Love your cuddly pet so much you want to immortalize him or her into a soft cuddly sweater? We do it with sheep and goat fur – why not cats and dogs? Allergies aside, the idea is nothing to sneeze at. Danelle German, a professional cat groomer based in Simpsonville, S.C, was troubled by the large amounts of fur she would dispose of after grooming clients’ Persians and Angoras. Her solution? Spin the fur into yarn. Then you can knit the yarn into warm, cozy creations (cute little sweaters, mittens, hats, you name it). Can’t you just imagine grandma knitting your little one a sweater made from Mr. Buttons?
Well, maybe not. Check out the video above of this awesomely weird – yet fun- idea. Core77 also featured a post on dog owners who do something very similar… though their creations have a bit more bite.
If you are into the idea of making Spot into a handbag, Danelle German’s custom creations start at the surprisingly affordable cost of $45.
38 Responses to “Make A Sweater From Your Pet’s Fur!”
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If anyone is familiar with “The Cat Who…” books by Lilian Jackson Braun, the main character once decided he wanted something knit out of his Siamese Cats’ fur. At the time, I thought it was totally weird, but now that I have my own Siamese, I can sort of understand. My cat’s fur is the softes I’ve ever felt on a cat. It’s reminiscent of rabbit fur.
Man, sorry but this is five kinds of creepy.
Why is this creepy? My cat sheds a lot. I could probably make a hat and scarf at least from a year’s worth of fur.
It’s saving money, materials, and recycling.
I want to try it!
But soon, people will want to mass produce it and there will be unhealthy factory farm conditions where cats are shaved for fur, like sheep.
Hopefully, it will stay on the local level.
I have saved my dog’s fur several times thinking I would combine it with some wool and make a scarf or something. I loved my first dog and I love my second dog, I think using a scarf made with some of their fur from their haircuts would bring back pleasant memories of good times with them.
Wow. I may have to agree with Kenneth on this one – it seems kind of strange to me. But then, I\’m not so much a furry pet person. More of a sea monkey / pet rock kind of girl. And neither have fur.
This is very common where I live (Bend, Oregon). I’ve met multiple people at the dog park who spin yarns from dog fur. A friend had a hat made from her husky fur! I’ve been meaning to do this as well — really smart, sustainable idea.
Alaskan Malamute fur is extremely abundant and luxurious. Our dogs (20+) “blow their coat” twice a year. For centuries, the Eskimos and Inuit have used this fur to create protective sweaters and scarfs.
I have a throw-blanket made from my Samoyed’s sheddings spun into wool with mohair and woven. It has kept me warm on winter nights for years. It’s wonderful to have a memento from my favorite, much loved dog, who died many years ago.
I don’t understand at all why people find this creepy. The pet isn’t harmed at all and hair that would otherwise be thrown away gets put to a good use. Having your deceased pet stuffed is creepy — but having something made out of your still living pet’s excess hair seems like a great idea.
My ex’s mom had a huge Mackenzie husky who bulked up with fur during the winter in Northern Ontario. He was an outside dog….dug into snowbanks to sleep. In the spring, all that hair had to go. It would literally come out in giant clumps. She used to keep it, spin it and make scarves and hats out of it for the family. They were warm as heck and much appreciated at -25C!
I used to work in a place where Brad Pitt had his hair done. When he left, I always gathered the cuttings and, when I had enough, I had a small tanga made from them. A bit scratchy, but oh so worth it!
Hey — I\’m in! I could probably nip around our house right this minute and harvest enough cat hair off the furniture to knit myself an entire wardrobe.
I love the idea of having something made from your pet’s fur… but Brad Pitt’s hair?
THAT’S creepy.
This is pretty weird. Why don’t people start collecting their kids’ hair after each haircut and start making sweaters from that too.
This isn’t so much weird as it is just a little bit worrysome. It’s a cute idea; I would even consider doing this with some of my pets fur (it would make a nice scarf), but what if a celebrity starts wearing a piece of clothing made from their animal? You know how society is, they would be the next big thing. I don’t want to see animals harmed in the long run for fashion.
This seems a bit like emptying your vacuum cleaner and thinking “hey, that’d be something nice to wear”
/me shudders
I don’t know what a tanga is but if it’s got Brad Pitt in it I want one too. My Dad is losing his hair so I’m collecting it all and I’ll make him a wig or a hat or something. If I had a dog I’d do the same but I’d let the dog wear it, not me. He’s not my color.
I was wondering what to do with those hairballs… I figured there was a use somewhere. Why else would the cats recycle them?!
cool! I’ve been saving my dogs fur and made a pillow out of it, but I still have a lot.
To each his own.
I, unfortunately, have a dog with very little hair. I love that we don’t have to groom him, but it would take several of his lifetimes to even make me a cotton ball!
I’m sorry, I got stuck on Brad Pitt’s hair. Um. Yuck. First of all, on the floor of a salon, I can only imagine what you picked up. Also, what an invasion of his privacy. I can’t imagine being stalked as he is.
Wow, Bet how weird is wierd – first of all cotton comes from a BUSH, not a dog so it would be impossible for your dog to EVER produce a cottonball even if he was reincarnated indefinitely. Secondly, I expect there is hair on the floor of a hair salon…. and dirt and maybe some dust. What did you think would be there? radioactive waste perhaps? the discarded entrails of horses? It’s just like your floor at home but probably cleaner because they wash it more often. Finally, how is it an invasion of privacy? How is discarded hair private? Should the poor little man have his exhaled breath fanned into oblivion in case anyone bottles it? I do feel bet that you need to try to come into the real world a little more and stop being so precious. Toodle pip.
no really, using Brad Pitt’s hair is weird. I’d be creeped out if I knew someone saved my hair and wore it on their butt. I’d consider an invasion of my privacy or at least decency.
But, I don’t think this is going to catch on and go walmart. And if it did, people could just send in their pets’ hair. I’m sure most people will just think its odd. And I don’t think its strange at all. No stranger than wool and probably more humane – you decide how good you treat your pet. I’ve known a few pets I’d like to make hats out of, and this way they are not harmed.
More hair raising news:
http://www.tewkesburyadmag.co.uk/news/evesham/4121196.Salons_which_recycle_hair_get_a_head_start/
Hello
I would very much like to know if you could knit me a moustache out of my hamsters hair beacuse he moults all the time!
I have tried and tried to grow a moustache but keep failing miserbaly because i have some sort of hair growth disorder!
I am a famous soccer player in england and I keep getting skitted by all the fans and my team mates because i use a pretend moustache! I want to look hard but i can’t without any facial hair please help me!!!
thank you
Gary
P.S. Don’t tell Sir Alex or my mum or my dad or my team mates or any fans
thanks.
My Old English Sheepdog doesn’t shed, but we brush a lot from him after each grooming.. I am already imagining his soft hair turning into warm mittens…
I own an alaskan malamute who has just shed for the first time this year ( he has another one to go) ive bagged up nearly half a big bag full of his hair that just brushes out with complete ease,no harm done,(not that he’s a massive fan of being groomed,he is a boy at the end of the day),but my point is,why just throw it away in the bin,when you can make something to treasure for the rest of your life. Especially when you have a dog that cost alot,i want to get my monies worth outta him haha!!
We found an adorable bird’s nest in our yard made with our white husky’s fur. We still have it. It’s incredibly soft. What more could a baby bird want?
Your two first images on this article are actually part of a series from my original 2008 post (which has since been widely circulated on the web) on portraits of people who wear their dog’s hair as sweaters.
See all of the images, learn who the photographer is and learn much more about making a sweater from your dogs hair here.
http://ifitshipitshere.blogspot.com/2008/10/wearing-hair-of-dog-portraits-of-people.html
Here’s what’s going on: the fourth-rate hacks who write these online articles think they need a snarky “angle” for their article to give it that eyeball-grabbing zaz. As a result, every single article I have read about this exact same woman spins the story as, “what a weird, gross thing to do”. As most people are unable to think for themselves, but simply repeat opinions that they have heard from others, this angle gets picked up and repeated by people.
People buy and sell HUMAN hair all the time. Ask Oprah. It’s called a weave. Humans are not harmed in the harvesting of this hair except for a temporary baldness of the head (duh).
Thank you so much. great blog. Sims Pets
No, I’m sorry, Using Brad Pitt’s hair is creepy. Maybe if the item made was a scarf… maybe. But using his hair to knit yourself underwear (btw tanga=panties) GROSS!!
how do u go about getting one made if u live in florida?
Who can I get ahold of to get a blanket out of my dogs hair.
barbie4u@kc.rr.com
Just thinking of a way to teach kids about creating a business niche. I have ~30 Alaskan Malamutes who blow their coats 2+ times per year each. If there are any businesses out there that could use a malamute fur supply for their yarn operation, please let me know so I can employ some young entrepreneurs.
it cracks me up that anyone would think this is creepy..or care if it is what someone else would want to do. to me it would be a precious keepsake and made of the softest fur i know…my jeremy cat. no way is it creepy compared to something made of a rabbit/mink or other animal that you…kill. now that is sick and creepy. and i can have an opinion about that because it is KILLING. Bart…why not make something from your kid’s hair…if it is something someone would want to do? people keep swatches of their baby’s hair all the time. i have them in a box for both my daughters…and several of their baby teeth too. maybe this fur scarf type thing isn’t something everyone would want to do….but if is by all means not creepy. my cats are so valuable to me. nothing that has to do with them…could in any way be creepy.
however i believe this should be kept stictly to personal/sentimental because we “love our animals” purposes…not yet another way to exploit animals by obtaining them for the sole purpose of selling fur etc etc etc…and that whole sick mentality that humans seem to jump to immediately if there could be a potential dollar to be made by using animals strictly to serve people..or to “employ some young entrepreneurs” please. the more im around some people the more i understand why i love animals so much.
I love the idea! I just got a Samoyed and his fur is the most beautiful, soft, and warm thing I have ever touched! I love my dog and I’d love to have a blanket made from his fur. Why waste such a wonderful material? The only problem is that I don’t knit. Does anyone know a place that knit the blanket as well as spin the fur and approximately how much fur would they need? Contrary to what I’ve read, my Sammy doesn’t seem to shed much. At least not yet.