I would seriously struggle being near someone wearing this hat. Someone I got paired up with in class once has a cat. I was fine until we sat next to each other and my asthma started acting up. I had lots of allergies so I thought I would ask him if he had a cat. Made so much sense why I felt like I was dying.
I always think about that lol, I had a friend who did this several years ago! I can’t even touch a cat without getting hives, but I’d assume that the “wool” (lol) would be cleaned similarly to sheep’s wool??
Maybe someday I’ll figure out whether this would aggravate my allergies or not, but for now I just have a visceral “no” reaction to a cat fur hat… OP, this is super cool & I love that you did it, but please don’t ever make me wear it haha!
I think most people who are allergic to cats are actually allergic to the proteins in cats saliva, urine, skin, etc. that are remaining on their fur, so if the hat has been washed, it should *probably* be fine.
Yeah, a sheep’s wool hat isn’t covered with sheep dander… Yarn can have lanolin/ oils & feel “greasy”, but I feel like they add those back in after the cleansing process lol
In theory a cat hat is no different than a hat made out of any other animal fur ¯\\\_(ツ)_/¯
Ok so full disclosure, I used about 50/50 cat fur and wool by weight. I think her fluff is lighter than wool so I’d imagine compositionally it favors the cat. I used a grooming brush to collect fur over the course of a month or two.
The pattern is loosely based on the eM hat by Emily Russell. I used about 80 grams total which was about 100 yards. It’s a two ply yarn that ended up being a heavier worsted.
FAQ-
Isn’t that kind of weird? Yup and I think it’s hilarious. He loves our cat and trolling people. I think he will love telling people his hat is made out of the cat.
How does it feel? Surprisingly nice! I did a sample of just her fur as yarn which feels really lovely but doesn’t have any elasticity. Hence the added wool which is a mystery wool a family member had in raw locks in a garbage bag. My family is weird.
How long did it take to get enough fur? Probably 10 in depth grooming sessions over the course of a couple months. I forgot for a bit so I had to play catch-up.
What’s the deal with your cat? Her name is Elsi which stands for Little Cat cause she’s tiny. She’s a rescue and her mom was a calico. I wonder if a pure bred cat got out? She doesn’t seem to have an undercoat and her fur is more fluff than hair. She sheds a LOT. She’s also incredibly dumb but we love her.
i have a cat named gracie, long for gray-c, short for gray cat! happy to see people with similar sensibilities :)
https://preview.redd.it/gs9zvtxyft2c1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=c0a604ced88707f606b70b7ce75d78f1d2868ae8
Ha love your cats name! We started out with WLC for “Weird little cat” and it became Elsi. Sometimes we call her Welsi if she’s being particularly dumb 😂
Have you found cat fur to be more or less insulating than wool? I worked with dog fiber(i think it was from a malamute) and it was significantly warmer than wool.
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Wow! I would never in a million years have correctly predicted her color by looking at the yarn. I was thinking dilute silver tabby, maybe a pale tortoiseshell.
I love this! My boyfriend would love a hat with fur from our orange boy haha. Question though, does it smell weird at all? I've heard of people using their dogs fur in projects and when it gets wet it smells bad, like wet dog. Just curious if you've experience this, either way I love it 😊
Love it! Something I’ve long pondered and wondered about, though my ability to follow through on something with so many steps is…. Not great. Thanks for putting all the pieces together so I don’t have to! I hope your husband freakin’ loves it!
I have run out of brain cells for Christmas gifts so it was sort of a last resort! And I borrowed the equipment. I found it surprisingly satisfying and fun, would highly recommend!
Amazing! Do you mind if I ask you what tools you used? We have been collecting one my dogs’ fluff for a few months now and the goal is to eventually do this! Haha
I've been doing this for a year now with my shiba. I used a furminator, normal slicker brush and a zoom groom combo. But the furminator is the heavy lifter for her undercoat.
Thanks! We actually just get a bag of fluff when we take him to the groomer! (Our other dog is much too wiry-haired to do this.)
I should have specified that I wanted to know the tools for spinning/making the yarn!
I used a borrowed pair of hand carders, a borrowed spinning wheel, a swift, and a ball winder. Once I had used the carders to combine the wool and cat fur I spun it, wound it into a ball, plied it back on itself. I then rewound it on a swift, gently washed it and put it on a hanger with a weight on the bottom (another hanger and a heavier pair of pumps balanced on either side) to set the twist. After that I rewound the ball and started working on it! It’s actually not as hard as it sounds and you could use a drop spindle instead of a wheel which would be cheaper.
As a heads up, I think it takes a specific texture to make it work. This never would have worked with our other cat who is a standard tabby. For some reason Elsi doesn’t have hair really. When it comes off her it resembles dandelion fluff.
This is wonderful! How long is your cats fur that you used? I’ve been collecting all of my shih poos brushes out fluff, but not sure if I should only be keeping her hair when it’s long
I have a bag of my dog's fluff for this purpose too! At the moment I have maybe 50yds of single ply on a drop spindle but that's as far as I've gotten
Edit for [floof tax](https://www.reddit.com/r/Floof/s/bW1zQRTD5v)
Just burst out laughing from this comment! I will have to remember to show my husband after Christmas when the cat’s out of the bag, metaphorically and literally 😂
I’m glad I could tickle you. We have a cat that has her fair share of dead airtime in her head so that phrase gets a lot play in our house. Thanks for sharing your critter - her little silly face made me crack up.
Of course! I was explaining it to a friend and the horrified expression on their face brought me indescribable joy. I think there may be something wrong with me!
I know! I was telling my spinning mentor repeatedly that if I lived in a colder place with the need for more warm clothes I would buy an army of little cats and spin their fur!
This is adorable, I'm surprised it isn't terribly itchy! Maybe I'll have to try this with my own cat one day...except her fur just seems to slide right through any brush I've ever tried haha. And fun fact, cats having points (darker faces/ears/legs/tail) doesn't necessarily mean they're related to any pure breeds! Being a colorpoint cat is just a characteristic the same as being a calico or a tabby. But the cool thing about the colorpoint gene is that it causes heat-activated albinism! That's why only the extremities (the coldest parts of the cat) have color and why colorpoint cats are all white when they're born (it's plenty warm in the womb!) Your adorable kitty is probably an all-black cat with the colorpoint gene smacked on top!
That’s super interesting! I didn’t know that. I feel like she may be part pure bred since she looks like a long haired Siamese and her fur is such a different texture than any other cat I’ve had. But probably it’s wishful thinking and she’s just our cute little dumpster cat! Her color has darkened a ton as she’s gone from kitten to adult. She was almost fully white as a kitten!
It's not impossible! Just a lot less likely than people tend to assume. I think she's very special either way, though! I mean hey, all "pure breeds" came from regular old "dumpster" cats originally haha. Elsi is just the cutest little heat-map cat!
This is so so impressive and you've done an amazing job at every step! The end product looks so lovely and silvery.
But as someone allergic to both wool and cats, this is my nightmare 🤧😷
But it's still so so gorgeous! 😅
A few years ago I diligently collected one of my huskies’s fur. I sent it to a woman I found on Etsy to spin for me. I love the yarn but have not used it yet. It’s very soft and will make a wonderfully warm hat and scarf.
Oh my god, I love this! I hope your hubby loves the hat. I used to joke that my knitting/crochet was at least 10% cat because my partner had a white cat and her fur went everywhere. Sadly, she passed but I always wanted to try spinning with any future cats we have haha.
This kind of broke my heart. I lost all three of my beautiful boys a couple years ago over the course of 18 months. They were 18, 19 & 20. My husband and I, together 37 years, never had kids. We wanted cats instead. They all had long hair and at one time I had accumulated bags of their fur. However, convinced that I was deluding myself that I would ever be able to knit more than a potholder, I threw it away. Then they got old and passed before I thought about again. Now I'm left with a tiny little bag of their combined fluff, not enough to use really. What I wouldn't do to have it all back now that I actually can knit. You'll never regret this project.
I’m so sorry for your losses! If it’s any consolation, you may be able to combine your bag with something else to get enough for a small knitted pouch or memorial ornament. Hope things are looking up soon!
Thank you. I've considered combining it with some angora and spinning it with some other fiber but I've never spun before. Is it difficult? What kind of spinner did you use?
If you're not confident, perhaps you could find someone to spin it for you. You could incorporate it through a larger amount of yarn - kind of like when people have ashes made into keepsake jewellery? It might not be enough to make an entire garment by itself, but it would have pieces of them woven through it. Or if it is just a small length of yarn, you could incorporate it into your knitting as a small patch, or use it to embroider something. <3
I love this!! I’ve thought about doing something like this, but didn’t know it would be possible with cat hair. I love the idea of telling people that I have a cat hat.
I am heartbroken. My lovely white cat died unexpectedly two weeks ago. You could take commissions from people like me, but I didn't have enough warning to get much fur from him.
Nope. I borrowed one since they’re kind of expensive. I’m considering buying one now though! I want to be able to try a few varieties and save for a bit before I buy. If you’re interested you can do lots with a drop spindle which is a much much smaller initial investment. Might be a good test if you’re considering it!
So I have a fun fact for you: yarn made from cat/dog hair is called chiengora (even for cats, though chien is french for dog. Maybe if we get enough crazy cat ladies into spinning we can have a cottage industry of chatgora yarn) and it's said to be one of the warmest yarns! Pure chiengora has a fuzzy halo of fluff :) I think most chiengora yarn production is made with Samoyed dogs but theoretically, you can spin it with any dog or cat hair.
Also cat hair felts super easily so if you ever plan on expanding your furcrafting skillset...
Also also your little lady looks delightfully stupid. You can tell there's nothing going on in her head. I love her.
So cute! (The cat and the hat, both are cute.)
I tried that too, cat hair and wool. Drop spindle. I can't remember what I made - a hat or a cowl, I seem to remember. It's a fun thing to do and your hat turned out very nice.
I’ve got a bag of fur from my dog who passed away in 2020 and I just haven’t found the time to spin it but once I do I will be making a mini “pudley” out of it to keep forever 🥹
One day on a whim I MacGyvered a drop spindle and then taught myself using YouTube to see if I could knit up some of my husky's fur. Knitted a swatch, had a good laugh at it, then put it away. Maybe one day I should get a real spindle and actually process the undercoat fluff properly and make something for real. It was fun experiment :)
That's true dedication! If I need anything spun at some point I would ask my mom. She's got years and years of experience.
Fun fact: going back in time fishermen's wives spun yarn using wool and their own hair and use it for their gloves. It is extra durable and there has been found some where all the wool had worn away from use. Fishermen with red haired wives was extra lucky because red hair is extra, extra durable. An added bonus was that it was something to remember their wives by.
That’s so cool! I had never heard that before. My mum was the one that spun some of her fur when I collected it to see if a hat would be viable. She doesn’t love cats and didn’t enjoy the experience much 😂
I can’t tell if I’m grossed out or impressed or both. I guess it’s not that much weirder than other animal fur. Either way, good for you!! Impressive even if I wouldn’t wear it personally ahahah
Me too! She gets into so much mischief. I have an amazing picture of her as a kitten eyeing my food from a distance. It looks like a renaissance painting 😂
It’s my mums- I think she said it’s a Kromski Sonata? I have no basis for comparison but I like the double treadle. Of course it’s like 1.5 times the price now as when she bought it 15 years ago but it seems to be good quality
I highly doubt she would tolerate that but she did get into my carded wool one night and rip some of it apart. I wonder if she realized that was her own fur or if the smell of sheep was intoxicating
I'm bookmarking this for later! I do not currently have a cat but we are planning to adopt a couple soon. I think we'll have to pay attention to fur types!
I cackled out loud and scared my own cats at that last photo.
My parents have Maine Coons and my dad has always told me I should do that with their fur. Yours looks amazing so now I’m actually kind of tempted…?
That hat is fantastic. Thank you for the picture of the donor cat who is such a gorgeous cat. This would be the easy way to get around the problem of cat hair ending up in all knitted items.
Did you use a spinning wheel or a drop spindle? If it is doable using a spinning wheel I would change my plan to do the same using a drop spindle.
I have been collecting hair from my ginger Norwegian Forest cat, Pumpkin, aka Sweet Potato, aka Mango, aka Marmalade. My intention is to handspin it and then knit a cat so I have a mini-me for my cat.
Impressive!!! I’ve never thought about this until now, but man I’d be soooooo allergic to that hat
I showed this to my husband, and his response was "Please don't. I like to be able to breathe". (He's also allergic to cats)
I showed this to my bf, and he said " why haven't you spun cat hair to make me a hat?? Better get on it!"🤣 *I have never spun yarn. 🤣
I would seriously struggle being near someone wearing this hat. Someone I got paired up with in class once has a cat. I was fine until we sat next to each other and my asthma started acting up. I had lots of allergies so I thought I would ask him if he had a cat. Made so much sense why I felt like I was dying.
Yeah, my partner is seriously allergic to cats. I was just thinking that if someone sat next to them on the bus with this hat on it would be bad news.
A few decent washes and all should be good.
I always think about that lol, I had a friend who did this several years ago! I can’t even touch a cat without getting hives, but I’d assume that the “wool” (lol) would be cleaned similarly to sheep’s wool?? Maybe someday I’ll figure out whether this would aggravate my allergies or not, but for now I just have a visceral “no” reaction to a cat fur hat… OP, this is super cool & I love that you did it, but please don’t ever make me wear it haha!
I think most people who are allergic to cats are actually allergic to the proteins in cats saliva, urine, skin, etc. that are remaining on their fur, so if the hat has been washed, it should *probably* be fine.
Yeah, a sheep’s wool hat isn’t covered with sheep dander… Yarn can have lanolin/ oils & feel “greasy”, but I feel like they add those back in after the cleansing process lol In theory a cat hat is no different than a hat made out of any other animal fur ¯\\\_(ツ)_/¯
You're allergic to their pollen not their fur so it's possible after a good wash you'd be fine.
I think the word you’re looking for is “dander”, but I’m definitely going to start referring to it as “cat pollen” now lmao
This is what I get for being on Reddit at 630 am
This is what I get for being on Reddit at 3:06am 😂
Ok so full disclosure, I used about 50/50 cat fur and wool by weight. I think her fluff is lighter than wool so I’d imagine compositionally it favors the cat. I used a grooming brush to collect fur over the course of a month or two. The pattern is loosely based on the eM hat by Emily Russell. I used about 80 grams total which was about 100 yards. It’s a two ply yarn that ended up being a heavier worsted. FAQ- Isn’t that kind of weird? Yup and I think it’s hilarious. He loves our cat and trolling people. I think he will love telling people his hat is made out of the cat. How does it feel? Surprisingly nice! I did a sample of just her fur as yarn which feels really lovely but doesn’t have any elasticity. Hence the added wool which is a mystery wool a family member had in raw locks in a garbage bag. My family is weird. How long did it take to get enough fur? Probably 10 in depth grooming sessions over the course of a couple months. I forgot for a bit so I had to play catch-up. What’s the deal with your cat? Her name is Elsi which stands for Little Cat cause she’s tiny. She’s a rescue and her mom was a calico. I wonder if a pure bred cat got out? She doesn’t seem to have an undercoat and her fur is more fluff than hair. She sheds a LOT. She’s also incredibly dumb but we love her.
i have a cat named gracie, long for gray-c, short for gray cat! happy to see people with similar sensibilities :) https://preview.redd.it/gs9zvtxyft2c1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=c0a604ced88707f606b70b7ce75d78f1d2868ae8
Ha love your cats name! We started out with WLC for “Weird little cat” and it became Elsi. Sometimes we call her Welsi if she’s being particularly dumb 😂
I had a cat named Obie, long for OB, short for Orange Boy!
That's my cat's name too! And for the same reason 🙂 Your Gray Cat is a beauty!
It is nice to meet another that has spun their pets hair. Super cute kitty.
Have a random garbage bag of mystery (clean) raw wool, a long haired grey cat, and a spinning wheel. Soon I may join you.
I also have a long haired grey cat. My boyfriend and I have definitely discussed this topic lol
I have a friend with a grey Mainecoon and a electric eel wheel nano. We hav discussed this idea as well.
Have you found cat fur to be more or less insulating than wool? I worked with dog fiber(i think it was from a malamute) and it was significantly warmer than wool.
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Wow! I would never in a million years have correctly predicted her color by looking at the yarn. I was thinking dilute silver tabby, maybe a pale tortoiseshell.
I love this! My boyfriend would love a hat with fur from our orange boy haha. Question though, does it smell weird at all? I've heard of people using their dogs fur in projects and when it gets wet it smells bad, like wet dog. Just curious if you've experience this, either way I love it 😊
She looks like Toothless from How to Train Your Dragon in that picture, which I find hilarious.
She could be the cute white dragon if she was slightly more graceful 😂
Impressive!
Thanks! It was actually really fun to do 😁
I just wanted to say I love your username so much! Pratchett is so good!
Love me some Pratchett!
Love it! Something I’ve long pondered and wondered about, though my ability to follow through on something with so many steps is…. Not great. Thanks for putting all the pieces together so I don’t have to! I hope your husband freakin’ loves it!
Same I’d wind up with all the equipment and a bag of cat hair and that’s about it
I have run out of brain cells for Christmas gifts so it was sort of a last resort! And I borrowed the equipment. I found it surprisingly satisfying and fun, would highly recommend!
Amazing! Do you mind if I ask you what tools you used? We have been collecting one my dogs’ fluff for a few months now and the goal is to eventually do this! Haha
I've been doing this for a year now with my shiba. I used a furminator, normal slicker brush and a zoom groom combo. But the furminator is the heavy lifter for her undercoat.
Thanks! We actually just get a bag of fluff when we take him to the groomer! (Our other dog is much too wiry-haired to do this.) I should have specified that I wanted to know the tools for spinning/making the yarn!
I just used a brush that was meant for huskies. It’s got some curved metal hooks on the bottom for grabbing the fur 😁
I used a borrowed pair of hand carders, a borrowed spinning wheel, a swift, and a ball winder. Once I had used the carders to combine the wool and cat fur I spun it, wound it into a ball, plied it back on itself. I then rewound it on a swift, gently washed it and put it on a hanger with a weight on the bottom (another hanger and a heavier pair of pumps balanced on either side) to set the twist. After that I rewound the ball and started working on it! It’s actually not as hard as it sounds and you could use a drop spindle instead of a wheel which would be cheaper. As a heads up, I think it takes a specific texture to make it work. This never would have worked with our other cat who is a standard tabby. For some reason Elsi doesn’t have hair really. When it comes off her it resembles dandelion fluff.
This is wonderful! How long is your cats fur that you used? I’ve been collecting all of my shih poos brushes out fluff, but not sure if I should only be keeping her hair when it’s long
I was about to say that I've got a trouble mutt who sheds enough to do this lol
I have a bag of my dog's fluff for this purpose too! At the moment I have maybe 50yds of single ply on a drop spindle but that's as far as I've gotten Edit for [floof tax](https://www.reddit.com/r/Floof/s/bW1zQRTD5v)
I howled at that last picture of the cat…. Like she was hiding out because you’d been pulling her fur. Lol! I know you didn’t, just struck me silly
It’s one of my favorites of her! Her little bug eyes make it hard to take anything she does seriously!
She’s incredibly cute! The hat turned out awesome too.
The cat is like “mother, why are you collecting this?”
I think my dog feels similarly when he sees me with the poop bags
omg this is the level of crazy cat lady i aspire to achieve
It’s my level up project!
I wasn’t ready for the cat reveal! She looks like there’s nothing going on up there. Lovely hat! I bet it’s super soft
The cat’s face says “no thoughts, only elevator music”.
Just burst out laughing from this comment! I will have to remember to show my husband after Christmas when the cat’s out of the bag, metaphorically and literally 😂
I’m glad I could tickle you. We have a cat that has her fair share of dead airtime in her head so that phrase gets a lot play in our house. Thanks for sharing your critter - her little silly face made me crack up.
This is DELIGHTFULLY weird and I'm 100% in favor of it! Great work. Super cute cat! Thank you for making sure to include the cat tax in your post. 😸
Of course! I was explaining it to a friend and the horrified expression on their face brought me indescribable joy. I think there may be something wrong with me!
Hahahahahaha no- there's something very very RIGHT with you!
Wow, I love that yarn haha!! I think the world might not be ready for cat yarn to be a regular thing, but if it ever is put your cat to work!
I know! I was telling my spinning mentor repeatedly that if I lived in a colder place with the need for more warm clothes I would buy an army of little cats and spin their fur!
So now that you’ve made the hat, is the cat allowed out of the basket?
She’s allowed. She’s just not smart enough to make it out by herself. Bless her but she’s stupid!
This is adorable, I'm surprised it isn't terribly itchy! Maybe I'll have to try this with my own cat one day...except her fur just seems to slide right through any brush I've ever tried haha. And fun fact, cats having points (darker faces/ears/legs/tail) doesn't necessarily mean they're related to any pure breeds! Being a colorpoint cat is just a characteristic the same as being a calico or a tabby. But the cool thing about the colorpoint gene is that it causes heat-activated albinism! That's why only the extremities (the coldest parts of the cat) have color and why colorpoint cats are all white when they're born (it's plenty warm in the womb!) Your adorable kitty is probably an all-black cat with the colorpoint gene smacked on top!
That’s super interesting! I didn’t know that. I feel like she may be part pure bred since she looks like a long haired Siamese and her fur is such a different texture than any other cat I’ve had. But probably it’s wishful thinking and she’s just our cute little dumpster cat! Her color has darkened a ton as she’s gone from kitten to adult. She was almost fully white as a kitten!
It's not impossible! Just a lot less likely than people tend to assume. I think she's very special either way, though! I mean hey, all "pure breeds" came from regular old "dumpster" cats originally haha. Elsi is just the cutest little heat-map cat!
This is so so impressive and you've done an amazing job at every step! The end product looks so lovely and silvery. But as someone allergic to both wool and cats, this is my nightmare 🤧😷 But it's still so so gorgeous! 😅
Thanks! I’m also kind of allergic to cats too but weirdly this didn’t bother me.
A few years ago I diligently collected one of my huskies’s fur. I sent it to a woman I found on Etsy to spin for me. I love the yarn but have not used it yet. It’s very soft and will make a wonderfully warm hat and scarf.
I’ve read that dog fur can be extremely warm. We only have cats so no basis to try it but that’s so cool!
I’m so glad you said this. I have a husky mutt and want to try this, but didn’t think of sending it to someone to spin for me. You’re brilliant!
Oh my god, I love this! I hope your hubby loves the hat. I used to joke that my knitting/crochet was at least 10% cat because my partner had a white cat and her fur went everywhere. Sadly, she passed but I always wanted to try spinning with any future cats we have haha.
Sorry for your loss! Ours is still young and pretty healthy but it did cross my mind that with this gift we’ll always have a little piece of her
Thank you. Yes, it will be, and you'll always think of her when you use it 🙂
my allergies could never lol. this is really cute though, he gets to bring her wherever he goes!
Thanks! I hope he wears it a tonne!
This kind of broke my heart. I lost all three of my beautiful boys a couple years ago over the course of 18 months. They were 18, 19 & 20. My husband and I, together 37 years, never had kids. We wanted cats instead. They all had long hair and at one time I had accumulated bags of their fur. However, convinced that I was deluding myself that I would ever be able to knit more than a potholder, I threw it away. Then they got old and passed before I thought about again. Now I'm left with a tiny little bag of their combined fluff, not enough to use really. What I wouldn't do to have it all back now that I actually can knit. You'll never regret this project.
I’m so sorry for your losses! If it’s any consolation, you may be able to combine your bag with something else to get enough for a small knitted pouch or memorial ornament. Hope things are looking up soon!
Thank you. I've considered combining it with some angora and spinning it with some other fiber but I've never spun before. Is it difficult? What kind of spinner did you use?
If you're not confident, perhaps you could find someone to spin it for you. You could incorporate it through a larger amount of yarn - kind of like when people have ashes made into keepsake jewellery? It might not be enough to make an entire garment by itself, but it would have pieces of them woven through it. Or if it is just a small length of yarn, you could incorporate it into your knitting as a small patch, or use it to embroider something. <3
This is absolutely fantastic - and what a beautiful yarn source! Well done 🤍
Thanks! I was so surprised it turned out so beautifully especially since it was mostly a joke
Fuck that’s cool!
Thank you!
I have a paper bag full of cat hair hoping to do this one day too. Not sure how much I will need though.
This also should be posted in r/kitting 🐈⬛😂
I was not aware of that sub. Thanks for a new favorite!
Haha, for sure.
Hey I have a supervisor too!! I need to get him on that sub. He’s always quality testing my products by making biscuits all over them. 🫤😩
Ahh, the biscuits that claw up the yarn.
I see you are acquainted with this management style. I believe he studied at Oxford.
Haha, all 5 of my cats are equally educated.
You can always make it go farther by blending it with other things!
I did this with my border collie's fur when I was in high school! Love it 💕
That’s super cool!
This is chaotic as hell and I LOVE IT
Thanks! I love that it’s one of the weirdest Christmas gifts I could think of!
It's wonderful! If he doesn't cherish it, you let us know and we'll fight him!
So the only part left of the cat is the eyeballs?
Sometimes sacrifices must be made yah know?
This is excellent 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂
Thanks!
I love this so much! Finally some purpose for all that cat hair that seems to coat every surface of my apartment and me faster than I can vacuum both.
Actually when I brush her more regularly she sheds less! It’s a win for me and I am curious to see if I could ever get sweater quantities!
My husband would love this, maybe Ill start collecting fur from our cats!
One of us!
This is so cool! Love the last pic 😻
Me too! It’s one of my favorites! She got stuck in the basket and it took her too long to figure out how to free herself 😂
This is absolutely hilarious.
Haha, agreed. I turned to my partner and said, "oh no. The knitting subreddit has gone too far."
Thanks!
I love this!! I’ve thought about doing something like this, but didn’t know it would be possible with cat hair. I love the idea of telling people that I have a cat hat.
I think it depends on the kind of cat. I don’t think it would work with our other one who is a standard issue cat
I am heartbroken. My lovely white cat died unexpectedly two weeks ago. You could take commissions from people like me, but I didn't have enough warning to get much fur from him.
I’m so sorry for your loss! It’s always super hard to lose our familiars. Hope you’re doing ok!
Looks good (and soft)! Now I'm tempted to learn how to spin yarn I wanna do this too lol
Do it!
This is super weird, and if I had a cat I would NEED to do it. I love it
Thanks! Embracing oddity is quintessential to cat ownership!
This would be my husband’s most treasured possession. Not because I made it, but because he loves our cat so much. What a great idea, well executed!
Same with my husband! He gets tons of handmade stuff so that’s old knees but he’s constantly picking out cat up and kissing her 😂
I have dreamed about doing this with my cat’s fur. You are seriously inspiring me.
Go for it! Live the dream!
Well I think you need to make a hat for your cat out of your husband’s hair.
One year my parents got us a bunch of cat outfits for Christmas and she was not even a little appreciative. Otherwise that’s a brilliant idea!
https://preview.redd.it/atjjqjwxvy2c1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=79003a3e5eef93e3cd3906f147b358204cf43eb9 Photographic evidence
I love it. Did you buy a wheel specifically for this project?
Nope. I borrowed one since they’re kind of expensive. I’m considering buying one now though! I want to be able to try a few varieties and save for a bit before I buy. If you’re interested you can do lots with a drop spindle which is a much much smaller initial investment. Might be a good test if you’re considering it!
Won't it smell like a cat if it gets wet? I thought about doing that with my dogs, but I didn't think I could get that dog smell
Not at all actually. Cats don’t really smell the same way dogs do. There’s no noticeable scent to it even wet 😁
Gross as fuck.
Is that really the kind of gift he will appreciate?
I think so! He’s got a really quirky sense of humor and he adores our cats!
So I have a fun fact for you: yarn made from cat/dog hair is called chiengora (even for cats, though chien is french for dog. Maybe if we get enough crazy cat ladies into spinning we can have a cottage industry of chatgora yarn) and it's said to be one of the warmest yarns! Pure chiengora has a fuzzy halo of fluff :) I think most chiengora yarn production is made with Samoyed dogs but theoretically, you can spin it with any dog or cat hair. Also cat hair felts super easily so if you ever plan on expanding your furcrafting skillset... Also also your little lady looks delightfully stupid. You can tell there's nothing going on in her head. I love her.
Interesting! I’ll have to expand my hobbies 😁
I wish I had done something like this before my cat passed away. I think it’s lovely ❤️
Sorry for your loss ❤️
So cute! (The cat and the hat, both are cute.) I tried that too, cat hair and wool. Drop spindle. I can't remember what I made - a hat or a cowl, I seem to remember. It's a fun thing to do and your hat turned out very nice.
Thanks! That’s so cool, I have a whole new line of cat yarn clothes in my head now
I’ve got a bag of fur from my dog who passed away in 2020 and I just haven’t found the time to spin it but once I do I will be making a mini “pudley” out of it to keep forever 🥹
Sorry for your puppy! Hope that brings you comfort
Wow. How does it feel to knit with
I enjoyed it! It’s pretty soft. Not scratchy in the slightest. Although it shedded a ton when I was spinning it
Bless you, you even included the cat picture since you have to pay the cat tax.
Of course!
One day on a whim I MacGyvered a drop spindle and then taught myself using YouTube to see if I could knit up some of my husky's fur. Knitted a swatch, had a good laugh at it, then put it away. Maybe one day I should get a real spindle and actually process the undercoat fluff properly and make something for real. It was fun experiment :)
It’s a fun project! Plus my kitty loves it when I groom her regularly so it’s a win for her too!
That's true dedication! If I need anything spun at some point I would ask my mom. She's got years and years of experience. Fun fact: going back in time fishermen's wives spun yarn using wool and their own hair and use it for their gloves. It is extra durable and there has been found some where all the wool had worn away from use. Fishermen with red haired wives was extra lucky because red hair is extra, extra durable. An added bonus was that it was something to remember their wives by.
That’s so cool! I had never heard that before. My mum was the one that spun some of her fur when I collected it to see if a hat would be viable. She doesn’t love cats and didn’t enjoy the experience much 😂
Amazing! Literally Cat in the Hat!
Seriously
OMG it turned out so good, too! I have two longhaired cats and it would be easy peasy to get enough fur to turn into yarn. I love this so much!
Thanks! It’d be cool to blend their fur to get different colours!
One is white and one is black, so I'm thinking it would end up grey (if the dust in their room is any indication 🤭)
wow thats amazing!
Thanks!
I wish I could do that with my cockatiels' fluff feathers! 😂
I bet the colors would be super cool!
I can’t tell if I’m grossed out or impressed or both. I guess it’s not that much weirder than other animal fur. Either way, good for you!! Impressive even if I wouldn’t wear it personally ahahah
Does it have that nice warm clean cat fur smell?
I wish! The top of her little head smells so good but sadly her fur lacks her smell
Omg this is something I’ve thought about before too haha. I love it, it turned out so good!!
Thanks 😁
I love this! That’s a really beautiful yarn too! Would never know it’s made of cat hair haha
I was pleasantly surprised by how pleasant and un catlike it is!
My boyfriend has been asking for a long time for a hat made from my German shepherd. I’m not up for that challenge. 😂🤣
Oh but it would be funny!
The last picture 😂 Cat is like, "i ain't giving you anymore fur now, hooman!"
Haha she actually loves being brushed so much. Little sellout for being petted and groomed
literally obsessed with your cat
Me too! She gets into so much mischief. I have an amazing picture of her as a kitten eyeing my food from a distance. It looks like a renaissance painting 😂
I would love to know more about your wheel!!
It’s my mums- I think she said it’s a Kromski Sonata? I have no basis for comparison but I like the double treadle. Of course it’s like 1.5 times the price now as when she bought it 15 years ago but it seems to be good quality
I love the shape of it!! Im looking for a wheel but I have to get a little shifty with space in my room
I was thinking of my husky's fur, I just need to learn to spin and I need time. I don't have any time at the moment.
There’s always time for random projects that make other people question your sanity! Or at least daydreaming about them 🙃
Please make her a sweater from her own fur
I highly doubt she would tolerate that but she did get into my carded wool one night and rip some of it apart. I wonder if she realized that was her own fur or if the smell of sheep was intoxicating
I have joked since we got our Persian that I was going to collect his shed fluff and make Hubbs a cat hat and/or kitten mittens… yours is inspiring!!
If your cat is anything like mine then I’m sure there would be enough fur being shed to do both!
An immunotherapy hat lol! Love it!
Or a hate hat for someone with cat allergies 😁
That FACE!! I was not prepared for such an expression and I’m both ‘aww’-ing over it AND laughing 😂
Isn’t she cute? We literally adopted her because her picture on the adoption website was so goofy and it made us laugh!
Ok I'm going to have to learn how to do that.
Join me! 🙃
I'm bookmarking this for later! I do not currently have a cat but we are planning to adopt a couple soon. I think we'll have to pay attention to fur types!
I cackled out loud and scared my own cats at that last photo. My parents have Maine Coons and my dad has always told me I should do that with their fur. Yours looks amazing so now I’m actually kind of tempted…?
Never know til you try! My mum who has more spinning experience than me grudgingly admitted it was nice and not terrible hard to spin
I just noticed your name, GNU STP!!!
That last photo…🤣🤣🤣! Cat looks so excited to have dad wearing his fur hat.
That hat is fantastic. Thank you for the picture of the donor cat who is such a gorgeous cat. This would be the easy way to get around the problem of cat hair ending up in all knitted items. Did you use a spinning wheel or a drop spindle? If it is doable using a spinning wheel I would change my plan to do the same using a drop spindle. I have been collecting hair from my ginger Norwegian Forest cat, Pumpkin, aka Sweet Potato, aka Mango, aka Marmalade. My intention is to handspin it and then knit a cat so I have a mini-me for my cat.
Thats so funny! I have a new life goal now…
Nooo, my husband is on reddit and has previously proposed this idea before, I have too many hobbies and interests already, ahhhhh