[shirleyoboe]

What is the most unusual yarn you've ever knitted with?
Mine is "dog hair"! My Samoyed "Yuki's" clean fur was spun onto a woolen yarn...I then knit with it! It knitted up like angora!
Here's the sweater I made--with the dog hair in the yoke, shoulders and trim! (My husband teased me that I couldn't wear it in the rain or a pack of dogs would follow me!) I sure miss Yuki--she was the most gentle and lovable of souls!

 

[Dreamweaver]

Haven't done it yet, but have a bag full of dog hair from my DD's Great Pyreneese dog, Maggie. I want to spin this and then knit with it.... Your sweater is wonderful and must feel like a hug from Yuki every time you wear it....

 

[TammyK]

Wow! That looks really soft and cozy!

 

[Marjorie Egan]

Dreamweaver, I have a friend who had a Great White Pyrenese. She has some of the most beautiful items. The handspun works up beautifully, and she has worn her scarf for years. Each time it is washed it puffs up into an almost furry piece. She has more recently blended it with merino or rambouillet to make it "stretch". I like the blend. A friend of mine just got a pup...and I have already begged them to save the fur from the brushings. It is great stuff.

 

[pocono.carol]

What is the most unusual yarn you've ever knitted with?
Mine is "dog hair"! My Samoyed "Yuki's" clean fur was spun onto a woolen yarn...I then knit with it! It knitted up like angora!
Here's the sweater I made--with the dog hair in the yoke, shoulders and trim! (My husband teased me that I couldn't wear it in the rain or a pack of dogs would follow me!) I sure miss Yuki--she was the most gentle and lovable of souls!

Shirley, what a wonderful idea. :thumbup: I am still learning something new every day on KP. Your sweater is beautiful. :!: :lol:

An ex-sister-in-law had two Great White Pyrenees, as the Pennsylvania Dutch say too soon old too soon smart.

 

[past]

I haven't tried it yet because I haven't been in an area where I can find nettles after there's been a hard frost. I met a man at an Indian Pow Wow who had woven bags and baskets using the fiber from the nettles plant. He told me how to prepare the nettles and how to hand spin the fibers. He said it takes a year to prepare. After a heavy frost you collect the nettles plants. Then you have to let them dry one year before you can start the spinning process to make the rope. The bag was lovely and fairly soft if you are familiar with nettles in the wild. Someday I still plan on making myself a purse or a door mat using nettles.

 

[cr8images]

Haven't done it yet, but have a bag full of dog hair from my DD's Great Pyreneese dog, Maggie. I want to spin this and then knit with it.... Your sweater is wonderful and must feel like a hug from Yuki every time you wear it....

I have knit with Great Pyreneese yarn. Just beware it sheds just as much as the dog! Make sure you have a towel on your lap. I was curious to see if I could felt it so I mixed it with some roving like yarn. It didn't felt as well as I hoped but it sure was furry!

 

[lawrencji]

I'm sorry about your beloved canine friend - this is really beautiful though.

 

[evesch]

Buffalo wool. The stuff the buffalo shed in the spring. I clean and spin it. Very lightweight and warm. Beautiful brown colors.

 

[jjane139]

In 1945, my parents were in Bolivia. They bought a beautiful white fur spread backed with a probably hand-woven red wool lining. The fur was alpaca, I think, because llama or vicuna would have been beige or some darker color. Decades later, this treasure got wet in a flooded basement and was not properly cared for afterward. Eventually I inherited it and did not know what to do with it till I attended a program given by a spinner and the owner of a yak. We heard about qiviut and I got the idea that perhaps these women could make use of the alpaca spread in ways I was not qualified or equipped to do. So I offered it to them; they took it gratefully. Perhaps some day I'll see the outcome. If I had not given the spread away, it would have rotted away.

 

[courier770]

I'm often knitting with "odd" yarn: Buffalo/Bison, Yak, Musk ox (qiviut) to name a few. My favorite? True Lambswool. I have a local source and just adore it.

 

[christine4321]

my Husky needs to be brushed daily or the hair is all over the place. How much fur is needed to spin it into 50 grams of yarn, does anyone know. eg 1 garbage bag full, 10, 20 or more?

 

[peachy51]

Haven't done it yet, but have a bag full of dog hair from my DD's Great Pyreneese dog, Maggie. I want to spin this and then knit with it.... Your sweater is wonderful and must feel like a hug from Yuki every time you wear it....

Ha, Dreamweaver, she should be able to get you a bagful every day. My dog is part Pyr and she sheds like a snowstorm. I swear I must have at least 3 or 4 dogs in my patio trashcan! :mrgreen:

 

[spinninggill]

This is a sweater I hand spun.designed and knitted using 50% Samoyed and 50% shetland sheep wool. The wool allows an elasticity that dog hair on its own doesn't have.

 

[lawrencji]

Wow - your work is incredible. This is just beautiful!
Jeanne

This is a sweater I hand spun.designed and knitted using 50% Samoyed and 50% shetland sheep wool. The wool allows an elasticity that dog hair on its own doesn't have.

 

[jjane139]

Question for those experienced in knitting with dog hair or a blend with it: Would a person allergic to dogs react unfavorably near a person wearing a sweater or scarf made of dog hair? I have never heard a comment or question on this subject.

 

[peachy51]

Question for those experienced in knitting with dog hair or a blend with it: Would a person allergic to dogs react unfavorably near a person wearing a sweater or scarf made of dog hair? I have never heard a comment or question on this subject.

It probably wouldn't be a problem. Usually people with allergies are allergic to the dog dander. Anything knitted with the dog hair would not be producing the dander. The same is true of the smell ... wet dog smell comes mainly from their skin. The hair should not produce quite the same odor.

 

[jjane139]

Thank you, Peachy51. My sister says I over-think everything and she may be right.

 

[courier770]

First of all, you cannot simply take bags of dog brushings and spin them into yarn. Guard hairs need to be removed, the undercoat, thoroughly cleaned before you can even begin.

While most people with pet allergies are allergic to dander, there are many who are allergic to the hair/coat too.

Fiber from any animal can smell not very pleasant but if the proper prep work was done prior to spinning, the yarn shouldn't have an odor even when it's wet.