Front Cover: Ruby Mae gives Lynn Cameron an inquisitive greeting

Why Llama Trekking?

By Penny King

        As you are all well aware - llamas are not something you can be half-hearted about.
I was bitten by the llama bug around 12 years ago,  simply by seeing a documentary about llamas on TV!  Within a couple of hours I had found a couple of local llama owners and had made arrangements to meet them and their animals.  It was another 8 years before money, land ownership and time all allowed me to purchase my first llamas.

I do not remember deciding that I wanted to offer llama Trekking, but by the time I had my first llama, that was one of my main objectives. It just seemed to be a logical step. I have found that Trekking is a great way for people to be introduced to the many attributes of these proud, serene and clever animals.

Since September - when we started running ‘proper treks’ – i.e. not friends/family – but real paying customers! - Karma Llamas has introduced 71 people to llamas.

The process has involved learning about individual llamas and selecting those who are best suited to the work. This involves both physical characteristics and, more importantly attitude. Some really seem to get into the treks and others just don’t get it! I endeavour to choose those that enjoy it. 

All the business of marketing, purchasing equipment, insurances, safety and facilities- common to starting any venture - has happened in tandem with the training that both the llamas and I have been undergoing!

The aspect of trekking, which continues to inspire me, more than anything else, is the wonderful reaction that I see in people when they ‘connect’ with a llama. Each is a true individual and the relationship they form with their human handler will vary with the handler.  They make faces light up.   They’re cool!  And Trekking is the best way I know to share that with a large number of people.

From Paddock to Clothes Rack

By Janette Buckingham

         My Llamas, and sheep, have been on the catwalk in Melbourne.

Well….. their fibre has.

         For the last 18 months, Louise (my daughter) and I  have been working on a  goal to produce exclusive handwoven, handknitted, garments using fibre from our own animals.

I have been spinning and weaving for many years and really enjoy working with the natural materials at hand, especially Llama fibre. I like to have a  project on the loom, just as knitters like to have “something on the needles”.

Louise (26) lives and works in Melbourne. In her spare time, she enjoys  the challenge of designing and marketing high fashion women’s clothing, and I share this interest. So we made the decision to combine our talents, and at the same time, giving Llama fibre the exposure it deserves. Guanaco fibre is another ‘rarer’ fibre we  feature in our collection.

  “Lord of the Rings” has really put Gotland wool in the handcrafting spotlight. Did you know that the Cloaks were woven from Stansborough Gotland wool? Articles about this have been published in the  Black and Coloured Sheep Breeders’ Association of NZ magazine, and also  in   the American “Handwoven” magazine.

After much deliberation, we decided to call our fashion label “The Valley Beyond”, as that typifies our locality here in Waikawa Valley, and we are using fibre from the animals here. So  a large chunk of  2003 was spent consulting each other on designs, checking out fibre and yarn supplies for spinning, weaving and knitting. Some of my commercial yarn had to be rationed, as supplies were dwindling.

A worthy addition to our team of knitters and spinners, was a dressmaker to whom nothing was a problem. So instead of the hassle of sewing, all I have to do now!…. is translate the design to fabric on the loom by working out the yardage and pattern layout, weave the fabric (the most enjoyable part) and hand the finished cloth over to the dressmaker, making sure that she understands exactly what we want. I can sew, but I don’t enjoy it. But I did buy an overlocker in winter 2002, because handwoven  fabric has a tendency to fray when  you handle  it.

While our collection was slowly growing in October, I got a very excited phone call from Louise  We had the opportunity to take part in the Mercedes Australian Fashion Week, in the new designers’ section “The Source”. The venue was Federation Square in the middle of Melbourne, from 11-13 November. After counting the monetry cost, poring over bank statements, I decided that we could do it. Together we wondered if we had enough garments to display. Yes, we thought we could manage it. Nothing venture, nothing gain.

So I flew to Melbourne on November 9; we set up our stand  the next day,as did 80 other designers  and the next three days were taken up with having our collection of garments on display for  potential buyers to view. The Source was open to the buyers and media only, not the public. Federation Square is a massive multi-functional complex, not hard to find in the central city as its very modern  architecture (like a tangle of twisted steel!) is in stark contrast with the beautiful old buildings such as the  Flinders Street Station. For this reason, many Melbournians do not like it.

But we did not have much time to stand and stare at our surroundings….we were too busy thinking about clothes, what other designers had on their racks, and what they themselves were wearing…did ours measure up… oh , this was It. We were installed at Mercedes. We attended the official opening, listened to the Victoria Premier and other dignitaries make the obligatory speeches on the dais above the red carpet, while sipping on half bottles of Moet & Chandon, and gazing around at all the Beautiful People. I have to be honest here and say that many of them were more beautiful than their clothes! After a few Moet & Chandons, Louise was getting rather vocal about this!

Our fellow exhibitors were very friendly and helpful…far more so than we ever expected. And our contact person for MAFW  was very good value,and very good to everyone considering the  huge job she had, to co-ordinate the whole scene. To have got this far seemed like the impossible dream It was gratifying to see our months of work hanging in all its glory. The display included  a woven Llama cloak with a possum fur trim, woven jackets, tops, kung fu pants, knitted  items included a vest, bolero, scarves, berets and armwarmers, plus chic brimmed  hats felted from black Llama fibre. As an extra, I wove a stole using Guanaco fibre. This project involved some new techniques: using the woollen spinning method for the short stapled fibre, and using singles for the weft instead of plying two bobbins together to make a 2 ply yarn as I usually do. I took my travelling spinning wheel to Melbourne and finished the fringe for the stole the morning before it went on the catwalk- as a skirt!!

For the last day, we had the opportunity to have our collection modelled on the catwalk. A professional photographer provided us with great images for our website – http://www.fashionz.co.nz/thevalleybeyond

It was a tremendous thrill to see our clothes on professional models… they did us proud, the garments looked great. As it was the last day for The Source, there was a good-sized crowd of spectators …. this truly was The Moment for Louise and I!

With any ‘expo’ there is always a certain amount of frenetic activity going on behind the scenes and we were no exception. The days at Federation Square were long, we were never home very early ,and there were always final, fiddly touches to make to  garments or promotional material  -either that night or in the morning. And then to be out the door at a certain time, to catch the train from Clifton Hill (Louise’s flat) to be in the city, at Federation Square by 9 am. The time went nowhere. We always intended to have early nights, but with doing the last-minute ‘stuff’ to garments, especially when we knew they were going on the catwalk, the early nights became a myth.

Although we ended the week on a high note with the catwalk parade, we had almost reached an anti-climax. We had had many weeks of busyness, and now we were both tired and unable to think straight! I was lucky because I was able to spend a week with our eldest daughter her husband and the two grandsons at Ferntree Gully for the next week before flying home. So that got me into leading a normal life again.

Louise was not so fortunate, she had to get back into her work routine, but we kept in touch and spent a day together working on future plans, before I left Melbourne. She took me round some of the shops in Collins Street, one of two retailers whom she is negotiating with. I felt quite heartened to see stockists with  clothes which I actually liked. Previous to this, I was really wondering about some of the fashions I had seen, and thinking “is this really us??” So we both felt quite positive after that.

  So after writing this, it’s on to the spinning wheel  to produce some Gotland fabric for the next garment, and at the same time, think on new designs to add to the range.

In the meantime some of the llamas have been shorn but the Gotland hoggets need crutching!

Naming that Cria

Palmdale Llamas All our crias born at Palmdale are named after palms. We have a great number of names to choose from, the reason being that we grow exotic palms in tunnel houses at our property. That's also why we are called Palmdale. Emma Schwithal

Karma Llamas "Kiwiana": any of the many 'collectable', items redolent of New Zealand life and culture. So far I have a Hokey Pokey,  Pipi, Toi-toi, Fanta and a Tiki -  but think about the possibilities. Paua, Silver fern , Buzzy Bee, L&P,  Crunchie, Twisties, Chocolate Fish, Toffee Pops, Minties, Pineapple Lumps, Milo - all  food related...... “I must need a chocolate fix.” (Quote vehemently denied by…) Penny King

Woodley Llamas In a way, we were lucky that our first two llamas did not already have names. As a family (my husband, daughter and I) we decided they would have Spanish names which we would give alphabetically – and so we started out with Aji (pepper) and Brisa (breeze). Of course, the joke was that if they were to understand us, we had better give them names in a language they might understand!

Their names are taken from a Spanish dictionary or the atlas, and I try to find something that has a relevant meaning to the cria. Place names have featured pretty well – Chile, Lima, Peru, Rio, Taxco, Uruguay - being a few.  It has been interesting over the years to see just how appropriate (or inappropriate!) some of the names have been. Cardo (thistle) is certainly prickly, Encolar (whitewash) of course is white, Jaez (kind) has the sweetest nature, Lladro (the fine china figurines) looks like a beautiful ornament, Navidad was born on Christmas Day, Que Lindo (what a beauty) was a perfect little cria. However, Fuego (fiery) was anything but, Danzar (dancer) is more like a rocking horse, and Lapiz Lazuli (just called Lapiz) is not brilliant blue!

We also take liberties in not pronouncing the names the way they should be - Jaez as “Jazz” and not with the “H” sound for the “J”; certainly “L” is not pronounced “Y”; and our “X” names would have a Spanish speaking person mystified. I am now on my third time through the alphabet (next cria will be “O”) and after 66 crias, I still find it thrilling to decide on a name. It’s amazing just how much more interesting some very ordinary words sound in Spanish!!  (Of course, I also have non-Spanish named llamas which I have acquired. I don’t change their names!!!!) Raewyn McKenzie

Federated Llamas I have names written in the back of my diary, that occur to me from time to time.... and when a cria comes, after a day or so I look in my diary and if one fits, that’s it....otherwise I wait for a cria to 'grow into' a name....eg  Frodo was born at the peak of the Rings hype....so some of the next lot of cria will possibly get names from the 'Ring', like Bilbo or Baggins.....I don't have all 'A's one year and 'B's the next...I have one 'family' that have names from 'Gone with the Wind'...Virginia, Scarlett (Lynns), Sue Ellen (which Peter changed to 'Sezabel')....etc.....some, like 'Curly Sue'....she ain’t 'curly' but had a curly start to life....Ruby Mae is named after a wee handicapped girl I treat, and I treated her the day R.M was born....and I like the name....and it gave Ruby Mae the wee girl a HUGE buzz!!! sometimes I go thru a 'place name' thing...like Georgia (who became 'Sweet Georgia Brown'), or Indiana. No real rhyme or reason, except what is on my mind..... Elise Atkinson

Thickthorne Llamas This can take me ages. I'm usually put off by all the weird and wonderful, or just plain stupid, names the family suggest...which makes me all the more determined to get a name that I like. (Having said this, they have come up with some great suggestions over the years). I study the baby in question very carefully,  jot down any likely names. I then pick the best one.  Sometimes I consult "Naming Baby", a little book which we used to name members of our family as they arrived. Although I must add that I always had a name for either sex picked out in advance.

If no names come to mind, I give the llama naming a miss for a few  weeks, and wait for inspiration to strike. No baby has ever gone nameless, and I pride myself on having chosen some pretty good (in my opinion!) llama names over the years. Janette Buckingham

Rangemore Llama Farm  The crias born here have been named alphabetically, we started with Ava and the most recent is Verity. I have a competition on my website to come up with the best name. As the day approaches, we short-list the more likely ones, then whoever’s around on the birthdate gets a vote! One day a kindergarten class was visiting while the L baby was being born so they voted on Layla. The winning name  wins a t shirt and I’ve sent them around the world. Of course, I don’t just stop at one name, most have double-barrel names. The second name is generally reflective of one of the parent’s names. Eg Mariner Laddie, son of Bonnie Lass. My other funny little quirk is, my babies must have names before the sun goes down. Otherwise, the gods might think that nobody cares enough to name them and steal them in the night. Julie Insley