A Nellie hat!!

I didn't know you could knit dog hair. Good job...

The hat and Nellie are lovely! I've always wanted to spin cat or dog fur. I have a good friend who used to have a gorgeous soft grey, mottled with splotches of caramel angora cat. I bugged her several times to save the combings/brushings. I told her I would spin it into some yarn and knit her something out of it. She could never remember where she put the bag. Then the cat went on to a better world, she moved to an apartment after her 4th! divorce and the fur disappeared )<;
Perhaps someday? :roll:

The dog yarn must be spun from the brushed out undercoat (not cut fur from the top, i.e., not the "guard hair") The brushed out undercoat of a dog that has an undercoat is slightly crimped so that it can be spun on wheel or drop spindle. It's a tiny bit harder to spin than wool because most wool has even more of a crimp than dog fur.

To Lidlamzdiv: A few years ago, the Petsmart that groomed our dogs (they don't anymore) offered to give me dog fur for spinning. But, I couldn't get them to understand that it had to be the brushed out undercoat -- not the cuttings. I was able to fish out a little bit of good fur for spinning during that time, though. If you really want to spin dog or cat fur, maybe you could find a groomer (who brushes the dogs or cats and will save the fur for you).

I couldn't look at your post and NOT respond. i love your hat.....and LOVE your dog. Love BIG dogs! I can send you some very nice Bernese Mountain Dog hair, if you need LOT's of black : )

To SailorRae: I'll bet your dog's fur would make beautiful yarn. If you save one or two plastic grocery bags stuffed full, and send it to me, I'd be happy to spin it for you and send the yarn back so you can make a hat -- or there might even be enough for a scarf if you saved two bags. Seriously, I'd be happy to spin it for you.

Once, I gave some "Nellie yarn" to one of my neighbors who is also a knitter and who loves my dog Nellie. She made fingerless gloves from the yarn. They look so funny -- like she has paws or something. She moved to Fairbanks, Alaska for a year, and the dog fur gloves came in very handy.

Awesome!

Unbelievable. Never knew you could spin dog fur.
I am amazed.
Gorgeous dog and nice hat.
Linda

Kerrie Anne Simpson said:

To Lidlamzdiv: A few years ago, the Petsmart that groomed our dogs (they don't anymore) offered to give me dog fur for spinning. But, I couldn't get them to understand that it had to be the brushed out undercoat -- not the cuttings. I was able to fish out a little bit of good fur for spinning during that time, though. If you really want to spin dog or cat fur, maybe you could find a groomer (who brushes the dogs or cats and will save the fur for you).

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Thanks Kerrie Anne; I'll be checking out some local groomers! Don't know why I never thought of that? What a great idea. Happy spinning and knitting. :mrgreen:

what beautiful dogs ! like the hat too !

Cool!!!!

Whow, I always wondered if one could spin dog hair. I have a black chow and certain times of the year when I brush him I get lots of fur. Years ago I had two female ones and they shed lots of fur when they were brushed.I would not know how to spin yarn but could knit it. I could knit a hat and send it to my sister in Maine.

I received a bag full chow hair and spun it up and dyed some of it and crochet a large pillow from the hair. It was beautiful. The hair was very easy to spin.

:lol: :thumbup: That is just cool. My sister always threatened to save the under coat of her siberian huskys but never did.

Wow...Now that's what I call recycling!!! What a great way to use up the loose dog hair. Great work and cute hat!! Bev

To sockyarn -- you should post a picture!

Maybe I'll send you my cat for a week. You'd get more that two bags full, that's for sure.
Hey, I see potential for a new business, "Rent A Cat, Knit A Hat".

Oh they are beautiful. You are very lucky to have such wonderful friends. We don't have a dog, we have three cats.