How it Works*Save and store your brushings
*Submit your order form *Send your brushings *Your project is booked once the fiber is received *Current lead time is updated on my home page. It's worth the wait. *Payment is due when your project begins |
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. |
SUBMIT BRUSHED OUT UNDERCOAT ONLY
Clippings, cuttings and shavings are not ideal for making yarn. I do not accept submissions for yarn made from cuttings, clippings, or shavings. I work exclusively with brushed undercoat of dogs, cats, and rabbits. I do not make exceptions. If you have cuttings you can still find creative ways to use them such as making pillows with your pet's favorite blankets and stuffing them with clippings.
Prices effective 11/13/23Yarn spun from your pet's hair $39/oz base price
If your brushings look like this, the base price will apply. |
Yarn is 2 ply sportweight. Thickness is measured by WPI (wraps per inch around a ruler) Sport weight is 13-16 WPI and is a great all purpose light to medium weight 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.
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Opening up of compacted hair +$6/oz to base price
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Foreign matter and debris in brushings.
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Compacted brushings which will require additional prep time
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Additional Prep Fees will apply if your brushings contain foreign matter or are compacted and difficult to pull apart. Handpicking debris and opening matts requires additional time. Remove as much debris or obvious felted clumps as you can before you send it to avoid the fee. Please be mindful that I am hand sorting and picking without protection for my hands. Sometimes hair stored for long periods of time compacts. It's the nature of the fiber and it can often still be spun with extra time and fiber preparation.
The best way to store brushings is in a cardboard box, paper bag, or pillowcase. Keep your collection protected from moths and insects.
Clippings, cuttings and shavings are not ideal for making yarn. I do not accept submissions for yarn made from cuttings, clippings, or shavings. I work exclusively with brushed undercoat. I do not make exceptions. If you have cuttings you can still find creative ways to use them such as making pillows with your pet's favorite blankets and stuffing them with clippings.
Blending fiber spun with your pet's hair $39/ozFor example: You send me 3 oz of your pet's hair but want bending fiber added so that you will have enough yarn to make a scarf. Your 3 oz would be blended with 5 oz of supplemental fiber for a total of 8 oz of yarn. 8oz x $39
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Blending your pet's hair with another fiber is optional unless the hair is shorter than 1.5" in length, in which case it is necessary. You may opt for a blended yarn if you want more yardage or elasticity added to your yarn. The cost for blended yarn includes my cost of the actual fiber used for blending. Merino or Alpaca, and occasionally bamboo is used for blended yarns. *Cat hair should ideally be blended with a small amount of anchor fiber to prevent felting. |
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 sometimes scratchy or slick and will shed out of the yarn. All brushings need to be at least an inch and a half long to be suitable for spinning. Shorter undercoat may be spun into a blended yarn with an anchoring fiber.
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, transfer it to paper or cardboard. All hair must be pest free. 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 40-50 yards of finished yarn. The finished yarn ounce for ounce will be slightly less in weight as there is some loss during the processing. Waste amount depends on the oil content, length and texture of the hair. Average waste is usually 5-15%. I remove any obvious waste or unspinnable hair before weighing it when determining the cost.
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, transfer it to paper or cardboard. All hair must be pest free. 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 40-50 yards of finished yarn. The finished yarn ounce for ounce will be slightly less in weight as there is some loss during the processing. Waste amount depends on the oil content, length and texture of the hair. Average waste is usually 5-15%. I remove any obvious waste or unspinnable hair before weighing it when determining the cost.
Is blending my pet's hair with another fiber necessary?
*No -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 do recommend cat hair be blended with another fiber because of the 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 25/75 or 50/50 pet ratio is ideal but can be adjusted for individual projects. I use responsibly sourced and super soft Alpaca, Merino and Bamboo.