Xolla’s Pastoreta 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. It has a 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.

The yarn is made from wool collected from local flocks of Catalonian Ripollesa sheep with added fibre from the Xiqueta and Aranesa all of which have an Endangered Native Breeds status.

The entrefina Ripollesa wool is an ancient cross between the Tarasconian sheep that formerly inhabited the Central Pyrenees, and the transhumant Merino sheep that graze across 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!

You can read more about Elena Solier and her work in Xolla in our article, Actavistas de la Lana