Newfoundland
I had a customer bring me some Newfoundland dog fiber in white. I didn’t know much about the breed so here is my quick and dirty lowdown about “newfies.”
Newfoundlands are working dogs. They have a variety of colors and can be black, brown, gray, or black and white (Landseer). They were originally bred and used as a working dog for fishermen. They are known for their giant size, tremendous strength, calm dispositions, and loyalty. Newfoundland dogs excel at water rescue/lifesaving because of their muscular build, thick double coat, webbed feet, and innate swimming abilities. With all these qualities I can see why someone would want a “newfie.”
Newfie beside his shed coat …..OH the fiber!!!!!!
I wanted to share my experience in working with this unusual fiber. My customer wanted me process and spin the fiber to create a hat. We decided to blend the fiber in a 50-50 percentage with wool and to leave it undyed. When I first had the fiber delivered it was kinda well icky and dirty. I forgot to take a before washing pic. I will tell you this dog loved to roll outside 🙂
So it got a good wash!!!!
My kitchen did smell like wet dog afterward …. but who could resist this face….
newfie pup
Information and Pictures from Wikipedia.
I can’t wait to find out what happened next! Like, how did you get rid of the doggie smell?
Have you ever spun cat hair? I have a Persian cat whom I have clipped whenever he starts to grow out his hair. He’s a beautiful peachy color. Can I spin his hair, or is the staple too short?
Hazel
I haven’t spun cat hair but i think it would probably spin better with some wool added…how long is it?