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Buffington · Guru

Llama hair... raw

Liselle · Guru

Ok, So I have a question. How do you get it from looking like THAT ^^^ to what we're more familiar with using?

Buffington · Guru

Fair question...
First: Pick out as much "vegetable matter" as you can.
Then: you get a pan of warm, (not hot water) like you'd use to wash your own hair (too hot will felt the hair and probably make it unusable).

Next: put in some shampoo or non-detergent dish soap and swish it around so it's all dissolved and mixed into the water. The reason I suggest non-detergent soap is because even though I have had it for a long time, apparently llama hair doesn't tend to get oily like mohair when it sets for too long. This stuff is dry, not oily.

Then: put your llama hair either right into the water or into a knee-hi nylon or pantyhose leg. Then immerse into the water, let it sit for about 10 minutes, swish, and rinse in cool water.
After the rinse, you can get another pan of warm water but this time add hair conditioner to it, and swish around like you did with the soap.
Rinse and then lay on a towel, papertowels, potty training pads or anything that is absorbent.
At no time while it is wet do you rub the hair or it can cause felting.

When the hair is dry, using either "carding" brushes or dog grooming type brushes (even cheap ones will work), take one in each hand. One facing down and the other facing up. Put some of the hair on the bottom brush (facing up) and use the other one (facing down) to comb through the hair, pulling your hands away from each other (in opposite directions). You will have hair on both brushes now so keep brushing it until the hair starts to line up.
Then when the hairs are brushed fairly straight, pull them off the brushes and stack in a pile. You may still have some vm in the hairs but you'll just have to pick out any you can.

You see hun, this is another reason why hair for reborning (any kind of hair, alpaca, mohair, llama, etc) can be costly. It takes a lot to get it where it is nice for using on dolls.

So... I won't blame anyone if they do not want a sample since if you buy any from me (and it will be extremely reasonable) you have to process it yourself. No worries, doesn't matter to me.

Also, and I know this is getting long (whew) it is not long hair, at least not the brown. It is a shorter hair. But I like it for dolls that are going to have short hair anyway.

I hope I have not been too confusing. I had to figure it all out myself so I've already been through the "how do you" part last year. :o

NOTE: You can also brush out your llama hair before you put it in the pan to wash it if you like.

-- Edited by Buffington on Sunday 3rd of October 2010 03:40:43 AM

Liselle · Guru

Cool thanks!!! Great information!

sara zata · Guru

I gave a small bag away, Pat you would have to have a lot of patience to wash and brush that, I think you have to wait and get it in the skin, so much easier to wash and comb. LOL. XXXXX June.

Buffington · Guru

I don't know if I would either want or could afford a llama hyde hun :o
I have 4-5 angora goat hydes with the hair on it still and the smallest one cost me about $150 USD but that's when I HAD money! hahaha waaaaa

But yes, it takes a lot of patience to clean, condition, and card and organize the hair when you get it like this. That is part of why the good hair costs so much. They don't usually leave it on the hyde so it's like this stuff I have. I was going to process all of it this summer but then was in the crash so ... maybe I'll just do it in very small bunches. I mean it ends up being drone work, which is ok if you're outside enjoying the weather. You just sit there and card (brush) the hair and pull off the parts that are lined up, put em in the bag and you're done. I just haven't had time to do all that hair. I have done some in each of the colors and it comes out nice. I think I'm using it on one of the mini babies.

honeyloves · Guru

thank you for this pat we have a llama now ! and i am going to try and wash this stuff up!

Buffington · Guru

You have your very own llama? Wow! How cool is that! I would try to wash and brush the llama before trimming the hair so that way it's not as bad as the shaved stuff I got. But maybe since mine is baby llama hair they didn't think of that lol.

honeyloves · Guru

TThank you :D my little brother love the llama very much !we did comb it is bad! They cut his hair and put it in a bag I got some black!

Buffington · Guru

Thats good! Natural black is nice :) At least you won't have to worry about dyes then. If you follow what I posted about processing you should be fine.
So how old is your new llama? Would love to see pics of him/her.