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  • Home
    • How I Started Handspinning
  • Spindles
    • Make Your Drop Spindle
    • Types of Drop Spindles
    • How to Use a Drop Spindle
  • Wheels
    • Selecting the Right Spinning Wheel
    • Spinning Wheel Styles
    • How The Spinning Wheel Works
    • Parts of the Spinning Wheel
    • Adjusting The Spinning Wheel’s Tension
    • Drive Ratios & Twist Per Inch
    • Spinning Wheel Maintenance
  • Techniques
    • Handspinning Woollen and Worsted Yarn
    • Preparing to Handspin Yarn on the Spinning Wheel
    • Basic Handpinning Techniques
    • Adding More Fiber When Handspinning Yarn
    • Plying Yarn with a Spinning Wheel
    • Navajo Plying
    • Making A Skein of Yarn With A Niddy Noddy
    • “Setting In The Twist” Of Handspun Yarn
  • Fiber Prep
    • How to Wash Your Fleece
    • Types of Fiber Preparations for Spinning
    • How to Prepare Fiber with Hand Carders
    • How to Prepare Fiber With a Drum Carder
    • How to Prepare Fiber With Dutch Combs
    • How To Prepare Fiber With a Flicker Carder
    • How to Use a Diz
  • Fiber
    • Alpaca
    • Angora
      • How to Care For Your Angora Rabbit
    • Flax
    • Llama
    • Mohair
    • Silk
    • Wool
  • Dyeing

Llama

Llamas are related to the Alpacas, but are larger and taller. Llama fiber, like alpaca, comes in a variety of natural colors such as, white, fawn, cinnamon, silver gray, and black.

Characteristics

• Natural, Animal
• No lanolin or grease
• Fiber Lightweight,

• Soft, less elasticity than wool
• Luxurious
• Very durable
• Hand-washable or dry-cleanable
• Little static, no pilling
• Dyes well
• Blends extremely well with other fibers

Preparing Llama For Spinning

Hardcarders
Llama can be handcarded into rolags. It is best to use handcarders with fine teeth. Do not over card it or you will cause lumps to form (unless of course your intention is to spin a textured yarn).

Drumcarders
Use a drumcarder with fine teeth to create large batts for spinning.

Spinning Llama is the same as spinning alpaca.

End Uses For Llama Yarn

Llamas have both outer guard hairs and an undercoat of fiber. The guard hairs are longer, thicker, straight, and wiry. They should be pulled out or combed out of a shorn fleece, because it will resist spinning, dyeing, and felting. Good for: pillows, rugs, ropes, and wall hangings.

The down fibers of the Llama are shorter, softer, and wavy with some crimp, and will produce a soft yarn. Good for: hats, scarves, shawls, sweaters, socks, etc


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