Alex, the Hearth Fire
boosted
Some people claim that garments knit with dog-fur yarn are too warm.
I have no complaints!
Some people claim that garments knit with dog-fur yarn are too warm.
I have no complaints!
A request for dog owners and the canine-adjacent: do you have medium/long dog fur I can test fiber prep on?
I've been talking with Baruch of Bam Fiber Works, where I got my double-row extra-fine combs for working with Oni's long Tibetan Mastiff fur, and we're both interested in testing out single-row combs instead. I got the double-row combs to work, but there was more effort and waste than desired. Baruch made me an offer I couldn't refuse: if I purchased a set of single-row extra-fine combs, he'd toss in a set of single-row fine combs for free -- as long as I provided feedback on how they compared.
The problem: I don't have any more of Oni's fur left to test on until next spring!
Sure, I could go back and re-comb the finished top, but I would like to truly start fresh with un-prepared fur.
ALSO, while I'm at it, I'd like to try OTHER dog breeds and fur lengths. Baruch is interested in getting more information he can share with other customers curious about working with their own dogs' fur. This is just the kind of research project I love to do!
So, please share this post and/or contact me if you are interested in providing test samples.
More in 🧵 ...
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General thoughts: combing is a satisfying process, if a bit slow, especially compared to an electric drum carder! Probably on par with hand carding the same amount.
This fur seems much looser than the roving and top I've seen people produce in videos online. The word "diaphanous" comes to mind with some of the finer bits of sliber I pulled off, as seen in the second photo.
I guess I need to get my hands on some real wool roving/top for comparison!
I'm looking forward to running some spinning tests with this fur, both woolen and worsted style, to see how it responds. And then compare combing the washed fur mat with loose, but unwashed, stuff that remains. I suspect that the unwashed fur will be less matted, and thus quicker to run through the process. And not notably dirtier.
Side note: the color and texture of this combed top is a LOT like my own long hair, and that of my mother, from whom I got most of my genes. It's kind of disconcerting!
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