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Hair of the dog that fit you
By Rain Noe - Oct 07, 2008
This is Kit, my one-year-old Shiba Inu.
Why am I showing you my dog? To tell you that this little 25-pound hellion sheds enough fur in a week to clog up a HEPA filter. He generates such an astonishing amount of fur, I can't help but wish it was a resource and that I could do something with it.
Well, apparently I can! If I'm willing, that is, to wear a sweater made out of my own dog's fur.
Here's a link to stories of people who specialize at turning your dog into a sweater generator. Well, not really--the process is super-labor-intensive, so it's not like Fido's gonna be cranking out sweaters like a Gap factory. But it is possible to turn that fur into something useful over time. Says dog-sweater-wearer Betsy Willis:
We found out from the breeders we got the pups from that it was possible to use their coat for clothes. It is the most amazing stuff. It's like mohair but more lightweight and more soft, and the more you wash it, the more soft and fluffy it gets.
...People are surprised when they find out we're wearing dog wool clothes. Some think it's disgusting and ask how we can do it, but it seems very normal to us.
There's also a book out called Knitting With Dog Hair, with the amusing subtitle "Better A Sweater From A Dog You Know and Love Than From A Sheep You'll Never Meet."
If a sweater's too much for you, a company called Pet Yarn Chic will spin your pet's fur into yarn that you can use to make smaller things, like hats, scarves, or if you're really creepy, a little sweater for your own dog. Which would be kind of gross, like a cow wearing a leather jacket, or you and I wearing, well, never mind.
Anyways if you see me wearing a Kit-colored sweater in six months' time, you'll know what happened.
Rain Noe
Rain Noe is a writer and industrial designer based in New York City.
4 Comments
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how about clothing made from human hair? http://www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_2324038.html i've got my fingers crossed they will soon branch out into the pet fashion market...for i can think of no greater gift for my furry friends. if it's good enough for models, it's good enuf for Mittens.!Report as spam
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This takes 'dog owners look like their dogs' to a whole new level. I wonder how they rid the dog smell....!Report as spam
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That is so funny - I just had to laugh! If it weren't so culturally weird to use dog hair for clothing, I'd say it's a great idea. Maybe Americans can make these super limited edition sweaters and sell them for big bucks in China or wherever dog wool could be seen for its face value as a very exclusive and rare natural material (sort of like snake skin handbags).!Report as spam
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it's funny to me, that people would have a hard time wearing this over plastic.!Report as spam
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