Dog Hair/making something sentimental

The problem with dog hair is that it just that, a hair, and hair doesn't have crimps or scales in it like wool so it needs to be spun tightly to hold it together - this will in all likelihood mean a harsh, rather than a soft yarn.

If you mix it with sheep's wool (which has crimps and scales that catch and hold together well when spun) you don't have to spin it so tightly and you get a good 'halo' effect from the dog hair. An only dog hair mix will produce a yarn that doesn't have 'memory' and all good yarn needs to be able to spring back into shape. Adding wool will give the yarn a 'memory'.

I have a whole lot of dog hair from a Marrema which I am trying to figure out how to wash (it stinks horribly). It was given to my by a neighbour who also gave me an alpaca fleece and I want to combine the 2 but also add wool to improve the resultant yarn and knit something for the neighbour.

Anyway, the advice I've been given from my Spinners and Weavers Guild experts has differed a bit from the research I've done (old copies of 'Spin Off', Interweave Press) where I found several articles on using dog hair.

What I am going to do is to stuff a stocking bag full of the filthy, stinky stuff and top it up with old stockings if it doesn't quite fill the bag up - less movement within the bag reducing the chance of matting from handling) put it in cold water overnight to thoroughly wet it, then put it in a bucket of hot soapy water and leave it there till the water goes cold then repeat a couple more times and then rinse it at least 3 times (by dunking and leaving) and give it a final rinse in water to which I add a dash of white vinegar (cuts any left over soap).

I'll then spread it on an old fly screen to dry and then card it with wool and alpaca. I'm waiting for the raint to stop and the hot weather to return - maybe by Xmas.

Fran