For Pets Without an Undercoat: Let your pet’s hair grow long before taking your pet to the groomers. Your pet’s hair must be at least 2 inches long in order to make a good yarn. Keep in mind that the longer the hair, the better the yarn will be. When you take your pet to the groomers, tell your groomer that you wish to save the hair for spinning. They should be more attentive to making sure they sheer your pet to give you the longest possible clippings. You need to collect all the long hair that comes off your pet’s back, sides, and stomach. Remember that the longer the hair is, the better the yarn will be. Hair on your pet’s legs and head tends to be shorter, which will make the quality of the yarn lower. Collect only the hair that falls on the groomer’s table: not the stuff on the floor. The hair on the floor may or may not be your pet’s hair, plus the floor is dirty.

Storing Your Pet’s Hair: It may take several weeks (or months) to collect enough hair for your project, regardless of which method you use.  While you are collecting, keep this in mind:

· You should collect your hair in a breathable bag, such as a paper grocery bag or a cotton pillowcase.  Do not store your hair in a plastic bag!

· Store your bag in an area that gets light. This discourages moths, which will destroy your hair. (These are the same moths that attack wool clothing.) Do not store your bag in a dark closet!

· Add a piece of cedar or a few mothballs to your bag. This further discourages moths, fleas, and other critters who might want to make your bag of hair their home.

· It is imperative that all hair sent to us for spinning be free of moths, fleas, and/or other unfavorable critters. Any hair sent to us containing these undesirables will be immediately disposed of.

· You will need a small scale (like a kitchen or postal scale) to weigh your hair. Keep in mind that there is up to an 18% loss ratio when going through the spinning process. Therefore, if you wish to have a 6 oz skein, you will need to collect 7 oz of hair to ensure that you do get 6 oz of yarn.

· When you have collected enough hair, pack it in a cardboard box and send it to us at:

 

The Fuzzy Farm

14119 Lillian Circle

Omaha, NE 68138

Fill the brush completely before removing the hair for collection. This leads to more even tension when spinning.

Copyright © 2007 The Fuzzy Farm. All rights reserved.

The Fuzzy Farm™ 

Custom yarn from your pet's hair!™

Collecting Your Hair

For Pets With an Undercoat: Brush your pet as you normally would. Some tips to help you get the best results from your skein:

· A long, wire brush is best.

· The bigger the brush is, the better the results will be.

· Brush your pet with the head of the brush pointing in the same direction each time, so that all the hair on the brush is aligned in the same direction.