Woman comes up with hairbrained idea for winter clothes

Displayed is a hat and sweater knit from human hair. Sixty-year-old Chongqing resident Xiang Renxian explained she knit the ensemble from her own hair over 11 years. Photo: Chongqing Economic Times

Xiang Renxian, a retired teacher from Chongqing, models a hat and sweater she knit from her own hair. Photo: Chongqing Economic Times

A Chongqing area woman has woven a sweater and matching hat using more than 110,000 strands of her own hair.

Xiang Renxian, a 60-year-old retired teacher, created the pieces from her 70-centimeter-long locks that she collected as they naturally fell out.

It took her 11 years to meticulously collect the hairs, spin them into workable yarn and complete the ensemble, Xiang explained.

"It's actually not that difficult. The key is patience and persistence," said Xiang.

The sweater cuff bears her name and date of completion, December 10, 2013.

According to Xiang's records, the nearly half-kilogram sweater is made from exactly 89,112 hairs and is decorated with 18 knit roses. The sweater required 15 hairs to spin a knitable strand.

Xiang said she got the idea at 34 years old as a way to preserve the long hair of her youth. She has been collecting her hairs daily and recording the exact number since January 1, 2003.

Xiang also knit another hat for her husband as a reward for supporting her hobby.