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I Can Do What with My Dog's Hair?
03/31/2008 - By Martha Fraker, Owner of Three Bags Full
A Needle-Felted Dog that Looks Like Your Dog
Ideas for what to do with dog hair.
If you are like most of us who own dogs, you know what it is like to deal with shedding problems and all the loose hair. What if you could put that hair to good use? Well, you can! Some of the things you can create with dog hair are scarves, needle-felted dogs (the latest in creating what looks like your dog actually made out of its own hair), felt beads, and more.
How would I even go about doing this, you ask. The first step is really as simple as brushing your dog and collecting the hair that he or she sheds; clipped hair really isn’t recommended because it tends not to lay flat. All dog hair is useable. The coarser hair is excellent for pillows and makes a unique addition to wall hangings. The soft downy hair from the sled dogs as well as Newfoundlands, Collies, and even Poodles, makes lovely, soft yarns that are extremely waterproof. (If you have ever tried bathing one of these breeds, you know what I mean by waterproof.) These softer hairs are the ones I will be discussing.
The next step is to card the hair; what this means is that you will take two brushes that look almost like dog brushes and brush the hair until the fibers group together. Following carding, you will spin the yarn on a spinning wheel into fine singles with a lot of twist and then ply those together until they can't be untwisted. Now comes one of the most important steps: don’t forget that after spinning the yarn you will definitely want to hand wash it (or you may have a scarf that has that ever fragrant "dog smell"). One of the best ways to ensure a cleaning smelling yarn is to use a rinse containing one of your favorite aromatic oils (good examples are lemon or orange).
With clean yarn in hand, you are ready to embark on the the project of your choosing. You can take the hand-spun yarn and weave or knit a scarf, purse, jacket, or anything you desire; the possibilities really are endless. So what are you waiting for? Start brushing today and save up for that special project that will create memories for years to come. It may take some time . . . but in the end you'll have something extra meaningful besides kisses from your best friend.
