How it Works*Save and store your brushings
*Submit your order form *Send your brushings *Your project is booked once the fiber is received *Generally booking with a 6-8 week lead time. It's worth the wait. *Fees are due 1/2 when the project begins and 1/2 upon completion |
Custom yarn made with your pet's hair
A project this special happens for some, once in a lifetime. I fully understand both the sentimentality and importance of your project; I'm truly honored to work with you & your cherished pet.
I look forward to presenting you with your companion expressed in this very unique medium. |
Fees 2020
Yarn spun from your pet's hair $33/oz |
Yarn is 2 ply sportweight. Thickness is measured by WPI (wraps per inch around a ruler) Sportweight is 13-16 WPI and a great all purpose yarn. Occasionally, a worsted weight yarn results; it depends on the individual fiber. Bulkier yarn can be made by request.
Cost of yarn made from your pet's hair is all inclusive: basic prep work and hand carding, spinning, plying, washing and finishing into a center pull ball or hank with custom tag. |
Additional prep work for hair in poor condition $7/oz |
Additional Prep fees will only apply if your brushings are excessively dirty, or are matted and very difficult to pull apart. You can avoid this fee by picking out debris and matted clumps before you send it.
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Yarn spun with a blending fiber added to your pet's hair $33/oz |
Blending your pet's hair with another fiber is optional. This is sometimes advised with very short hair and is a great way to go if you need more yarn yardage. The cost for spinning the fiber is the same for both your pet's hair and the blending fiber & includes the cost of the blending fiber.
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I offer custom hand spun yarn using your pet's hair. The softest and longest hairs are found on the undercoat. These hairs are what is left on your brush after grooming your pet. These are ideal for spinning and should make up the majority of your hair if choose to have it spun. The outer hairs are guard hairs or second coat and are not ideally structured for spinning. These coarsest guard hairs are scratchy and do not spin well. Ideally, and for the softest yarn, provide a higher ratio of undercoat hair from brushings. All hair needs to be at least an inch to an inch and a half long to be suitable for spinning.
You can collect the hair through brushing. Occasionally, and depending on the length and structure of your hair, your pet's hair may be better suited for yarn blended with another fiber (bamboo, alpaca, merino, wool) to spin. This is always up to you, but during the evaluation process I will give you my opinion. Blending is also an option if you'd like a greater yield and need more yarn yardage than your hair alone would provide. Store your hair in a paper bag or small box such as a shoe box and protect from pests if you will be storing over a long period of time. Cedar chips work well. Please do not store your hair with or near mothballs or in plastic bags. If you have your hair stored in plastic bags, take it out and store it in paper or cardboard. All hair must be pest free and free of all vegetable matter and matted clumps. If you wash your pet before grooming be sure that the hair you collect is completely dry before storing.
You are charged by the ounce for the weight of the hair provided before it is processed. To give you an idea of how much hair is in an ounce, a plastic sandwich bags holds approximately 1 ounce of hair. 1 ounce of pet hair will yield anywhere between 45 and 65 yards of finished yarn. The finished yarn ounce for ounce will be less in weight as there is some loss during the processing. Processing results in loss up to 25% depending on the oil content, length and texture of the hair. Average waste is usually 10-15%.
You can collect the hair through brushing. Occasionally, and depending on the length and structure of your hair, your pet's hair may be better suited for yarn blended with another fiber (bamboo, alpaca, merino, wool) to spin. This is always up to you, but during the evaluation process I will give you my opinion. Blending is also an option if you'd like a greater yield and need more yarn yardage than your hair alone would provide. Store your hair in a paper bag or small box such as a shoe box and protect from pests if you will be storing over a long period of time. Cedar chips work well. Please do not store your hair with or near mothballs or in plastic bags. If you have your hair stored in plastic bags, take it out and store it in paper or cardboard. All hair must be pest free and free of all vegetable matter and matted clumps. If you wash your pet before grooming be sure that the hair you collect is completely dry before storing.
You are charged by the ounce for the weight of the hair provided before it is processed. To give you an idea of how much hair is in an ounce, a plastic sandwich bags holds approximately 1 ounce of hair. 1 ounce of pet hair will yield anywhere between 45 and 65 yards of finished yarn. The finished yarn ounce for ounce will be less in weight as there is some loss during the processing. Processing results in loss up to 25% depending on the oil content, length and texture of the hair. Average waste is usually 10-15%.
Costs are based on the weight of the fiber when it is received, before any processing steps. The average yield of yarn is 40-50 yards of yarn per ounce of brushings. This will vary based on the waste ratio determined by oil content and overall quality of the brushings. Consistent grooming, overall wellness and a healthy diet all contribute to the coat quality.
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Is blending necessary?
*Blending in another fiber is optional unless your brushings are too short. In that case, the only way to make a yarn which won't shed excessively and fall apart easily is adding in another fiber. I will give you my assessment once I evaluate your pet's hair. I do recommend cat hair be blended with another fiber because of it's tendency to felt on itself. The benefits of blending are increased yardage, elasticity, strength, structure, and... it's not as warm. Dog hair really is 8 X warmer than wool! Think about what you will be making with your yarn and consider the benefits of blending. If you only have a small amount of brushings from your pet, it's a great way to get more yardage. When blending is necessary, a 50/50 ratio is ideal. I use responsibly sourced Alpaca, Merino and Bamboo.