Paws 2 SpindleJun 8, 2025

Fiber prep and spinning of fur from Oni, the Tibetan Mastiff continues, now that we're back from vacation!

Previously, I'd just laid the fur down onto the blending board and brushed it down. It was still plenty tangled, so I was concerned how it might draft.

So, I did some "combing", not quite as intense as you'd do for combed top, but I combed out the best, longest & most aligned fibers before laying it down on the blending board and turned that into a thick rolag.

But then, with the discards, I carded them, which aligned the fibers rather similar to our husky fiber, and created a rolag from that.

And then I spun all three!...

Show threadPaws 2 SpindleJun 8, 2025

Spinning started with the carded final rolag, and that was probably the toughest: without pre-drafting, it was easy for fibers to come out rather tightly clumped together and physically hard to draft to proper thickness.

The combed rolag was nice to spin! Probably worth the extra effort to do! It still had a tendency to build up into tangles along the way. I suspect both improved preparation and drafting technique will make this smoother.

But I was most surprised by the first straight-to-the-blending-board rolag, which drafted quite nicely! I was able to create a single that was a bit thicker, which is somewhat my goal: something a bit fluffier than the thin lace-weight singles I'm used to from spinning short husky fur.

I believe I'll still do some "combed" preparation for "premium" quality yarn, but it seems that I can make bigger improvements with other techniques, like pre-drafting, use of a diz, etc. going forward.

Show threadPaws 2 Spindle

I've spent some time today watching videos about combing top, as well as scouring and other prep for sheep wool.

While Oni's fur has noticeable dander and VM (vegetal matter, including whole pine cones!), it's NOTHING like the condition of some of the sheep fleece before scouring. I'm glad I can go straight to spinning with dog fur if I want, and bathe things after the first spin.

Jun 8, 2025 at 2:09amWeb
Show threadPaws 2 SpindleJun 8, 2025

Round #2 of Tibetan Mastiff fiber prep testing!

As before, I started out combing out clumps to get the best aligned fibers possible and set aside the rest. The first photo here shows the staple length of what I'm working with. MUCH longer than husky!

Instead of using the brush to push the fiber down into the blending board (my technique with clouds of husky fluff), I dragged these combed bits down the tines to keep the fibers straight and aligned and only used the brush to push it deeper. I also worked deliberately from the bottom up, to facilitate removal. (I'm surprised I hadn't figured this out earlier!)

Then I took the discards and carded them to align the fibers (which worked surprisingly well) and then used the same drag technique to add them to the blending board.

The result: two new rolags to test spinning!

#FiberArts #HandSpun #Chiengora #TibetanMastiff

Show threadPaws 2 SpindleJun 8, 2025

Visually, the two rolags look quite similar. I'm curious whether I'll find much difference in spinning them.

Because combing tends to keep clumps of similar fibers together, the combed batch is slightly more mottled than the carded fibers, which get more evenly blended in the carding process.

I'm going to have to try using a diz to make roving from the blending board next. I think the mastiff fur will be a lot more successful at that than the husky fur!

I'm also eyeing drum carders... 🛢️ 👀 I can't justify the expense, but there's at least one local yarn shop that rents use of their drum carder. I'll have to see if they're OK with dog fur.

Show threadmbalaJun 9, 2025
@Paws2Spindle fascinating to see Oni turn into yarn!
Show threadPaws 2 SpindleJun 9, 2025

@mbala It has been a fun adventure and learning experience!

I promise we' won't turn ALL of Oni into yarn. 😜