Cocoa and a scarf made from her fur.
As a pet owner I thought this was an interesting site to share. My poodles are hair dogs so this information doesn't apply, but I would have loved to know this service existed when my German Shepherd was alive. I could brush him all day and still get a handful of fur. Even thirteen years after his passing I can still find pieces of him in the far corners of a closet or on clothing I having worn for awhile. It would have been wonderful to have a hat or a scarf made from my Max's beautiful coat.
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Wear your best friend wherever you go with yarn made from brushings from your pet cat or dog. Pet fur makes a lovely fluffy yarn with a halo like angora and is very warm for its weight. I can spin your pet’s fur into yarn for you to knit, crochet or weave, or I can spin and knit it for you into mittens, a hat or a lacy scarf.
What kind of cats and dogs have good fur for spinning?
The main requirement is that the fur is soft and long enough to spin. A minimum length of about 1 inch is required, otherwise the yarn sheds a lot and may be prickly.
Many kinds of dogs have good fur to spin. Some suitable breeds are Siberian Husky, Samoyed, Malamute, Golden Retriever, Newfoundland, American Eskimo and Great Pyrenees but any dog with a long, soft undercoat is suitable.
Long or medium-haired cats provide the best fur among cats. Breeds such as Persian, Ragdoll, and Himalayan have long enough fur to make excellent yarn. But even short-haired cats can provide fur, although it will take a long time to collect enough to spin.
How much fur do I need?
Not as much as you might think. Even 1-2 ounces of fur can be blended with wool to make a pair of mittens or a hat.
A sandwich bag stuffed full of fur weighs about half an ounce. A grocery bag of fur weighs about 8 ounces.
Why do you sometimes blend the fur with wool?
I cat blend dog and cat fur with about 50% fine wool to give added strength and elasticity and to create more yarn if you have a small quantity or fur. I can spin dog fur without blending it with wool but if it is knitted it may sag not bounce back into shape after it’s stretched. This may be fine for a scarf or throw, but may not be suitable for a hat or mittens. 100% cat fur will felt itself and become stiff and hard so it is not recommended.
Judy Kavanagh is a hand spinner from Ottawa, Canada. I've not met her and I hope she doesn't mind my spreading awareness of her interesting site. Her pricing and information is all listed there. Click this link: http://www.jumaka.com/spinning/petfur.html
 I've never met a dog that doesn't enjoy being combed and brushed. |  Golden Retriever and Merino Wool mitt |
Dog Fur Yarn
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