All mammals have some sort of hair covering some, much, or virtually all of their bodies. The hair on some animals is known as fur, but it's all the same no matter the name. Hair is made of the protein keratin and dead epidermal, or skin, cells and it grows from follicles in the inner layer of the skin. Human follicles each give rise to a single hair, but animals that depend on fur coats for temperature regulation often has several or many hairs per follicle. The diameter of individual hairs decreases as the number of hairs per follicle increases. Each follicle has an oil gland to keep skin and hair smooth. Dog breeds developed to work in water generally have high oil content in their coats so that water runs off hair and does not penetrate to the skin. 

Despite popular belief, it is not the length of fiber that determines how well it will spin into yarn, but the diameter (also referred to as "microns") of the individual hairs.  The finer the fiber, the softer the yarn.  
 

   The above photos show the drastic disparity of microns between a single hair
 from the undercoat of a Samoyed and a single hair from her outer coat. 

Undercoats of mammals are usually made up from very thin, sometimes near microscopic hairs. The lengths of these hairs may vary from very short (less than ¼") to very long (over 2") depending upon the individual animal. Regardless of the length, this fine hair will produce a very soft, luxurious yarn.

Do not discard the beautiful and plentiful outer coat. The hairs of the outer coat are smooth. This acts as a reflector for the sunlight and helps to keep your pet cool in warmer seasons. The outer coat is most often richer in color, the thickness adds strength and the reflective properties add luster to your yarn.

A mixture of both under and outer hairs can work together to create a very unique and beautiful keepsake yarn.

Many pets may only have a single coat. The thickness of the individual hairs varies from pet to pet. NOT ALL SINGLE COAT BREEDS HAVE COARSE HAIR! For example, Poodles are a single coated breed. Some poodles will have very fine and soft hair while others may tend to have thicker, coarser hair. The number of hairs a pet produces in a single follicle will depend upon the animal's hereditary history, the climate it lives in, age, diet and both the physical and mental health.

Coarse hair is not recommended for spinning. Though VIP Fibers has developed a technique to spin such hair 100% pure, the result will be a weak, scratchy yarn that resembles twine. This technique (S-#4) is more expensive than our Standard rates due to the fact that it is more labor intensive. One should also consider that there is a much higher loss ratio when spinning coarse hair (up to 70% loss factor). And finally, the natural shedding period of the yarn is much longer. The finished yarn would be delicate and only suitable for non-wearing keepsakes such as a Pet-able Frame, Keepsake Hearts, Dream Catcher, in other words, keepsakes that would not be handled often.

The photo on the left above is considered "coarse hair," notice how the hairs are straight and do not "cling" together. The photo on the right is considered "fine hair," a tuft of fine hair will resemble a loose cotton ball, as the hairs have a tendency to cling together.

A common myth is that you have to blend wool or another fiber to pet fiber in order to spin it. This is false. Again, it is the diameter or micron of a fiber that determines whether or not it is suitable for spinning.

Another belief is that wool is required to give the yarn "elasticity." Elasticity comes from a fiber that has a natural crimp (the individual hairs have an even wave, appearing as if they just had a perm). The more crimp per inch, the more elastic the yarn. Though it is true that most pet hair does not have crimp, wool and some alpacas are just about the only natural mammal fibers that do have a crimp. Angora, cashmere, qiviut, camel, llama, silk, flax, cotton, to name a few, are all, natural, highly sought after fibers that do not have crimp. Elasticity is achieved by the medium in which you select to create your finished piece. Knitting is the ideal way to create an "elastic" fabric.

Another false myth is that if you blend short coarse hair with wool or another fiber, it will make it softer. Blending will NOT make your keepsake yarn any softer. Due to the thickness, coarse fibers are stiff and do not flex easily. Regardless of what you blend it with, coarse hairs will not conform to the twist needed to create yarn, thus leaving sharp inflexible ends poking out, creating a very uncomfortable and scratchy yarn. The bottom line is that, to date, there is no magic formula to change a coarse, stiff fiber into a soft, fluffy yarn. And though we, here at VIP Fibers, can spin any kind of fiber 100% pure, we have no control over the hand (softness) or strength of the yarn.

A quick and easy way to tell how your pet's keepsake yarn will turn out is to take a small tuft of your pet's fur (either from the brush or from clippings) and gently stroke it against your face or the inside of your arm. If it feels soft, then so be your yarn, if it feels like steel wool, well then, it's time to be a little more creative with your keepsake yarn.