Any dog yarn spinners?

[Pullet Press]

Dog fur is 80% warmer than wool.
Definitely should get another Pyrenees.

Neat! Yeah, I'm planning on investing on a Great Pyrenees again.

 

[HomesteaderWife]

This is interesting! Can't wait to see some photos?

 

[CharcoalDragon]

This is interesting! Can't wait to see some photos?

Ah, right, that's a thing, isn't it?
I'm still learning, so my yarn is kind of lumpy.

I have been working on a drop spindle for my first two test batches. I got a wheel recently, so I hope to work her spring blow-out on that rather than the drop.
Second attempt, single ply.


And finally, the stinker herself. If I get enough fluff, and feel adventurous, I'll sort it by color- white, tan, and brown. Right now I don't have anything to spin.

 

[Pullet Press]

Neat! I can't wait to see how the thread/yarn turns out. I'm wanting to get a spinning wheel someday (for spinning alpaca and sheep's wool). Could you keep us posted on how it handles?

 

[Sally PB]

I used to have a spinning and knitting business, and have indeed spun and knit with dog hair. What a wonderful way to have some of your best friend around forever.

Most dogs have more than one kind of hair. A coarse(r) outer coat and a fine(r) inner coat. It's the inner coat that makes the softest yarn. Depending on the breed, the outer coat can feel like brillo next to your skin. For a scarf, that can be torture. For an overcoat-type sweater, it won't matter as much.

For new spinners, a fiber length of 2.5-4 inches is the easiest to work with. If all you have is short fibers, plan on a finer yarn with more twist, or mix the dog hair with wool. Combining dog hair with wool is also a way to make the dog hair go farther, since there is more limited output from a single dog. Adult sized sweaters take a LOT of yardage!

Dog hair works well with a lot of different types of fiber. I've mixed in wool, silk noil, cotton, and mohair. (The name of that conglomeration was "No Kitchen Sink," as it had some of everything in it.) Since it is an animal, ie, protein, fiber, it needs an acid dye just like wool.

Charcoaldragon, your yarn is beautiful. And so is your fiber producer.

 

[CharcoalDragon]

I used to have a spinning and knitting business, and have indeed spun and knit with dog hair. What a wonderful way to have some of your best friend around forever.

Most dogs have more than one kind of hair. A coarse(r) outer coat and a fine(r) inner coat. It's the inner coat that makes the softest yarn. Depending on the breed, the outer coat can feel like brillo next to your skin. For a scarf, that can be torture. For an overcoat-type sweater, it won't matter as much.

For new spinners, a fiber length of 2.5-4 inches is the easiest to work with. If all you have is short fibers, plan on a finer yarn with more twist, or mix the dog hair with wool. Combining dog hair with wool is also a way to make the dog hair go farther, since there is more limited output from a single dog. Adult sized sweaters take a LOT of yardage!

Dog hair works well with a lot of different types of fiber. I've mixed in wool, silk noil, cotton, and mohair. (The name of that conglomeration was "No Kitchen Sink," as it had some of everything in it.) Since it is an animal, ie, protein, fiber, it needs an acid dye just like wool.

Charcoaldragon, your yarn is beautiful. And so is your fiber producer.

Yeah, for the most part she doesn't shed her guard hairs, so my grooming rake mostly gets up her undercoat. I still send it through the drier to separate out the guard hairs, and then pick out the stragglers as I spin.
Her fluff is super soft, but is softest on her ruff, chest, back, and sides. So when I groom her, I have to throw out all the stuff from her stomach, buttcheeks, and tail- basically where she's got the most fur...

Right now the plan is to spin 100% dog fur, because I'm picky like that- and to make small, extra-warm items. Because of her breed, her fur is insanely warm, and I honestly don't think a sweater would be comfortable unless it was below 0F. Mittens, socks, or hats/headbands might be more appropriate for our climate, as extremities tend to need more help anyway.

I'm excited to be on this journey.

 

[Pullet Press]

If you were to wash a dog-fur product, would it smell like wet dog, and if it does, could you wash it with fragrances such as essential oils to keep it from smelling?

 

[CharcoalDragon]

If you were to wash a dog-fur product, would it smell like wet dog, and if it does, could you wash it with fragrances such as essential oils to keep it from smelling?

"Dog-smell" is basically the microbiome of your dog's skin reacting to water. (Think good-bacteria, like the strains that live in your GI tract).
Which means it can be cleaned off. I washed my batches with dye-free, fragrance-free dish soap. I think I washed three times for good measure, then did a vinegar soak to be sure.
No more dog smell! Just smells like wet yarn.

 

[Pullet Press]

Thank you so much!
Wow, now I know that if you have a Great Pyrenees that herds your sheep, you can just spin the dog fur and sheep wool all at once. (and no one would know the difference. Muahaha!)