#chiengora

Had to submit it for Inspection first obviously. Chuck deemed it wool but pronounced it "worthy of great concern" and "a cause for alarm".

I tried spinning it on a few different tools. First my mini drop spindle, then a very heavy spindle, and then a cross arm spindle, and then finally my espinner. Tbh it worked on all of them, it was just hurting my hands too much to spin it manually. The espinner made very short work of it, but allowed for no precision and flung fur absolutely everywhere.

2nd picture is of it plied. I ended up spinning it long draw. It really liked long draw but the halo is ridiculous and it ended up not very strong. It broke repeatedly while plying.

It's currently mid-blocking (2nd picture its wet). I'm a little torn... I think if I carded it it would be much better behaved, but I'm uncertain it would make a good yarn even then. Maybe I just needed a lot more twist ? It never broke from too much twist but I was trying to stop it from getting wiry because it already wasnt soft. But maybe it wants to be wiry, idk.

I did consider carding it after I had spun a few lengths but I am certain most of it would have floated away into my apartment which I really didn't want. So I'd need to do that at my sister's house really.

The dog in question (Subcommandante Marcos). He is about 6 months old and the size of a medium bear who almost knocked me over about 20 times. (Hes very sweet but so extremely huge, uncoordinated, and enthusiastic about biting everything that he is absolutely impossible for me to hang out with, lol. Maybe in a few years !

Anyway, I've only spun dog fur one other time and that was difficult as well. If anyone has any tips or insight (esp for great pyr fiber) I would appreciate it !

Great Pyrenees undercoat is remarkably wool-like. It's hard to remove the guard hairs that make it through the carding process but those that remain provide structure & add halo.

The one & only Rosie produces a treasure of fiber every year. The staple depends upon the dog but will generally hit around 2-4 in. (50-100mm).

Additionally, the GPs guard hair has a light reflecting quality that adds luster to the yarn.

Great Pyrenees are valued for excellence in livestock guarding and steady, dependable personalities. Their abilities to care for & manage herds of sheep, goats, & alpacas are spoken of with reverence. What very few folk talk about is their value as a fiber producer. And -

they SHOULD be talked about because this coat sheds twice per year & heavily in the spring.

This is the 21st day of my Imbolc Spin Challenge. I was supposed to spin at least 15 minutes each day ~ ~ ~ I've spun so very much more and mostly on this GP project. Twenty-one days of touching, spinning, plying, washing, fulling, & knitting Rosie's amazing fiber gives me the confidence to say:

Spinning dog fur for the first time! It's very different from sheep wool, to the point I feel like I'm re-learning spinning from scratch, but it's fun, and just so, SO soft. Carding it and trying to make it into rolags is still easier, I think, than spinning straight from the pile, but holy shit, this hair is so fine the rolags just refuse to stay in one piece during spinning.

trees: aspen or oak

birds: hermit thrush or cedar waxwing

flowers: peony or bachelor's button

ice cream: redcurrant or raspberry

natural fibers: cashmere or silk

neutrals: brown or black

instrumental music: classical or jazz

animals: bats or snakes

fish: rockfish or nurse shark

fried food: buñuelos or churros

train travel: aisle or window

a form of eggs: spanish tortilla or soufflé

I have no idea when i will have time to spin it BUT IT WILL HAPPEN!

And now to the bag with it

(poor tortured good boy)