Bettina Menkhoff from Stoetze, Germany, makes scarves, gloves and other clothes from dog hair yarn.
Warm, dense and often water-resistant, dog hair is the perfect medium for knitting, crocheting or felting. In fact, people have been bold enough to knit with dog hair for centuries.
Think about it: You’re cold, poor and living in Norway during the 15th century. How do you keep your family warm? Knit them blankets and socks with free yarn from the family dogs.
The first time I heard about knitting with dog hair, I thought it was the most disgusting thing I’d ever heard of. Who wants to wear something made out of dirty, stinky, oily dog hair? And what happens if you get caught in the rain? You get to smell like wet dog the rest of the day!
But then I felt my first scarf knit from homespun dog hair. Soft and plush, the scarf smelled nothing like dog, even though it had been knit from St. Bernard fur. It wasn’t as soft as silk, but it felt much nicer than wool, cotton or polyester yarn. I was surprised that a yellow dog produced light-gray yarn, but apparently most dog hair winds up looking white, gray or varying shades in between.
Chiengora
Chiengora is yarn made from dog hair or a blend. “Chien” is the French word for dog, and “gora” is taken from angora, the fiber to which dog hair is the most similar.
There are reports of dog hair fibers being found in the clothing and blankets of prehistoric Scandinavia and the North American Navajo Indians. DNA analysis on blankets used by the Native Americans of the Pacific Northwest and British Columbia have found that canine hairs seem to have been a common fiber in their crafts.
Dog Hair = Money
The material is gaining in popularity. A quick search reveals that the going rate for chiengora produced from the hair of two champion German shepherd is $4.95 for 3 ounces. That could add up to a tidy sum if you kept all the trimmings from your own favorite canine.
And just in case it’s not abundantly clear: No, the dog isn’t harmed to make chiengora. Harvesting dog hair is just like harvesting wool from a sheep — albeit a house-broken, spoiled, garbage-eating sheep that sleeps on your sofa when you aren’t looking.
Tips on Knitting with Dog Hair
COLLECT IT: To make your very own garment or pot holder, start by collecting the fur that comes off when you brush your dog, and keep any floor sweepings. Don’t collect gross mats you cut out from under your puppy’s ears. After you give your pet a thorough bath, dry him off and brush him with a slicker brush, a rake or a Furminator. Store the hair in a cloth sack such as a pillowcase, in a well-lit and ventilated area. This will keep it free from moths.
SPIN IT: When you have collected enough, the hair must be spun into yarn before you can make anything out of it. Card the hair to align the fibers, and then spin it into yarn. No spinning wheel? Check out your local crafts or yarn store for nifty spinning tools. Wash the yarn again after you spin it, and then skein it. OR: You can send it to an outside organization that will do it for you. Woofspun by Detta’s Spindle is one location that will happily spin yarn so you can knit a sweater from dog hair. You’ll need about 4 ounces for socks, hats and mittens; 10 ounces for a scarf; or 42 ounces for a large sweater.
KNIT IT: Once you have your yarn, it’s time to knit! Follow any pattern as if you were knitting with traditional sheep or goat’s wool. For you experienced knitters, this means use a size 5 or 6 knitting needle. Blooming will occur with use, making it very easy to work with but difficult to undo — so no mistakes. It measures about six stitches to the inch and works well with two-ply sport weight yarn. Chiengora is a little different in that dog hair is finer and shorter than wool, so you’ll have to take extra care not to use too much tension. Canine hairs are also very heavy and not at all stretchy, so plan accordingly.
Sound easy? Yeah, I don’t think so either. Fortunately, Kendall Crolius and Anne Montgomery write a whole book on the subject: Knitting with Dog Hair.
To care for your dog-hair garment, hand-wash it in warm water with pet shampoo (no kidding!) or with mild liquid detergent.
Although I’d love to have a garment knit from homespun dog hair, I’m not optimistic I’ll ever make one. I have dachshunds, so it would take about 10 years to save enough hair for a tiny beret. Hmm, perhaps I should get a couple of Great Pyrenees…
Additional Resources
- Bella Online: Making a Sweater From Dog Hair
- Amazon.com: Knitting With Dog Hair (112 pages), a definitive guide
- Seabreeze Spinners: Chiengora archive with a treasure trove of information
Sarah Blakemore contributed to this article.
