Paw Paw's Yarn

On today’s television program, I will show a very special skein of yarn. It’s special because it was spun from Paw Paw’s fur! Victoria Pettigrew runs a business called VIP Fibers www.vipfibers.com located in Morgan Hill, CA. Victoria started spinning wool because she just hated the idea of throwing away the fluffy hair that came from her own chow chows after brushing and grooming. So instead, she kept storing it away and explained to her questioning husband that she wanted to spin it into soft yarn and knit something as a keepsake. He went right out and bought her a spinning wheel. Victoria became totally hooked on spinning and that’s how her business was born. And VIP Fibers would be very happy to spin yarn collected from the fur of your beloved pet.

The big question now is what special keepsake shall I knit from Paw Paw’s lovely yarn? Any suggestions?

This is Paw Paw yesterday after his grooming, doesn't he look great!

Paw Paw's Hair collected from brushing and the groomer

Here is the step by step process as taken from VIPfibers.com

1.    Collect your pet hair How to Collect Fur
2.    Complete our on-line Work Order Request Form Work Order Request Form
3.   Send your pet hair to VIP Fibers  Shipping to VIP Fibers
4.    When VIP Fibers receives your fur we:

         4.1   Weigh raw fiber
         4.2   Assess the fiber
         4.3   Assign a Fiber #
         4.5   Log it in our system
         4.6   Each Fiber goes into it's own labeled box
         4.6   Prepare a Work Order Form
         4.7   Scan the photo of your pet
         4.8   Post your invoice on our website
         4.9   Mail you a copy of the Work Order
         4.10 Email you a copy of the Work Order

5.     Upon receipt of payment in full, fiber is assigned a Lot # and goes in queue for 
        processing.
6.     Fiber is carded in preparation of spinning
            

7.  Fiber is spun & plied into yarn













8.   Each skein is measured and weighed, data is entered into computer
9.   Yarn is the put through our washing process.            

        9.1   Washing
         9.2   De-Enzyming Odor & Allergies
         9.3   Conditioned
10

.   Yarn is hung to dry and set the twist in our special drying room
            

11. Yarn is then re-skeined or ball wound and custom labels (with your pet's photo) are
      applied
            

12. If a custom keepsake is ordered, the yarn then goes into queue for creation.
            

13. Yarn or keepsake is packaged for shipment
14. A shipping notice is emailed to you with the tracking number. Shipping

Comments

[Kim Wylie]

Hi Martha!

I know what you ought to do with the yarn, and it was the first thing that popped into my head. Depending on the amount of fur, you hsould knit either a scarf or a shoulder wrap. That way it's as if Paw Paw is giving you a big puppy-hug every time you wear it!

[Maria Quadrino]

Dear Martha,

I had a German Shepherd and he shed very much due to the two layers coat like Paw-Paw's. I used the hair to make bird nests. The cavity nest birds like : Sparrows, Tree Swallows, Bluebirds, Caroline Han and Chickadees use the dog hair to make their nest. So place the hair in the yard inside a bird box, inside a spiral cone made with chicken wire (hang in the tree), in a small basket or by the bird feeder. The birds will come and take some.

Maria Quadrino

[Laura]

HI Martha!! I LOVE that you will always have a piece of Paw Paw to keep with you. Wouldn't a little change purse be fun to knit with a silver clasp and pretty lining?
I'm home on vacation the week before I start my new job and the best part is being able to watch your show every day! Happy Valentine's Day!!
-Laura P.

[Audrey]

Martha, I think the best idea for Paw Paw's yarn is some old fashioned mittens. New York, as well as the surrounding states are freezing durring the winter, and mittens would be a great little project.

[Jon]

Hi Martha!
To be honest, at first I was a little turned off by the idea of using dog hair to make yarn. But as I thought about it more, and read how the hair is processed, it really is an amazing and special way to always have your pet with you. Now, I am envious that I can not use the millions of one-inch hairs that come off my Black Lab to do the same.
Martha, my suggestion is like the very first on the blog, have a cross-stitch or needlepoint portrait made of Paw Paw. Maybe have it done in the fashion of an 1800s sampler with Paw Paw's name, birthday etc. It would look great in the Bedford Summer House!
Can not wait to see what you do with the yarn.
Happy Saint Valentine's Day!
Jon

[jennifer shabro]

Martha, I have searched everywhere for your scalloped heart punch. I must get my hands on one. I can not sleep until I have one in my hands. Michaels does not have them, ebay no luck, your online craft store does not. Where or Where Martha must I go?

[caren licata]

Martha,
I have a standard poodle and a friend of ours makes the most beautiful purses out of his hair. I had never heard of any one doing this before until your show. I love my purse so much, I always have my pet "Jet" with me.

Caren from Buffalo

[Mary Kay Ball]

Martha-

What a wonderful idea! Using pet hair and creating a handmade item is a great way to 'recycle' pet hair.

Another way to 'recycle' pet hair is to put it out in a suet feeder in the spring. Birds will use to build their nests. My husband and I put out cat hair and it gets "grabbed up" right away!

[D. Sue]

Why not send the yarn to www.cattyshackcreations.com and have one of their creations made. They are beautiful and make a great keepsake that is actually usable. I have one and LOVE it. My pet passed away last year, but I still have my treasured handbag.

[Michelle]

Hey Martha
I love Paw Paw but my heart belongs to Chow Chows anyway. I think you should knit something you would either wear or use frequently that way he will always be with you. I'm sure if you don't have enough yet with a chow chow you will be able to get enough soon. I have a 5 year old female and I wish I had known about this sooner I had kept a bag of her fur for over a year becuase it was soft and I thought it would be neat to do something with. Chow Chows Rule!

[Kathy Allen]

A friend of mine has an beautiful dog that a neighbor asked them for the fur that they got after grooming. Without telling them what she wanted the fur for, she spun the yarn and made the cutest stuffed bear and gave it to them as an Anniversary gift.

[Diane Pruitt]

Hi Martha:

Better to make a wall hanging that does not require laundering as I understand once it gets wet it has an oder of "wet dog". Beautiful hair though...

[Linda Keyes]

Hi Martha....make a "dreamcatcher" from the yarn. It can be a very interesting sculptural form and may even include items from other pets.... the chickens feathers for example...perhaps some long hairs from donkeys and so on. Your creative exploration will be delightful to see.

[Hooligan]

How about crocheting a lacy table runner or a piano shawl? I was going to suggest a tea cozy, but then your pot of tea might smell like a doggie!

[Katie Pawlowski]

I saw this being done outside of The Roycroft Inn, in East Aurora, NY. I think you should make a lovely scarf with Paw Paw's fur. Or you can line the inside of a pair of gloves with it or slippers.

[Brenda Bartlett]

How about a collar or collars for the Frenchies ? I am an ex dog groomer and have a lot of experience with pet hair!
It would be very easy to make collars out of the yarned fur, with leather or fabric as the base.
I did something similar for my clients at the grooming shop in the place of hair ribbons (cause hair matting when tied into fur).
My clients loved it !!!

[Nanette]

Paw Paw is adorable! I've spun fur from two rescue cats - a Persian and a Himalayan. I mixed their black & white fibers together for a wonderful yarn which became a scarf. I also knit a pair of mittens from just Persian cat fur. Gloves really don't take a lot of yarn - even less if you do some sort of fingerless gloves.

[Doreen Frost]

What a truly unique and interesting idea. Recycling at it's best.

I think cozy slipper socks would be wonderful to make.

Take care
Doreen, Vermont Harvest Bears & Primitives

[Pam From California]

Dear Paw Paw
You look so handsome after your bath and grooming would you like to go out with me for Valentine's Day? I am 12 years old like you and I am the same color. My name is Mrs. Bosley Chow and I have a crush on you.

Suggestions-
If I was your "Mama" I would save all your beautiful fur and either make a little stuffed animal bear or a set of ear muffs. Best of all a treasured and wonderful keepsake to have forever would be a small selection of fur placed in a chow chow shaped locket for " Mama" to wear or a heart shaped locket with a piece of your fur on one side and your beautful face/ photo on the other side. Maybe your "Mama" could have herself some chow chow ear rings made to match with her birthstone or yours or diamonds whatever to wear sometimes.
My " Mama " has some of my hair in her locket and she wears it sometimes close to her heart it's a tiny one but she carries me along with her in this special way every day.

I love you Paw Paw be mine!
Happy Valentine's Day
Your's always,

Mrs. Bosley Chow Chow
From California(P.S I am single)

[Andrew Ritchie]

I never knew this was possible! Thank you for explaining the process.

-Andrew

[Jen Ellis-Garcia]

Hi Martha, Victoria from VIP fibers is wonderful. I have a 150# Newfoundland named Big Jake and his fur is saved after each grooming and it goes to VIP fibers to be spun a couple times a year. I have had a beautiful afgan, a scarf and several skeins of yarn left over from his fur. We even had some spun into items auctioned at a raffle last year that benefitted animal rescue. As Paw Paw is a double coated pooch like my boy Jake, they leave behind so much fur that can be saved up and sent in to make a lovely scarf or afgan for yourself. Wouldn't you love to be drapped in a afgan with his double coat in the winter to keep you warm while your on the couch reading a book. No mater what you make from Paw Paw's yarn it will be a great keepsake for you in the years to come.

Jen from Elk Grove, CA

[Llama mama - N.C.]

I'm a spinner and knitter and I have spun dog hair before. Great idea! It's got to be a wrap - wider than a scraf if possible - so you can wear it anytime - alfresco dinners or whatever.

Martha, we're expecting our first cria (baby) in April!

[Monika]

I remember seing something like this before. Someone made gloves out of the hair of their dogs.

[kathy]

i was so excited to see pawpaw's segment today... i'm a spinner and you see years ago, when you lost your old chow (was it wu?)i hoped some day you'd mention your dog's groomer so i could contact them and make you some suprise yarn from her puppymate pawpaw..as the segment continued i wrote down all the groomers and borders you mentioned thinking, ha now's my chance! imagine my face as i realized you were leaps and bounds ahead of me!!! enjoy your yarn(maybe i'll find out the name of your cat groomer;)thanks for years of teaching and good things! kath

[Esther Hiuser]

Enjoyed your show about spinning dog hair. This is something I've always wanted to do ever since I had my Samoyed about 30 years ago. I collected it in pillowcases for the 15 years that he lived with me, still have it but have never had time to figure out how to do it in the 19 years that he has been deceased. I might be encouraged to actually do something with it now. I think a throw would look lovely over a couch. Esther