Teach Soap

Our Keeshond sheds a LOT of super soft wooly fur, would it be possible to use her fur to felt a bar of soap for my husband? He'd get a kick out of it! Just for him though, not for friends or for sale!

_________________
~~Heather~~
Mad [soaping] Scientist

I don't know about soap but Etsy did a cat hair feature project on felting using a milk container and cat fur and the authors wrote a book about making a little cat fur hand puppet, bags and purses from it too.

_________________
Armi

Fiber arts is my main craft...all animal fibers are not alike. Dog hair will not felt as easily as wool....even within sheep breeds felting differs. I have both hands in bandages due to surgery so cannot type long answer. Not all fibers felt easily some not at all due to their structure. Google and research. Also may have two types of hair...guard hair that is coarse and undercoat with softer hair you may have to sort the two out. Try but do not be too disappointed if does not work. Find a spinner...they can blend it with a bit of wool to make yarn then a hat or scarf.

I had thought of a scarf or hat for him, but I knitted him some for Christmas a couple years ago, and I don't think he has worn them yet. Jersey is pretty mild in the winter. Maybe a throw blanket LOL Her undercoat is VERY similar to the raw wool I have seen for soap felting. I'll probably give it a try and just see how it works. Its more of a joke gift anyhow, we live in a constant blanket of her fur, why not wash with it too? Dog sheds like 14 lbs of hair a day, I swear!

_________________
~~Heather~~
Mad [soaping] Scientist

Omg, my honey would die, a soap felted with dog or cat fur lol. He is so allergic.

We got some really pretty wool from Etsy and tried felting soap for a whole night once, with no luck. I think the key I was missing was panty-hose!

_________________
Laura<3

_________________
Linda
I know the voices in my head aren't real, but they sure have some great ideas!

_________________
~~Heather~~
Mad [soaping] Scientist

_________________
Linda
I know the voices in my head aren't real, but they sure have some great ideas!

Angora is soft too but will not felt. Depends on how 'scaley' a fiber is. Moisture plus alkaline plus agitation equals felt...the scales on the fiber rise up, stick out a bit, then lock together. Wool treated as superwash has scales removed so will not shrink or felt. Merino wool is by far easiest to felt.

_________________
Shelia
Newbie still learning.....

We have 3 sheddy cats and 2 dogs. But the only fur you can see is from Rainy. This is why: 20lb dog, 10lb of her and 10lb of hair LOL

_________________
~~Heather~~
Mad [soaping] Scientist

What a beautiful dog! We had a part Keeshond / part Elkhound dog growing up, but it had the Elkhound coat

_________________
Soap Blog:

I agree that a drop spinner would be worth a try
PRETTY dog......nice smile

(I have used Peep's, (the yellow bird) feather for fly tying)

Oh my goodness! What a cutie!

I often joke that when my house gets hairy from my 2 dogs that we have enough hair to make a third.

_________________
Armi