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Stitching & Crafting Room:  Thinking of spinning dog hair - advice?  |
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FiddleChick
True Blue Farmgirl
78 Posts
78 Posts |
 Posted - Mar 30 2009 : 09:02:35 AM
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Question, spinners - there's a woman who wants someone to spin her Samoyed's hair for her and I am thinking of volunteering. Is there anything special I need to know? I'm assuming the fiber length is short and not sticky (probably something like alpaca or angora?) I'm guessing spin with a high ratio? Anything special about setting the twist? Do you do it the same as wool? Just soak in hot water and hang to dry? Any advice is appreciated. Thanks!
Siúil A Rúin: "Singing for someone's supper . . ." www.tradlassie.blogspot.com |
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Brew Crew
True Blue Farmgirl
676 Posts
Molly
Arizona
676 Posts |
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chessie
True Blue Farmgirl
403 Posts
Karen
Vista
CA
USA
403 Posts |
Posted - Mar 30 2009 : 09:32:46 AM
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Céleste, After reading your blog just now, aren't you busy enough? Music, teaching, farmgirling? & Now volunteer fur spinner? I don't know the first thing about spinning so i can't help you there but i know a lot about saying "NO". My Mother, an accomplished crafter, seamstress and professional musician taught me that just because she "could" do something didn't mean she "must" do that something. This lesson was hard learned for her and it saved her from a nervous breakdowm. However, If it's something you want to do - go for it! I look forward to hearing about and seeing the results 'cause this is really intriguing. BTW I have a huge collie dog that looks just like Lassie, only fluffier, if you run out of stuff to do. Cheers, karen
www.edgehillherbfarm.com "where the name is bigger than the farm, but no one seems to mind"
blog http://edgehillherbfarmer.spaces.live.com/default.aspx?wa=wsignin1.0
happy farmgirl #89 |
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FiddleChick
True Blue Farmgirl
78 Posts
78 Posts |
Posted - Mar 30 2009 : 10:26:43 AM
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Hey Karen, I'm spinning and knitting and crocheting anything that doesn't move and some things that do lately to further my next career as a fiber artist when the time comes. I'm enrolled in the School of Hard Knocks Crash Course majoring in Fiber Art. I've already graduated with a degrees in writing/editing and music, but firmly believe in further education. If you read my Tradlassie blog (music is what I do for fun) and think I do too much I won't scare you and tell you what I do in real life. :^) Like your mom, I struggle saying "no" but I'm a lot better at it now than I used to be. But for me, right now, fiber is all about fun and playing. And, hey, I'm a Yankee...we were born busy. LOL!!
Siúil A Rúin: "Singing for someone's supper . . ." www.tradlassie.blogspot.com |
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dkelewae
True Blue Farmgirl
1310 Posts
Diana
Saint Peters
MO
USA
1310 Posts |
Posted - Mar 30 2009 : 10:31:59 AM
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I'm no expert spinner by any stretch of the imagination, but from what my spinning friends have told me is that you'd have to spin the dog fur in with wool or other fiber for it to be usuable for knitting, etc. The other thing is, when it gets wet, it'll smell like a wet dog! A yarn shop I go to used to have a sweater displayed that someone had spun and knit dog fur, and they finally asked her to take it back home because any time it was humid/rainy out that sweater stunk up the whole shop!
Diana
Farmgirl Sister #272
St. Peters MO
Country Girl trapped in the city!
http://farmgirldreams.blogspot.com/ |
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grace gerber
True Blue Farmgirl
2804 Posts
grace
larkspur
colorado
USA
2804 Posts |
Posted - Mar 30 2009 : 11:10:04 AM
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Here are the tricks I have learned over the years on spinning dog hair.
First double coat animals are not all the same Samoyed undercoat is more like bunny and can be treated the same way on spinning. Remember bunny does not hold shape either so if you are looking at a sweater add some wool. If you are making something like a scarf, table runner or such then you can do without.
Next, do not over process the fiber. First to get the smell out I soak in ordor ban with a bit of shampoo. Let that rest for several hours, rinse and lay to dry. If you comb or card too much you will charge it with electricity that will make the spinning not great. I found this takes to dog smell out but also remember some dog really smell, my pry's that I spin all the time never smell.
Then, when spinning do not over twist because then the fiber feels like brittle, coarse grass. I love spinning it in the fold and with just enough twist to hold. I do normally add about 20% of the best merino to keep the feel. Also dog is way too hot to wear on it's own.
When you set the twist I treat them like bunny by snapping it to set the twist. I have made a great business out of spining dog and cat and there are great ways to do it. I also have a book on the subject that I sell at the farm if you are interested?
Happy spinning. Get ready ladies - Mother Goose (my goat girl who I have been waiting on for two months) had her two twins this morning - that means a nameing contest will be posted in two day on my blog... Remember, we will be looking for a mother goose theme - last year her kids where Gretal and Hensel.
Grace Gerber
Larkspur Funny Farm and Fiber Art Studio
Where the spirits are high and the fiber is deep
http://www.larkspurfunnyfarm.etsy.com
http://larkspurfunnyfarm.blogspot.com
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Bonne
True Blue Farmgirl
3003 Posts
Bonne
Littleton
CO
USA
3003 Posts |
Posted - Mar 30 2009 : 11:22:10 AM
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Celeste, your blog is absolutely fascinating!! I'm thrilled you are preserving and sharing the ancient melodies.
 http://bonne1313.blogspot.com/ BLOG~gimme a holler to visit ;)
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StasiaSpins
True Blue Farmgirl
78 Posts
Stasia
Augusta (Eau Claire)
WI
USA
78 Posts |
Posted - Mar 30 2009 : 3:06:29 PM
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It will NOT smell like a wet dog IF it is cleaned properly.
You WILL want to blend it with some wool because dog hair ("chiengora") is much, much warmer than wool (think about that next time you see a furry dog dressed in a t-shirt!) Even a winter scarf or hat made from pure dog down may be far too warm to wear.
If you spin "chiengora" alone, at a high ratio, it tends to come out very wiry, like mohair.
You will want brushings of the undercoat, not clippings including the guard hairs, as they will make any yarn quite prickly. Don't take anything that comes from the dog being at the groomer... Collected brushings from the owner's daily groomings are best. They should be stored in a brown paper bag, not plastic, so they don't compress.
I've had good success soaking the fibers in hot water with people shampoo or Orvus, when they are tied up in several layers of rolled tulle netting to keep them from getting jumbled. I don't remember whether dog fur felts or not but I always rinse (several times) in water the same temperature as that with which I scoured. If it's winter, I'll add a little people conditioner to the rinse water to prevent static when working with the fiber. Don't try picking or carding until the fiber is thoroughly dry, and be gentle.
I have a beautiful pair of socks I spun from fibers from my departed Sheltie and Angora rabbit, along with some wool, and I can assure you - they do NOT smell when wet.
All that being said, if the dog is not a house/couch/bed dog, but kept in a kennel on an unwashed, oily old blanket, you are going to have to do a much more thorough scouring to get the initial smell out.
Good luck and I can't wait to see your results!!!
http://www.TuppinzFarm.com Heritage Sheep ~ Goats ~ Donkeys ~ Poultry
http://YarnAndABarn.blogspot.com Spinning ~ Knitting ~ Weaving ~ Quilting ~ Crocheting |
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Stitching & Crafting Room: Thinking of spinning dog hair - advice? |
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Thinking of spinning dog hair - advice?
