Pair dress in 'dead dog' jumpers

[neoprodigy]

Pair dress in 'dead dog' jumpers (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/tyne/7304452.stm)

A Newcastle couple have found a unique way of keeping their beloved dead pets close to their hearts - by having the dog hair made into woolly jumpers. Beth and Brian Willis lost their white Samoyed, called Kara, 12 years ago and Swedish Lapphund, Penny, in 2002.
After seeing a picture of Princess Diana wearing a dog fur stole at Crufts, they collected thousands of dog hairs from brushes and carpets.
The pair said the his and hers dog memorials were "warm and waterproof".
Mr Willis, who worked for Pickfords Removals for 27 years, wears his doggy jumper into town every Saturday to do the weekly shop.
The 73-year-old said: "They are extremely warm and pretty much waterproof. I've always got a sweat on by the time I get from the bus to the shops."
Mother-of-three Mrs Willis first used the fur of Kara, to knit her husband's sweater in 1990.



Mrs Willis, 71, said she had the idea after seeing a picture of Princess Diana wearing a dog fur stole at Crufts.
She said: "Kara was a pedigree Samoyed. She was so posh, if she could have talked she'd not have spoken to the likes of us.
"We found out from the breeders we got the pups from that it was possible to use their coat for clothes.
"It is the most amazing stuff. It's like mohair but more lightweight and more soft, and the more you wash it, the more soft and fluffy it gets."
Mrs Willis added: "People are surprised when they find out we're wearing dog wool clothes. Some think it's disgusting and ask how we can do it, but it seems very normal to us."
Even now, Mrs Willis has enough hair left over to make a new jumper, and it has been sent to a friend in Derby to be spun.

http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=187970&stc=1&d=1206480487

[Reefscape]

ROFLMAO............ her new jumper even matches her hair colour...... :rofl:

[Dangerdoll]

:thud:

[Mgamer20o0]

100% crazy

[msjinkzd]

hmmm...interesting

[kuhliloach]

ROFLMAO............ her new jumper even matches her hair colour...... :rofl:

:lol:

[Rbishop]

Wow....and I thought we were nuts for having a stuffed ex-pet....

[kjr928]

That is not stuffed pet, it is collected fur. No skinning or shaving involved.

Think of wool from a sheep, alpaca, or llama. It is the same concept.

I have yarn from my husky. You can get yours too at www.vipfibers.com.

[Slappy*McFish]

They should wear the dogs' collars, as well. Might as well go 'all out.'

[wataugachicken]

seems pretty cool to me.

[Madcrawdad]

The guy mentions that he always sweats when he wears his.... wonder if he smells like a wet dog? :yuck:

[J double R]

you wouldnt catch me dead in one of those... (no pun intended :p:)

[Que]

Oh gees people. I think it's a great use of discarded fur and no different than wearing a wool sweater. Why should it be any different just because it's from a pet.

Q

[boofish2]

What's next?? Making your pet lizard in to shoes?? Or a belt??? Oh, wait. .. .:dance2:

[Notophthalmus]

I think it's a nice tribute.

[Coler]

I wanted to have my shih tzu cut in two down the middle and stuffed when he died but my mum wouldn't have it.

Poor old chingy.

He would have made a nice pair of bookends.

[Dwarf Puffers]

I would probably only have socks made out of my sheltie's hair... If it smelled bad, I wouldn't be able to tell. "Hmmm, my feet smell of a different stink today."


I wanted to have my shih tzu cut in two down the middle and stuffed when he died but my mum wouldn't have it.

Poor old chingy.

He would have made a nice pair of bookends.

:barf:

[The Zigman]

So there was enough hair in thier carpets and such to weave 2 sweaters?
Am I the only one who thinks this is just a little.... Eeeeewwwwww?!?!?

[kjr928]

There is no bad smell.

The fuzz goes through chemical process that removes enzymes, which is what makes dog fuzz smell.

[jflng]

:idea:
I think I will start collecting my shed hair, and clippings from my barber.

[Coler]

maybe i will collect my beard trimmings...

[kimmisc]

I thought it over, and I couldn't stand the thought of someone skinning Peppy (my poddle) to take his hair for clothing, so the idea seems pretty sick to me.

[Dixon]

thats people from newcastle aka scumcastle for you.

[Coler]

sick is a strong word... I would reserve it for truly damaging behaviour myself

[Notophthalmus]

I thought it over, and I couldn't stand the thought of someone skinning Peppy (my poddle) to take his hair for clothing, so the idea seems pretty sick to me.

There's no skin- it's just the shed dog hair. Like wool. They could just as easily have had the coats made while the dogs were still living.

[kimmisc]

I don't know about those kind of dogs. They must be like sheep.

[kjr928]

There is no killings or skinnings involved here. You brush the dog, and then you take the hair out of the brush and save it. Once you have a lot saved up you send it to a company that spins it.

Why is it ok to wear the sheared fur of a sheep or alpaca or llama or goat or other farm animal who has never had a bath in its life - but it is not ok to collect the fur from a dog for wool?

You know your precious cashmere sweater/scarf/whatever??? That thing is made out of filthy goats living on a dirt farm in Asia.

[Notophthalmus]

My friend's malamute could produce a sweater a month, as much as he sheds. I'l have to tell him about this service.

[Coler]

now if only someone could come up with a use for finger nail clippings

[kuhliloach]

Coler, if they're clean they can be used as tooth picks.

[Slappy*McFish]

Now that is sick.