Although I am no longer taking commissions for Hats or yarns, this page has been kept to provide information for pet owners. If you wish to commission a spun yarn, it is best to contact your local spinning guild or search online for a suitable spinner.
I taught myself to spin with cat and dog hair in 1998, and have now accumulated a great deal of experience with these fibres. Depending on breed and how the hair is collected (more below) yarn spun from these pet hairs can be comparable to angora, and infact dog hair yarn is more commonly referred to as 'chiengora'. You will need approximately 100g of hair for a Hat, dependent upon factors such as style and size.
Suitable breeds:-
| Dogs:- |
Afghan Hound |
Chinook Cocker Spaniel Elkhound Golden Retriever Great Pyrenees |
Irish Setter |
Rough Collie Saint Bernard Samoyed Shelties Siberian Husky |
| Cats:- |
The majority of domestic cat hairs are not spinnable by themselves, as the fibres are just too short. However, they can be blended with a suitable wool fibre for spinning and produce the most amazing yarn! If however, you have one of the long haired breeds, then their hair is spinnable by itself provided it is at least 1.25inches/3cm long. |
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Collecting the hair:-
The hair will need to be collected by grooming (brushing), not clipping, except for single haired breeds like the Poodle. Most breeds are double haired, which means they have a coarse outer coat and a soft fuzzy undercoat - it is the soft fuzziness that is required for spinning. Not all single haired breeds produce hair suitable for spinning.
Groom your pet as frequently as possible - most of the breeds mentioned above require this to keep their coats in tip top condition. For dogs, brushing after a bath is ideal as this ensures a cleaner hair. Avoid catching the guard/coarse hairs, as these will make for an itchy yarn. Try too, to avoid the shorter hair areas around the legs etc. Matted or knotted lumps are no good at all, as they cannot be seperated for spinning. Coats that have been treated with any chemicals will need to be washed before grooming.
Storing the hair:-
If you can, store the combings as you are collecting in a paper bag or small cardboard box. Hair kept in plastic bags for too long can become sweaty or worse still, mouldy - it needs to be allowed to breathe. Ensure all hair is dry before storing to avoid meldew, and there is no need to wash the hair before spinning - I will carefully do this for you. Pet hairs can be prone to similar pests as wool, such as wool moths - please DO NOT USE mothballs! Lavender bags are recommended for masking odours and warning off pests.
Yarns spun from dog or cat hair are not as stretchy as wool and such when knitted do not have as much give, or natural elastic. Therefore Hat styles with a simple rib would help with fitting. If your garment becomes a little stretched, a simple wash and reshaping whilst damp should bring it back to life. Personally, I find that simpler Hat styles allow the natural colouring and glow of pet yarns to be more evident.