Home Striped Watch Caps Ski Caps Kids & Baby Hats Tams & Snoods Doggy Hats Scrapbook Lumpy Knit Hats Hats 'n Scarves
Hats Now in Stock Rainbow Hats

Wool Skull Caps

  Big Flower Hats

Spring & Summer Hats Spinable Critters Design Options

Allie's Hats

Blog

 

doggy hats

 

Round cap with wool & husky hair

 

You may be surprised to learn that many types of pet hair can be spun into beautiful soft yarn.  Hand spinning many breeds of dog hair, as well as some breeds of cat hair, is quite easy and yields excellent results.  The resulting yarn is called chiengora, which is a combination of the French word for dog and angora.  (See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chiengora for more information.) Hats made out of this yarn go for up to $200 for a fancy one and around $120 for a typical "beanie" style hat.   I sell mine for less, though I have raised my prices somewhat recently - $75 for a not too fancy custom made one and $60 to $70 for a ready made hat (depending on style).  I do my best to keep my hats affordable.  Malamute (Alaskan husky), Great Pyrenees, and Samoyed are especially nice, and I've had very good results with poodle, Afghan hound, and chow hair as well. 

Hats are not all that's possible either.  I also make scarves and have recently made a small throw style blanket and a neck tie!  See photos below.

Most people's first question is "What about the smell??"  Fortunately there's an easy solution: baking soda rinse!  Soaking the yarn overnight in a baking soda solution completely eliminates all odor.  Hats made from dog hair are especially warm and quite water repellant.  So if you have a dog (or an angora or Persian cat) with a nice coat, and the hair is at least an inch and a half in length, I can probably make you a lovely warm handspun chiengora hat, scarf or even a necktie!   I'll need at least a regular sized plastic grocery bag full for a hat, and it needs to be combings, as cut hair usually doesn't work very well unless it's poodle.  All other cut hair that I've tried to spin has come out very prickly.  No good at all!  Email me for details or questions.  (See How to Order Page.) The photos below are some examples. 

If you are looking for someone to spin your pet hair into yarn for you without making anything out of it, I can refer you to someone who does that. 

 

A. Chiengora necktie modeled by my neighbor.  This is the same dog fiber as seen in "B" (Custom order)

B.  This watch cap was made from mostly soft undercoat hair from a Shepherd mix dog.  I two-plied the yarn for extra strength. (Custom order)

C.  Loose knit, medium to very bulky weight wool, llama & white malamute hair lumpy knit hat.  One size fits all $65  (Sold)

D. Slightly slouchy large round cap style hat made from dyed Samoyed hair.  $60   (Sold)

E. Lumpy knit cap with ribbed brim.  The gray is a blend of black Merino wool and malamute hair.  The rest is loose knit, bulky weight wool, mohair, cotton & silk with beads, lace & bits of sparkly angelina. $75 (Sold)

F. This scarf was made from poodle hair. (Custom order)

 G.  Round cap with tassel made from Samoyed hair. (Custom order)

 H. This ski cap is made from a blend of variegated gray malaumte hair & wool.  Click image for more details. (Custom Order)

I.  Wool, malamute hair, afghan hound hair, akita hair, alpaca & tencel.  Soft, warm & cozy!  (Sold)

 

 J.  This tam is made from wool, afghan hound hair, malamute hair & mohair with silk trim.  Size large. $65  (Sold)

K.  Great Pyrenees large tam. (Custom Order)

L.  Proud owner of a great dog. I had never spun golden retriever hair before.  Great result!

M. Owner of the fine husky dog that provided fiber for many of my blended wool/malamute yarns.  He also had a very nice husky hair ski cap made.

N. Wool, silk & wool/malamute hair blend. One size fits all $75 (Sold)

O.  Lumpy knit watch cap made from Afghan hound hair.  Incredibly soft & silky.  (Custom order)

P.  This is a very long knitted round cap made from a blend of llama wool & malamute hair on top & the rest wool, llama wool & silk.  $75 (Sold)

Links

 ׀

How to Order