Chiengora

Here’s a little story about spinning dog hair or ‘chiengora’ as it is also known.

Once upon a time, in a small mountain village, there lived a woman named Lian. She was known for her remarkable skill in spinning and weaving, creating the warmest and softest garments anyone had ever worn. But her secret wasn’t wool from sheep or fur from rabbits—it was something far more unusual.

Lian lived with a pack of loyal sled dogs, powerful and thick-coated animals who pulled her sled through the snow-covered forests as she gathered herbs and firewood. Each spring, as they shed their thick winter fur, Lian carefully collected the tufts of soft undercoat, spinning them into fine, luxurious yarn. This yarn, known as chiengora, was warmer than sheep’s wool and softer than cashmere, and Lian’s hands worked magic with it.

The villagers at first scoffed at the idea of wearing dog fur. “Who would wear something made from a pet?” they whispered. But as the winters grew harsher, Lian’s scarves, gloves, and coats became highly sought after. Even the elders, who had survived countless brutal winters, admitted that nothing kept them as warm as Lian’s chiengora garments.

One particularly harsh winter, a young traveler arrived in the village, nearly frozen from the cold. Lian wrapped him in a coat made of chiengora, and within minutes, warmth returned to his pale face. When he awoke, he revealed that he was a merchant from a distant land, and he had never felt anything as warm and light as the coat she had given him. He begged her to teach him the art of spinning chiengora, promising to share it with the world.

Lian smiled and agreed, but only under one condition: he must always honor the bond between humans and their dogs, using only the shed fur and never harming an animal for its coat. The merchant swore an oath, and soon, chiengora became a treasured secret passed down through generations, warming people across lands near and far.

And so, the legacy of Lian and her beloved dogs lived on, their fur woven into stories as rich and enduring as the warmth of the yarn itself.