my LYS had someone spin some of her golden retriever fur with merino to make a yarn. The thing is though, you can't use the fur that was shed. You have to brush it off and carefully put it in the bag. I'm not sure why, but this is the advice the spinner gave the store owner. Mixing the animal fur with another type of yarn gives you a lot more yardage to work with, and probably a softer texture. If you wish to do this, I suggest you find someone who spins who would know more about how much fiber they need to make you a skein or two
7. yeah just so you know, the item that you make out of the loose fur may be itchy. other than that that you can.
8. Oh, yes, certainly you can. I've spun several breeds of dog fur, and they all work. It has to be longer, and the soft undercoat works best. The longer guard hairs some dogs have is not used. Short-haired dogs don't have the right fur. I've spun cat hair too. It is best from any long-haired breed, like the Persian, Maine Coon, Balinese. Sometimes I blend it with merino wool, but you can use them straight. A lot of animals are used for their fur, including dogs and rabbits. This makes for a wonderful memento of the beloved pet.