People love their pets. I get that, given how much Lucy is a part of our family. But once in awhile, people take things a little too far.
There’s a business in Illinois called Knit Your Dog. And it’s exactly what it sounds like. They take your dog’s excess hair and knit it into cozy clothes and accessories. They use your pet’s hair as raw material. Apparently it’s a wonderful material that’s entirely natural, clean, odor-free and humanely harvested {some breeds of dog you could just follow them around with a dust pan!}.
“The concept is not new. Inuit people in the Far North have used dog fur in clothing for thousands of years, and apparently it is 50 percent warmer than sheep’s wool. There’s even a correct term for dog wool — “chiengora,” which is a blend of angora and the French word for dog, chien.”
The process to get that chiengora ready is a lengthy one, though. The hair is washed multiple times to get rid of the wet dog smell, carded to align the fibers, spun into yarn, and knitted or crocheted into a design that the dog owner has chosen.
Seems a little much for me, but who knows though. I’m always trying to give homemade gifts. Maybe my mom would like a pair of mittens knitted with Lucy fur? Ha!
What do you think? Cool idea? Gross idea? Would you do it? If so, what would you order? If not, why do you think it’s gross?
Kari says
I know an artist on Whidbey Island that has been doing this for years! Seems odd, but is quite a lucrative business. Each to their own, I suppose.
Mrs. D says
Totally cool! Ever felt the underside of a fluffy dog? The softest ever.
Susan says
Mavis,
Mr. Bates (Cavalier, King Charles Spaniel) is one of those dogs who could supply a sweater’s worth of fur in one afternoon but I don’t think we’ll be signing up. Once that fur is out of my house I don’t want to see it again. Besides, we live in Texas and he barely needs outer clothing.
Rosaleen says
Whatever floats one’s boat! Why not put that hair that has to be cleaned up anyway to use, as long as it is a good insulator and the animal is not hurt? Waste not, want not…
Kristina says
Awesome! My 80# chowlahoula shepherd (cough *mixed breed* cough) sheds an entire vacuum canister full per day, so it wouldn’t take long to accumulate enough for a decent sized afghan. Not sure how much would be left once you wash the stink off though….
Candace Hassen says
To me this is not very different from using fur from any other animal, sheep, goats, rabbits, lamas, the list goes on. Though I agree with Rosaleen, who said waste not, want not, I doubt lovely Lucy would be a good candidate. I would think you would need a long haired dog. I have done some spinning, and I think the length of the hair, or “staple” is pretty important.
Caroline says
I had a scarf knitted for my mom from her first collie’s hair blended with Merino. It’s one of her most treasured gifts. 🙂
Cari says
I have a hat and mittens made from Samoyed Husky hair. My friend’s mother combed, washed, carded and spun their dog’s hair regularly, and knit all winter long! I was blown away, and it’s like Angora to the touch.
Tammy says
We had a Samoyed as a pet when I was growing up – their fur is so long and soft that I imagine it would work well for this type of project!
Nancy says
I have a friend that has been doing this for at least 25 years.
Tammy says
I guess at first it just sounds weird, but after thinking about it it doesn’t seem so bad. Especially if it is properly prepared so that it doesn’t smell like wet dog!!! That, to me, would be key. You wouldn’t want mittens that made you smell like a wet dog every time you wore them and they got a little wet! Ew.
Personally, I am not a dog (or pet) person, and am in fact allergic to dogs, so I don’t *want* something made of dog hair. But if someone else does? Eh, why not? 😀
Gina says
I’ll be the party wrecker here and say Heck to the NOOOO. Ewwww! Just my opinion 🙂
-Gina
OregonGuest says
As a long-time knitter, I like to use the best fiber I can find (why waste weeks or months on a gorgeous handmade sweater if you’re going to use Red Heart — no offense to Red Heart lovers)….but I gotta vote Heck No on the dog yarn. (plus, our GoldenDoodle bears a strong resemblance to the bad orange shag carpet we had in my house in the 1970s. Ain’t nobody got pants that would match an orange Doodle sweater).
Diana says
I have used dog hair from our Newfoundland to spin with other fibers to make yarn for projects. There is no odor, and it makes beautiful yarn. I also have an angora rabbit, and get alpaca from a neighbor. It is also nice to do for someone who has lost a pet as a lasting momento.
Katrina says
I have been saving my white German Shepherd’s undercoat for this exact purpose. Yes, it has taken a while to get a gallon baggie full of the good undercoat fur, but worth it when I have a special keepsake of my baby after she is gone.