Hair raising Yarn

Victoria Pettigrew hated throwing away the hair from her pet Chow's brush after grooming. So one day she decided to spin it into yarn. Her idea has prompted pet lovers across the USA to wear their pets hair with pride- in bed, to the shops, and even to the beach.

When Victoria's beloved 16-year old Lhasa Apso dog, Karly, died in 2001, she spun her fur and knitted it into a small scarf. Now customers send hair from their dogs and cats to her company- VIP Fibers of Denton, Texas- and she spins it into yarn before sending it back to them as maybe a pair of mittens, a scarf, a blanket, a pillow, or, for the more daring, a fun-fur bikini. Such items are proving to be popular keepsakes with which owners can remember their adored pets.

Dog fur is up to 80 percent warmer than sheep;s wool, but has to be thoroughly cleaned so that when the yarn gets wet, it does not smell like a wet dog. First the hair is washed in shampoo, then it is put through a process that removes the enzymes that cause odor, and finally it is soaked in softener and conditioner. Victoria also spins yarn from alpacas, rabbits, horses, and even hamsters, although it may need several years fur collection to create a hamster blanket!