Pastoreta is Xolla’s 4ply (fingering) weight yarn, made from wool collected from local flocks of Catalonian Ripollesa sheep with added fibre from the Xiqueta and Aranesa – all three are officially cataloged as Endangered Native Breeds. 

Ripollesa wool is classed as entrefina. It is an ancient cross between the Tarasconian sheep that formerly inhabited the Central Pyrenees, and the transhumant Merino sheep from the rest of the Peninsula and Roussillon.

Xolla’s deliberate involvement with every step of the production process is led by personal working relationships with the small family mills which spin the yarn. And it means that there is total transparency and traceability from the sheep and shepherd to every ball of wool!

The yarn is woollen spun, and coloured using low-impact acid dyes with an Oeko Tex standard 100 certification, in a style which retains the yarn’s characteristic heathered shading underneath the colour.

The yarn’s standard 4ply meterage (200m/50g) gives you a predictable 26-28 stitch gauge on smaller (2.75-3.25mm) needles. But the airiness of the spin allows for an astonishing bloom and softeness after blocking, which means you can comfortably knit at a 22 stitch gauge on larger (±4mm) needles to create a light-weight fabric with closed stitches. For this reason we strongly recommend swatching and blocking for gauge before embarking on a project.