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                Materials
Two chenille sticks (Pipe Cleaners)
Small amounts of colored fiber
Felting Needle
Small pieces of colored yarn
Clean Fiber (Llama to be authentic)

2) Bend the long piece as shown in the photo to make the head, neck, body and tail. Twist the small piece on to the top of the head to form the ears. Twist the half sticks around the body to form the legs. Make sure they are even and your "stick llama" will stand up.

3)(See 3 photos below) Take a strip of your llama fiber and wrap around your stick form. Wrap until you run out of fiber. I like to start at the shoulder and work along the back. Needle the fiber until it felts together and becomes firm. Try to needle on either side of the chenille stick. If your needle gets stuck in the wire, just gently ease it out. Turn llama over and needle the other side.

Keep your fingers out of the way as it is easy to stab yourself.

4) Take more fiber and wrap the tail and legs. Continue needling. The feet can be made by either folding up a tiny piece of the chenille stick or extending the fiber down a bit past the end of the leg and felting it at a 90 degree angle to the body - making a little foot. If you really want to be accurate (and you have patience!) you can needle a dividing line to make two toes.

5)Wrap small amounts of fiber around the ears and needle until firm. To make the ears longer just add fiber to the tip and needle. Once the llama is complete, the ears can be bent to the right shape.

6) Wrap fiber around the whole head shape and needle. Keep adding fiber until you get the shape you want. Remember the direction you push the needle is the direction the fiber will move. Use the edges of your foam to rest your llama, so you can needle the top of the nose and under the chin. Wrap fiber from the top of the head down the neck and chest and needle. Your llama should now be completely covered in fiber and should be needled quite firm. Add fiber to any spots, which need extra. As your llama will be covered in "long" fiber it doesn't have to be "fat" - just firm.

7) To make the long wool fleece for your llama, take a very short piece of your fiber, fold in half and needle onto your llama's body, in a line, just below the fold. This will hold it in place while you needle from the line up to the fold. Continue doing this in a line across the body of your llama, starting at the lowest point on the llama's side.

8) Add the next layer of fiber, as above, but so it overlaps the first. Try not to make it too thick or you will find the fleece will stand out instead of sitting against the body. Once you have needled the fiber onto the body, you can do the same to the chest and neck, again starting at the lowest point and overlapping as you work upwards. You can leave the face bare but they look cute if you add "bangs" hanging over the face from between the ears. If your fiber is too long, you can cut it and then fold it so the cut section is towards the body of the llama and can't be seen.

9) You can now add the "finishing touches" - eyes, either felted or glue on some "goggle" eyes available from craft stores. A halter can be made by gently needling some colored yarn onto the appropriate places on the head. Leave a piece of yarn hanging for the lead rope. Blankets, etc. can be needled separately and then needled onto the finished llama. Due to the chenille sticks being pliable, you can gently bend your llama so it stands properly.

WELL DONE!
PUT YOUR LLAMA IN PRIDE OF PLACE WHERE EVERYONE CAN ADMIRE IT!

Email Sue Curliss: Xanadu Llamas.
Copyright © 2003 Sue Curliss .
Xanadu Llamas (Australia) www.xanadu-llamas.com.au