South Central Llama Association

The Llama Mamas are a group of spinners and weavers who compete in "Sheep to Shawl" and "Fiber to Fashion" events. Sharon Bramblett has been in charge of them from 2005 - 2007 at "Kid 'n Ewe and Lamas Too," a fiber festival held in Boerne every November. Sharon participated as a spinner the last four or five years. Our group was formed several years earlier by someone else.

A Llama Mama member spins llama warp and brings a pre-warped loom to Kid 'n Ewe. At 9:00 am on Saturday morning four to five spinners from each team begin spinning singles, one then plies yarn, one winds the two ply yarn onto shuttle bobbins, and a weaver begins weaving the shawl. Fringe is finished. Usually five hours are allowed to produce a finished shawl. Then all the shawls are judged by an expert weaver and one is selected for first place.

Some years there have been as many as five teams competing. Names of other teams include the Dolly Llamas, whose buxom members (one of which was a man) wore blond wigs. One of the more unique shawls was made from spun newspaper strips.

The 2008 Llama Mamas wove an L-shaped shawl. Most of this year's team members were also members of the Weavers and Spinners Society of Austin. See the project at http://www.wssaustin.org/gallery/kne2008/

View more photos at the SCLA Picasa site.