I love messing with llama fiber. This last year I have been making llama decorations for outside.

The challenge has been to make them strong enough to hold up against heat, sun, wind, and in the Northwest, lots of rain that means rot! This outside decoration is into its second year outside and still holding up great.

I first spun the weft using lots of llama in it. Then I wove a rug. I put the rug through the washing machine and dryer many times using extreme cycles to get the rug to felt as dense as possible. When the rug was so concentrated it could almost stand up by itself, I sewed on the llama shape using a piece from a different rug I had made.

I didn't think the decoration was strong enough to stay together when it became water logged from the months of rain and never having a chance to dry out. So I sewed the thing to a 4'5' piece of field fencing, attaching it at each fence square with wire. And then the back side of the decoration was too ugly. The fencing was there to see. So I covered that up by fringing the exposed fencing with locks of raw fiber.

This wall hanging came about because for years I have been spinning and weaving llama fiber rugs. Too often I hear, "Oh it is too soft, I can't put that on my floor!" These folks don't realize the strength of the llama fiber. So this year I am making llama fiber rugs, mounting them on the wall and calling them hangings. They seem to be a hit.

Email Jenny Davis: wooola@juno.com
Copyright © 2002 Jenny Davis .