Spinning, Knitting Newf hair

[NewfMom]

I finally tried finger spinning some of Kimber's fur. After reading the links above I didn't fully comb it out so it stayed more variegated. I just used a comb and tried to get the fibers to all point in the same direction.

It made a pretty black and white variegated yarn although of course the thickness went up and down. My problem was that as soon as the yarn passed out of my hand it started to untwist and the longer it sat the more it untwisted.

Unless someone knows a trick I missed, I think I need a spindle.

Here's some pictures of my attempt anyway

Has anyone tried this to know if a top or bottom drop spindle would work better?

Thanks!

 

[CMDRTED]

Check Ebay and search Newfoundland Dog. There is a lady who makes Knit Hats w/Newf hair. I bet if you email her she will help you with the right blend. I have one of these I bought for my wife "WARM!" hat.

 

[Redhead5639]

Over 20yrs ago we had a HUGE Alaskan Malamute. The amount of undercoat he had was amazing. I am lazy and would take him to my vet as soon as I saw "cotton balls"(more like tumbleweeds)all over my back yard. The vet always had a highschooler working for him and they would brush all the undercoat out for me. At that time it was pretty cheap. I think it took 2 -3 good brushings. Anyway, a lady I met at the vet's told me about someone who would spin it into workable yard. She called me with an address(no computers then)and I inquired about it. I saved up the hair for I don't know how long and eventually made(knit) it into a vest for my son. It was his dog. This lady mixed it with angora and it was very soft. It did take quite a LOT of big grocery bags to get the right amount. She told me about how much would be needed for a vest, sweater, etc.

I wish I had made it into an afgan and we would still have it. He somehow managed to loose it during his many moves. He says someone took it as it was always an item of conversation when he wore it. I think I would have done squares of dog hair and squares of angora. I don't remember how many bags I collected but it took a good while to get just enough for a vest.

What is weird now is that my Saint Bernard sheds more than my Pyr or Newf! His "shed" is very soft and fine just like his puppy hair was. I swear he kept his puppy hair as an undercoat. He is what is considered a "long hair" Saint but in San Antonio, that is not very long. All of our dogs live in the house so I guess that has something to do with it.

The first year we got our Pyr (5yrs old)it looked like snow drifts all over our house. The vet said his back room looked like a mattress factory when I took him to be groomed. After the first year he has never "blown" coat again.

Duffy our Newf, tends to leave clumps of hair but never a full "blow" either.