By Anita Rabidou-Milligan

      Does your neighborhood look like a scene from an old western movie when your dog blows coat? Tumbleweeds
of German Shepherd hair wafting down the street. Birds for miles around rejoice when you take out the blower. Nancy
Brome, of New Hampshire, has found an interesting use for what's left after you groom: She hand-spins designer yarn
from your pet’s fur.

            Hair of the Dog Designer Yarns was launched in January 2006. It came to be thanks to her dog, Chili, a 
9-year-old Afghan Hound from Santiago, Chile. Chili, who is Vice-President of Brand Awareness for the company, has
a beautiful coat. Since Nancy spent a lot of time grooming and maintaining it, she thought she would save the fibers to
see if anything could be done with it.

She took yarn-spinning classes and learned how to spin using sheep’s wool. Once she had that mastered, she learned how to spin more exotic fiber and began specializing in canine fiber. Then she started spinning her own dog’s
fibers and word began to get out. It didn’t take long before other people were bringing her their dogs’ fur to spin.
               “Initially, people thought I was crazy - saving boxes of dog hair to memorialize my dog when he passes,” Brome said. “I have an eccentric personality and my network thought this was just another one of my nutty ideas. Lo and behold,
it is a thriving cottage industry. . . Now I have a whole spinning studio full of boxes of dog hair.”
 

               Each dog has unique qualities to their coat, she said. For example, German Shepherd fiber is best when spun
and blended with a longer fiber from sheep or an alpaca blend. “I have spun a lot of German Shepherds and the yarn makes
a lovely keepsake skein used for display or memories," Brome said. "It makes a lovely knitted, beaded bag (doggie bag), and it’s good for winter headbands or scarves." Dog yarn is warmer that sheep’s wool, she said.

               How it’s done
               Brome collects the fiber, trying to keep it fluffy and matt-free. As little as a gallon-sized Ziploc bag is enough for a small skein. Next, she checks the fiber and talks to the client about what kind of project he or she has in mind, and how
much yarn is needed to complete the project.

               Once it is planned and the details finalized, Brome begins working the fiber, putting it through a process called “carding,” which separates the fibers and puts them in one direction for easy spinning. After that, she sometimes blends the fiber; if the project calls for it. Next, the fiber is spun into two-ply yarn. Lastly, the yarn is cleaned and deodorized.

               Nearly all clients ask if their fiber/yarn/projects are going to smell like wet-dog if it gets wet. Brome says the yarn
is completely clean when it is finished.

               She is in the planning stages of expanding her business, adding more equipment to produce larger skeins and
more services for her exotic fiber customers. Brome has spun fiber from Afghan Hounds, Malamutes; Maltese; Samoyeds; Bearded and Rough Collies; Huskies; Salukis; Akitas; Poodles; Australian and German Shepherds; Labs; Great Pyrenees; Llamas and Sheep.

               In the past, she’s made hats, scarves, headbands, bags. But the most outrageous thing she’s ever been asked to create?

               “Human hair, by a mother whose son is going bald. She is knitting a hat for him out of his own hair (blended with
alpaca). How funny is that?” Brome said. “I won't spin human hair again, though. That’s the most difficult fiber to spin.”

Anita Rabidou-Milligan is a contributing writer for The German Shepherd by Design. She can be reached at anitaar@juno.com.

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