CHIENGORA 
Spin It, Knit It, Weave It, Wear It

     Its called Chiengora (pronounced she-an-gora). At least that's the name most people are calling dog hair. Chien is French for dog and gora is from angora, the fiber the hair most closely resembles. Dog hair is now considered a luxury fiber like mohair and cashmere.

     Spinning dog hair is an ancient art. Dog hair has been found in the yarns of ancient Scandavians and Native Americans. Dog hair is best if its spun by hand. As more people are learning the art of spinning, the use of dog hair is becoming more popular.

      Dog hair is warm and sheds water. Its most striking feature is its fur-like appearance. For warmth it's hard to beat chiengora. Actually it feels warmer as the temperature drops. Because of this quality, dog hair is more comfortably worn in cool to cold temperatures. Because chiengora is also somewhat water-repellent, it insulates well in cold damp weather.

     The softest yarn comes from the combed undercoats of double-coated breeds. One of those breeds is the Great Pyr -- its long white hair is perfect for spinning and making into warm fuzzy hats, scarves, mittens, sweaters, vests, jackets, throws and much more. The hair of Great Pyrs isn't the only dog hair you can use. The hair from such dogs as Poodles, Pekinese, Maltese, Border Collie and Collie, among others, are good to spin. Almost all dog hair can be used as long as it is at least 2 inches long; and brushed hair is preferrable to hair that has been cut. The undercoats of the double-coated breeds, of course, will be softer than those dogs that only have a single coat. If you don't have enough dog hair, you can always add in other fibers, such as wool. And dog hair isn't the only animal fiber you can use to spin -- try using cat hair... and even bird feathers.

     Chiengora can be used in a variety of ways. It can be knitted by hand or machine. It can be crocheted or used as weft by weavers.  There are websites and books that can provide you with instructions for hand-spinning chiengora.

     Chiengora can be handwashed or dry cleaned. And no, it doesn't smell like wet dog  :)

Great Pyr Dog Hair for Sale