My friend brought me a bag of dog hair! For a spinner, this is an exciting thing, especially when the dog has an undercoat.

I chose to separate out the white and fawn colored hair, because it didn’t seem right to blend it when Baxter the dog is spotted. The hair was clean with only a slight doggy smell, so I did not wash it. I did card it with a fine toothed set of carders.

I chose to spin Baxter’s fur with a spindle shaft without a whorl, so I could have absolute control over the twist. It was a moderately difficult spin, not as easy as Samoyed, but still spin able.

I chain plied the singles to make a three ply yarn. I like chain plying potentially delicate singles because if I do get a break, I can ply it together relatively easily.

Because Baxter is a beloved pet, I decided to make a small keepsake with this yarn. I crocheted the white yarn in a circle, then used the fawn colored yarn to crochet a heart shape.

I believe scent is an important link in memories, so I did not block or wash the heart, but instead placed it in a plastic bag to preserve the scent so it will be a comfort when my friend pulls it out in the future.