When I was growing up in New Zealand my father was an architect for the Ministry of Works. I think his biggest ever job was an agricultural research laboratory, which had all kinds of exotic features like Pyrex drains that could resist chromic acid and giant sprinklers in the hallways for drenching people who'd had acid-spill accidents. They had a long running project investigating the possibilities of new breeds of sheep. As it happened one of his hobbies was spinning and weaving; my mother also knitted. There was lots of spare wool from the Experimental Sheep and he was given all he wanted. So I got a series of woollies knitted from Frankensheep (never found out what the breed was called) They were all like scouring pads. Years later they worked out that the stuff was ideal for carpets.

This place was a pioneer in the development of the electro-ejaculator, as displayed (though not demonstrated) by one of their scientists when he came to talk at our school. And at the more pure research end, they built a milking machine for mice.   Sadly my dad was never offered samples of mouse butter or enough mouse fur to knit anything.