FAQ & Pricing

FAQ for Handspinning and Pet Hair/Fibers



  1. What do I use and where do I get the fiber from my pet? Collect your dog hair and cat hair from brushings or clippings. Please, no "dust bunnies"! Store in a paper or cloth bag. Matted/dirty fiber should be avoided. Best results are from fiber at least 2 inches long. Shorter fibers benefit from blending with wool to help hold them together. I use a very nice shetland wool and can match most colors very closely.
  2. Must my dog hair or cat hair be blended? No. Even very short hair can be spun by itself. If it contains a large amount of guard hair it will be spun thicker to help hold it together and makes a fairly prickly yarn. Wool will add strength and resilience to your yarn. So it depends more on the final use of the yarn.
  3. Which pet hair is better? The under-coat produces the softest yarn while the guard hairs of the outer coat will make a very prickly yarn. The blunt ends from clipping will also reduce softness.
  4. How much fiber will I need? This is not an exact science! Check your pattern for yardage/weights for a rough idea for your project needs. Keep in mind that some of the fur you send will be lost in the cleaning/spinning process (up to 15%). Shorter fibers can have a slightly greater loss.
  5. Should I wash the hair after it is off my pet? No! The fiber could felt if not handled properly. Washing is included for handspun dog yarn and cat yarn. Once it is felted there is not much I can do with it.
  6. My pet hair has an odor about it. Can I still send it? Of course. Each pet has its own scent and while some are more aromatic than others this is not a concern for me. I wash all your pet fibers upon arrival and again once it is spun into yarn.
  7. What will my yarn size be? Dog hair and cat hair are spun fine (dependent on type) and then plyed to create a 2 ply yarn of fingerling to worsted weight. The factors that influence the outcome are length of undercoat, amount of guard hairs, length of guard hairs, and the wishes of the owner.
  8. Why should I send my pet's hair to you? Because I care about your pet's outcome. A great number of my clients have passed away and the hair I am sent is the last physical element their owner has left.
  9. Who is handling my pet? I do not send out or contract any of my tasks. I personally work with your pet from start to finish.
  10. Is there a minimum quantity? No. No order is considered too small.
  11. Is there a maximum hair length that you accept? No. I have the specialized equipment to handle fibers over 5 inches. Others may cut the hair to accommodate their equipment, but this is something I do not do.
  12. If I want my pet fiber blended with wool is there an extra cost and/or do I provide the wool? No. Blending is part of the service and I provide fiber.
  13. How much does it cost to custom spin pet hair?
    • Yarn, pure, dog brushed $9.00/oz, shaved $11.00/oz; blended $13.00/oz
    • Yarn, pure, cat, brushed or shaved, $11.00/oz; blended $13.00/oz
    • Yarn, pure, angora, brushed or shaved, $9.00/oz; blended $11.00/oz
    • Special requests for knitting is handled on a case by case basis
    • Put up in ball or hank, no extra charge
    • Washing, no extra charge
    • Order minimum charge is $25.00
    Note: You are charged based on final weight of yarn, not on the initial, unprocessed fiber.
  14. Will my dog yarn or cat yarn shed? Short answer is 'yes', long answer 'no'. Anything less than 2 inches is likely to shed for a period of time. The shorter the fiber, the more easily it works it's way out of the yarn, no matter how tight it is spun. The wool it is blended with will help, but I would still use the yarn in something that is not handled much. Longer fibers, especially those from the undercoat, shed less and for a shorter period of time.
  15. What should I make? The choices are endless once you have your yarn. The limiting factor is quantity and the fact that most pet fibers have little elasticity. This means afgans have beautiful drape, but that sweater might be a droopy bag. Blended yarns (wool) will give better elasticity. Keep in mind your pet's fiber is ~6x warmer than wool.
  16. Are you on FaceBook or Twitter? No. But, I am active on Ravelry (my avatar is Straw).
  17. Do you sell / buy dog hair or cat hair and/or yarn? No. Several states have laws prohibiting the commercial sale of pet hair and like products. It is legal to offer my services as a hand spinner for pet hair.
  18. Do you currently have any pets? Not right now.
  19. What made you think of doing this? Onyx was our family cat for 13 years. During that time she watched me learn to spin, first on a cd spindle and then on to a wheel. She was there when my first raw fleece arrived and she was in love with it.

    Finally, she passed away. It was only after she was gone did I realize that I could have spun her brushings into yarn and kept a part of her with us. That is when I expanded my fiber art into pet hair so that others won't miss the opportunity that I did.
four cats, different colored eyes, blue, green, yellow, brown, stating dogs have owners, cats have staff. Dog yarn and Cat yarn.





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Send pet hair samples to Christine O'Hara, 445 Southlake Circle West, Southlake, TX 76092