She SpIns Dog Wool

She Spens Dog Wool AG WORLD Ag World 7-5-19 If you thought wool comes solely from sheep, you're in for a pleasant surprise. Meet Anne Holopainen, of Withee, Wis., who specializes in the unusual craft of carding and hand spinning dog hair. Yes, DOG, as in "bow wow"! For dyed-in-the-wool (pardon the pun) dog-lovers like herself, creating and wearing socks, scarves, hats, sweaters and other clothing articles from a favorite canine pet's fur is a very special and harmless way to foster a kinship, says Anne. Dog hair wool spinning began in Siberia (where dogs are prized possessions) and was done years ago in Finland, according to Anne, who is of Finnish descent. In Finland, dog hair was added to sheep wool as it was spun ù but the Finnish women were reluctant to admit it. Today, both in the United States and in Finland, people are more open minded and take better care of their pet dogs. As a result, Anne's craft is less controversial than it used to be, she notes. She especially likes the unique quality of her craft. "Dog hair is a novelty. A lot of people don't do it," she explains. "Sheep is popular. You can get (wool) already dyed and carded (and ready to spin)." Almost any long-haired dog breed is a good candidate for dog hair spinning, she said. Artic dogs such as Samoyeds and Siberian huskies make especially desirable dog wool, but Anne has also spun hair from Pomeranian and English shepherd dogs. The hair is collected by combing ù not clipping ù the dog. Clipped hair is prickly. The hair can be separated by color (black, white and gray) or the colors can be spun together. Siberian husky hair creates a "heather" color for which Anne has a special fondness. Dog hair yarn dyes well, but she prefers natural colors for her projects, she says. Next, tufts of dog hair are placed on a wooden paddle and combed so that the strands run in one direction. Combing is accomplished by stroking two paddles together. Each contains velvet-like material and tiny metal spikes. The combed hair is carefully removed in one piece and worked into a strand on the spinning wheel. Anne learned her craft from a Finnish aunt who used a large spinning wheel from her homeland. She prefers the large, easier treadling Finnish spinning wheel. (Reprinted with permission from The Country Today, Eau Claire, Wis.)

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