I'm looking for spinners. Does anybody have an electric carding

[sinkingfeeling]

machine? And what do you spin on? How did you learn to spin?
I have over 5 pounds of beautiful, washed, white Samoyed dog hair. I have had a lady price carding and spinning it into 2 ply yarn at $20 per ounce. I saved the hair from my dogs' undercoats for 30 years. I always wanted to learn to spin it and then knit it into scarves and hats and such. However, I think $1600 is a tad too expensive.
Has anyone worked with dog hair?

[Stargazer09]

1. Are you on Ravelry?

If not, that should be your first place to go.
www.ravelry.com

With that much hair, it would be worth learning how to do it yourself.

This group is pretty quiet, but they seem to have good resources that might help you:
https://www.ravelry.com/groups/spinning-dog-fiber-aka---spinnin-chien

In addition, I highly recommend searching Ravelry for groups dedicated to spinning in general. It’s not hard to do, but it might be helpful to try using commercially available wool first. Learn the techniques, then spin your dog’s fur with confidence.

[eleny]

2. I wish I could find someone to card wool I've purchased for needlefelting

There are a number of sheepherders here in Colorado. And everything yarn related is so popular here. But I couldn't find a carding service nearby. So I got a set of carding paddles and slowly work on the wool a little at a time. But you have so much more at 5 pounds. It sounds beautiful coming from Samoyeds!

[sinkingfeeling]

3. I have a set of antique paddles and have been playing with it a

bit. But the teeth on my carders have a few bends. I watched a video on YouTube of a woman using an electric carding machine. So, I checked them out on Ebay....way expensive.

[eleny]

4. Me too!

They're a fortune. My needs just aren't that great. I use small amounts of fleece with a felting machine now and then. And sometimes for hand felting. I wish I didn't buy the raw fleece but some of it was dyed such gorgeous colors and I succumbed.

[shanti]

5. Not an electric one

but I do have an Ashford drum carder. Before my CMC arthritis (non-dominant thumb), I used to knit, spin, weave, all of that, but it's just too painful now.

I used to purchase raw wool to spin, which is why I bought the carder. My wheel is a Kromski Sonata and I was taught by an 80 year old woman who still kept her own Shetland sheep in the Nor Cal foothills. I'm kind of a person who is mostly self-taught, but I really needed a teacher to spin properly. I've spun lots of different material, but never dog hair, although I've heard it can be done. Have you thought of combining the dog hair with something else to extend it?

Hope you find someone to spin for you at a reasonable price!

[sinkingfeeling]

6. I'm like you. Taught myself to knit and crochet and paint and quilt, etc.

I've kind of shelved the project for now as I will be traveling the next couple of months. I got it all washed and took it to the post office. It weights 5 pounds 4 1/2 ounces. I doubt if I'll need to extend it!