"Knitting is a marvelously flexible craft. It is also a much maligned one. Why this contradiction? Is it because pattern stitches are so complicated that many people give up hope and hide their attempts in a drawer, vowing never to try again? Or is it even more because the results seem so limited -- sweaters, socks, booties, afghans, all knit to rigid pattern instructions that allow no freedom to create? ...Knitting [is] an art form rather than merely a utilitarian craft; knitting [should] be looked at and admired for itself, not simply be put to functional uses." Knit Art by Ferne Geller Cone (1975)

Why don't we all take a moment to contemplate this? ... That's enough. Let's get on with the show:

Several millenia later, our forbears figured out a way to make clothing from animals without killing them. Our ancestors learned that they could spin animal fibers such as wool into yarn and use the yarn to make clothes....

History marches on, and not everyone has a backyard filled with sheep. But fear not! You too can make clothes from the critter in your life.

PUTTING ON THE DOG

Sheep don't have a corner on this market -- fibers from the coats of all kinds of animals can be spun into yarn that can be used just as you would use store-bought yarn: for knitting, crochet, weaving, and a host of other crafts. [like Knit-Wit [tm]! -ed.]

In fact, pet hair has characteristics that make it more desirable than wool. It produces a yarn that has a lovely 'halo' of fuzz, much like mohair or angora. Though it is not as elastic, it is even warmer then wool. Susan Wallace, author of Hair of the Dog, made a hat of dog and goat hair that her husband wore while mountain climbing. He swears that it saved his life when he was caught be a sudden storm. The hat kept him incredibly warm, and although the wool hats worn by the rest of his climbing party became encrusted with ice, his hat remained completely ice-free!" (Knitting With Dog Hair by Kendall Crolius and Anne Montgomery (1994))