WOMAN SPINS PET FUR INTO CUDDLY CREATIONS.Byline: Janette Williams Pasadena Star-News The Pasadena Star-News is the local daily newspaper for Pasadena, California. The Star-News is a member of the Los Angeles Newspaper Group. External links
Ever thought the soft, furry coat that looks so adorable a·dor·a·ble adj. 1. Delightful, lovable, and charming: an adorable set of twins. 2. Worthy of adoration. on the family pet could look pretty darn good on you, too? Anna Mayfield Marshall is betting that if you haven't thought of it before, you will after seeing some of the woolly creations she has spun, knitted and woven from materials usually found decorating the sofa. Pet lovers wearing Rover or Tabby as a hat or sweater, or snuggling up with their very own pet-hair pillow or teddy bear, is an idea whose time has come, Marshall believes. "I saw a little niche in the pet-hair business. People want an everlasting memento me·men·to n. pl. me·men·tos or me·men·toes A reminder of the past; a keepsake. [Middle English, commemoration of the living or the dead in the Canon of the Mass, from Latin of their pet," Marshall said. "One man said he thought it was kind of macabre ma·ca·bre adj. 1. Suggesting the horror of death and decay; gruesome: macabre tales of war and plague in the Middle Ages. See Synonyms at ghastly. 2. , but I don't think so at all. Some people want (a keepsake) before little Fluffy passes away - a couple of people have sent the fur of pets that were quite elderly." Marshall charges $45 for a teddy bear, using 5 ounces of dog or cat hair. She will make other items to order. Marshall, a completely self-taught spinner, weaver and knitter, always has dreamed of making a living through her art. And Pavlova, her sister's majestic Great Pyrenees Great Pyrenees, breed of large working dog whose fossil remains date its existence in Europe from the Bronze Age (1800–1000 B.C.). It stands from 25 to 32 in. (63.5–81.3 cm) high at the shoulder and weighs from 90 to 125 lb (40.8–56.7 kg). dog, was the one who provided the inspiration for the cottage industry cottage industry: see sweating system. Marshall is pursuing. "I read an article about someone doing dog-hair spinning, and I was lucky enough to have some woolly family members at home," said Marshall, alluding to longhaired Pavlova and her fuzzy gray Angora rabbit, Stew. "Through the Internet I heard of people interested in having pet hair spun for hand-knitting projects, and I'm working on the Internet with different dog societies," Marshall said. The best quality dog hair comes from Samoyeds, she said. Pavlova provides year-round high-quality combings comb·ings pl.n. Small loose pieces of material, such as hairs or wool, removed with a comb. combings Noun, pl the loose hair or fibres removed by combing, esp. from animals for Marshall to transform into hanks of soft wool. A cat owner could take months to collect enough fur. But in just 10 minutes of daily grooming, mounds of Pavlova's downlike fluff can be amassed ready for carding and spinning. And when 3-year-old Pavlova sheds in the summer . . . "It's called a molt, but it's more like a blow-out," joked Marshall's sister, Karen Schroeder. Dog and cat fur technically becomes wool when it is spun, Marshall said, and it seems not to be susceptible to moths. "Fleas, yes," she joked. CAPTION(S): PHOTO Photo (1) Bears are among the items made from pet hair by Anna Mayfield Marshall of Pasadena. (2) Marshall takes hair from Pavlova, her sister's Great Pyrenees, to spin yarn for her works. Associated Press Associated Press: see news agency. Associated Press (AP) Cooperative news agency, the oldest and largest in the U.S. and long the largest in the world. |
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