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Dreamcatcher from your dog's fur Approx 9.5" Diameter handwoven onto a willow ring $19.95 + $3.85 for mailing Dreamcatchers were used to entertain Native American infants in cradleboards on their mother's back. Originally they were 3"-4" in diameter, made of willow, and woven with sinew or cordage made of plants. It was traditional to put a feather on it to represent the breath of air, the essential of life. A baby watching the air playing with the feather was entertained while also receiving a lesson the the importance of good air. To the Native Americans, dreams were messages sent by the spirits. According to legend, the hole in the center of a dreamcatcher web allows good dreams to reach the sleeper, while the web traps the bad dreams until the first light of morning, when they are destroyed. The bead is representative of the spider who lives on the web.

The Woofspun™ Scarf a warm woven memory Thick enough to be warm, light enough to be drapy and cozy, our scarves are woven onto a soft wool warp with yarn custom-spun from your dog's fur. 6"x36" . . . $180.00 . . Add length @ $3.00/inch 7.5"x60" . . . $250.00 . . . Add length @ $3.15/inch 10"x72" . . . $325.00 . . .Add length @ $3.30/inch Shorter? Subtract length @$2.00/inch Warp yarn color choices: Natural white Smoke (light gray)} Charcoal gray Lava (almost black) Walnut (brown heather) Warp yarn will be the background color as well as the fringe. Finished sizes are approximate, and measurement does not include the fringe. Your dog hair can be spun alone or blended with wool or silk. Choose from four patterns, as shown. It's hard to see the patterns here, but we'll send you a woven sample to see and feel to help you make your decision. We'll also send samples of the warp yarn. Please send a $10.00 deposit to receive the samples. Your deposit will be returned to you on return of the samples. Woven scarves will be delivered within 4 weeks if we receive sorted hair. Hair that requires extra sorting will be subject to a sorting charge and take longer to be completed.

"Sunny & Rosie"  This sample is Warp: white wool Gold weft: Golden Retriever White weft: Great Pyrenees   Both dog yarns are wool blends, which is what we suggest. For a touch of extra luxury, add some silk too!

Have a bear made from your own dog's fur!
Styles are modeled by Boz & Mattie.......

Mattie Bear is made from a felted blend of Golden Retriever and wool, and she holds a felted wool ball with her initial on it. Her lacy shawl/scarf is knit from a merino/tencel handspun, but yours can be made from your dog's fur if you would like. Felted Bear with ball & shawl (approximately 7" -8" tall) $109.95

Watch the reactions you get from folks who haven't heard of dog hair yarn or garments. Dog lovers will smile real big and say "Ooohhh, cool!" and probably reach out to touch. Those who don't care for dogs will probably recoil and grimice. Clue 'em in! Dog yarn really isn't any different than any other yarn. We just happen to be friends with the contributors.

Our fuzzy friends, those loyal and forgiving dogs who share our lives, offer us lots more than just love. Beyond the morning wakeup calls, the sloppy kisses, the sound of happy feet running to meet us when we arrive home, many of our pups provide an ongoing supply of fiber which can be made into wonderful wearables. Whether you spin yourself or are going to have somebody else produce the yarn or garment, you'll have to get the coat from your pet and into a bag.

Brush double-coated dogs: You want the undercoat. Not guard hair, the stiff spikey top coat. Not grass, dirt, dandruff, or worse. You want to save only the soft down that grows close to your dog's body. When you brush your dog, look at what you collect in the brush. Hold a bit of hair against a background of a different color, in good light, and you'll see the difference between the hair and the downy fuzz. You'll have to remove those stiff hairs one by one, as leaving them in will give you a prickly yarn. Of course, if you want to make a rug, it doesn't matter, so think about what you want your yarn to do for you. Collect and sort accordingly.

Brush and clip single-coated dogs: We speak here of breeds like the Poodle, Afghan Hound, Llasa Apso, Cocker Spaniel. Breeds that get haircuts have a soft coat that grows long if you don't keep cutting it. Get out that brush (save the brushings too) and keep your dog glowing and tangle free. Before too long, he'll have enough length to his coat that he can get "sheared." Let your groomer know that you're going to spin it so that she clips carefully. You'll need to sort the clipped coat to remove anything short or coarse. You want to keep soft locks of somewhat uniform length, with a minimum length of one inch. Three to five inches long is even better.

The brushings or clippings you've collected should be carded before spinning if you desire a high-quality yarn. We generally recommend blending with wool to give elasticity and prevent felting. But sometimes spinning the dog hair alone is wonderful! Think about what you want to do with your yarn and the properties of the fibers in it. Sampling is helpful, as is experience. Talk to spinners who are familiar with different fibers if you aren't sure how you want to proceed. Spinning will not be covered here, as much has been written on it and personal help is available throughout the country. I'm happy to help with any questions you may have. Feel free to get in touch!

Woofspun™, yarn designed by Detta's Spindle especially for you from your own dog's fur, has been our specialty since 1981. If you want it made into a garment, we can do that too. If you want to spin it yourself, we can teach you to spin and even supply you with a spinning wheel.

Prices:
Yarn, delivered in skeins:    Singlespun $10.50/oz 
                                          2 or 3-ply $14.50oz  (Bulky, worsted weight, sport weight) 
                                           Fine yarn: Inquire.

Samoyed & Wool Sweater This is "Detta's Cardigan Sweater" pictured in the book "Knitting with Dog Hair." It's a strand of 100% Samoyed plyed with a strand of corriedale wool, proof that adding wool to doggy fuzz doesn't take away all the halo!

Knitted  items:
Hat, tam, or mittens $98.
Double-thick mittens $125.
 The warmest!  Your doggy mitten will have a second mitten inside, knit from fluffy mohair!
Headband $43.95.
Sweater $825. & up. 
Vest $495.    
Lacy scarf 7"x44" $239.     
Scarf 10"x66" $345.
Thick 'n Thin Bulky Rib scarf  8"x70" $245. 
   Teenager endorsed!  We spin a thin yarn from your dog's fur, ply it with a thick wool handspun, and knit a cushy, warm scarf!  We use British
   Blue-Faced Leicester wool, in your choice of natural white or a medium brownish-gray.  It's prettiest if the wool contrasts with the color of your dog.  

The Woofspun Woven Scarf
6"x36" . . . $180.00 . . Add length @ $3.00/inch
7.5"x60" . . . $250.00 . . . Add length @ $3.15/inch
10"x72" . . . $325.00 . . .Add length @ $3.30/inch
Scarves are finished with twisted fringe. Fringe is not included in sizes stated.

Prices include the addition of wool with a retail price up to $18/lb.   Other fibers (silk, alpaca, camel, etc) added will be charged at retail cost.

Add $6.00 for return mailing & insurance.  Add state tax if you live in MI, WI, IL, IN, OH.   Minnesota orders: tax only on non-clothing items.

We ask that you remove guard hair and sort clipped coat before sending the hair. Coat that requires sorting will incur a $15.00/hr charge for sorting only.

Want a yarn sample? Send $6.00 with a handful of your dog or cat hair.

Questions? Please ask...

© Detta's Spindle 2006