Making things from your dog's hair

Instead of tossing it away, why not wear it?

MetPet.com Staff Writer

You comb it, you vacuum it, you bag it, you clip it, you shave it, you shampoo it and, just when you think it's under control, it comes back again!  If you're one of the millions of dog caretakers that struggles with a shaggy, long-haired, double-coated, forever-shedding mutt, why not turn that particular lemon into lemonade?  

Knit it into a fuzzy accessory!  This is a nice, peaceful activity that throws out centuries of modernization right out the window.  One of the great luxuries of life is to delve back occasionally, and for a limited time only, into pre-industrial life where people did things the right, and the hard, time-consuming, energy-consuming way. 

You will need:
At least one shedding dog or a dog who is willing to be brushed vigorously
To make a muffler, you will need 1/4 lb. of dog hair that you can mix with slightly more raw sheep's wool  
Tools to card the wool, spin it into yarn and knit it together.  This is the time to look for a good knitting class and yarn shop near you.

You will then need to:
Card the raw wool along with the dog's hair in order to mix and align them together
Spin the fibers into yarn
Skein the yarn
Wash it and hang it up to dry
Wrap it into a ball
Knit using your favorite pattern!

Dog hair is reputed to be one of the warmest fibers going.  There are also some reports that getting it wet will bring out that lovely doggie smell.  However, since that odor comes from oil on the hair and not the hair itself, a good washing of the skein should take care of most of the odor problem.