BRITISH DOGS' WOOL ASSOCIATION
As was only to be expected, the utilisation of dogs' combings for 'wool lias aroused wide interest, and so many letters have, been received about it that further particulars .will doubtless be welcome.
For one thing, tho iso of dogs' hair in this way has quite passed out uf the experimental stage, ft is « proved .success; as many beautiful socks and cardigans and gluves, knitted from such wool at Burlington House under the aegis of Lady Gosford, president of the British Dogs' Wool Association, "prove. As a matter of fact, such use is not tho novelty it appears. Only .it has taken the shock of «.ar to make people realise its potentialities. What these mean with an army (f millions in the field and with hospitals all over tho iand, when wool costs anything from 10s. to Jil a pound, noeds no demonstration. But, as has been said, in itself it is no new thing. Thirty years ago poodles' wool was spun ami woven info cloth so durable and weather-resisting that a shoot-ing-cap worn then remains to-day apparently as good as ever. Poodle combings were, loo," used later, and by the discernment of Princess Victoria. For some, twenty years ago (he l-rii/ccsa had the combings of her own brown spaniel carefully saved, and spun into yarn by the Sandringhain which tho Princess then knitted into a big brown shawl herself. Sandringham also spun the first yarn from Borzoi wool, at the direct suggestion of King Edward, who himself clipped the first snmplo from hit) famous Borzoi Alex tor the test, further back still, by another twenty years, it is on record that i:i. : tten s and niuulers were knitted from St. Bernard wool, whilo for the. past two Lord Brownlow has been Hearing a waistcoat knitted from the wool of Skyo terriers. All these aro isolated instances, however, and it remains for the British Dogs' Wool Association, now having its headquarters at the Royal Academy, to make a regular industry—and that of a most essential product—out of what has hitherto been complete and utter waste. There is something thrilliiiff in the more touch of these siv.ks at tho Academy, pioneers as they arc! The combings fuojn a great many different breeds of dogs have been tested, those of Borzois, Bergers a, . Alsace, Chows, Clumbers, collies. Japanese, Maltese, Old English sheepdogs, Pekinese, Pomeranians, poodles, Samoyedes, St. Bernards, Shetland sheepdogs, setters, Skycs, spaniels toy spaniels, and Yorkshire terriers having proved capable of being spun into perfect wool. So, it should be noted, has the combed-out fur of Persian cats. And even the wire-haired dogs, are allowed to have their share in helping the wounded-for tho wool at present is reserved simply for this purpose, of course —for their combings mnke a splendid filling for the pillows for wounded limbs so much in demand. Lady Akernon Gordon-Lennox is chairman, ' and Lady Hland-Sutton vicechairman of Ihe British Dom' Wool Association, while Miss L. G. Sniythe is hon. secretary. All communication.*: and inquiries, liowpvpr, should so direi'l to the Cnuiit-pss of flnsford, Royal Ahulpiiijy Burlington House, Piccadilly, W.-"The Queen."
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Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 79, 28 December 1918, Page 8
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518BRITISH DOGS' WOOL ASSOCIATION Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 79, 28 December 1918, Page 8
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