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The Paige's got their first llama in 1989 as a 4H project for their oldest son and quickly became infatuated with them and added several more. Their love of fiber arts and using llama wool started in about 1992 when Gayle started felting. She then progressed into spinning, knitting, carding, dying, blending and all the steps in between. Gayle's yarn has won numerous awards over the years, she has given felting classes, there has been; 4H, nursing home visits, packing, Pack Trials and some limited cart training. In their spare time they have done some rescue and rehab work. Due to Nick's disability they no longer are able to do that, but are happy to answer questions.
QUESTION: What is the best method to collect my llama's wool for processing? ANSWER: Camelid fiber can be harvested by brushing or by shearing. Annual shearing yields the highest amount of healthy fiber and keeps your llama looking nice. A classic llama with short wool and abundant guard hair is usually brushed rather than shorn. QUESTION: I have heard that llamas have too much guard hair to make the fine wool yarn I'm after? ANSWER: It is a common misconception that llama wool is full of guard hair and coarse in comparison to alpaca wool. Many of the llamas bred today have exceptional fleeces with little noticeable guard hair. There are lots of 19 to 20 micron llama fleeces. The alpaca tends to give a heavier yield and normally has more crimp than the llama fiber. QUESTION: What is the average Micron number on llama wool? ANSWER: In South America any camelid (llama or alpaca) fiber that is 22 microns or less is sorted into a Baby Alpaca category, then there are other categories such as Fine and Superfine. Anything over a certain micron count is graded as Llama. QUESTION: I've heard that Alpaca wool is the finest wool of them all? ANSWER: At the risk of stepping on toes Alpaca fiber is not the world's finest fiber. Angora rabbit comes in at 12 microns, Cashmere is 15 to 16 microns, Baby Camel is 16 to 17 microns. Merino sheep wool can be 18 to 19 microns which is about where camelid fiber starts. QUESTION: Is it true that to felt llama wool I have to add in Sheep wool? ANSWER: Many camelid fibers can be felted, however it does not shrink at the rate of sheep wool. Felting is a quick way to get started using your fiber. All you need is wool and hot soapy water. You can learn to spin on a drop spindle or go right to a spinning wheel. Camelid fiber makes beautiful yarns. It is best spun thin and plied as it tends to get heavy if spun to thick. Many people like to add 10 to 20% sheep wool for the memory. QUESTION: I've heard I can wash my llama wool in the washing machine in a mesh bag as long as I don't agitate it, is that true? ANSWER: I wash my wool just loose in the washing machine, but many folks like to put it in a mesh bag. Shake the fleece to remove second cuts and some of the debris. You can let it soak for at least an hour in cold or hot water with a bit of Orvus or dish soap (not too much or it will be hard to rinse out). Gently stir the fleece to make sure it all gets wet. Spin the fleece and then rinse once or twice. Lay the fleece out in the sun to dry, shaking it will help dislodge more debris as it drys. QUESTION: My llamas wool is matted and dirty, is there anything I can do with it? ANSWER: First test the fleece to see if it is good by snapping a few hairs. If they break or are brittle don't waste your time. Lightly matted fleeces can sometimes be usable, but wlll require a bit more work. Matted fleeces can be placed around your flowers to keep the weeds down and hold moisture in. You can also put it in the bathtub, cover in hot soapy water, put on your rubber boots and make a rug. Make sure you don't fall. QUESTION: I have a bunch of llama wool from shearing my animals last spring, what is the best way to store it until I can have it processes? ANSWER: Ideally you will wash it before storing. The most important thing is to protect it from moths. I store in clear plastic bags with holes poked in them and hang from the ceiling. Some people like to store in paper sacks that are taped shut. Cut a bar of Irish Spring soap into pieces and throw some in with your fleeces to help deter moths. It is best to store in an area that get lots of light and to check your fleeces from time to time. For long storage you should get them out and lay them in the sun once in awhile. QUESTION: Is it hard to learn how to spin wool? and or, do I need a lot of high priced equipment to do it? ANSWER: You can learn to spin on a CD drop spindle that you can make yourself. There are websites that tell you how to make them. Just search for CD spindles. Many times you can find a spinners and weavers guild nearby and they are usually happy to introduce you to spinning. I learned from a book called "Hands on Spinning". Most libraries will have books and sometimes videos that will help you get started. Run an ad in the paper and sometime you can find a really good deal on a used spinning wheel. There is a pvc wheel, called the Babe that is the least expensive wheel to start with. You can learn to spin on a CD drop spindle that you can make yourself. There are websites that tell you how to make them. Just search for CD spindles. Many times you can find a spinners and weavers guild nearby and they are usually happy to introduce you to spinning. I learned from a book called "Hands on Spinning". Most libraries will have books and sometimes videos that will help you get started. Run an ad in the paper and sometime you can find a really good deal on a used spinning wheel. There is a pvc wheel, called the Babe that is the least expensive wheel to start with. Plum Crazy Llama Ranch & Fiber Arts has items which can be seen at: http://community.webtv.net/plumcrazyranch4/PLUMCRAZYRANCH
OR Visits
Gayle's Store on E-Bay Email Gayle
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Fiber/Wool 
