For the love of wool
At Xolla, we aim to contribute to the preservation of Catalonia’s wool heritage. Each year, we collect wool from local flocks to transform it into yarn, giving value to what was once considered waste.
We work in small Spanish mills. Creating our own yarns is quite a challenge, but it allows us to know every step of the production process — from sheep to skein.
sheep makes the landscape
Sheep play a vital role in maintaining rural landscapes. However, flocks are declining in number year after year. In Catalonia, sheep are closely tied to a way of life and traditional practices deeply rooted in the land and rural living.
One of the key conditions for producing good wool is that sheep graze freely. Wool is therefore synonymous with extensive livestock farming and the revitalization of rural areas, helping to sustain a livelihood and preserve figures that are at risk of disappearing in our country: the shepherdess and the shepherd.
local production
Knitting is a statement of empowerment. Choosing a natural fiber with a short supply chain and local production supports a fair, circular economy. Respect for both the sheep and the people we work with is essential.
Traceability matters, so do the kilometers traveled. Xolla wool is collected in situ on the very day of shearing. The flocks we work with are based in Osona, Pla de l’Estany, and Baix Empordà.
Washing takes place in Palencia. Afterwards, the wool is carded, spun, plied, and dyed in Catalonia. In recent years, one of the batches has been combed in Guarda, Portugal, home to the last wool combing mill in the Iberian Peninsula.
All processes are carried out in small, family-run industrial mills. Therefore, even if its footprint is modest, Xolla also promotes domestic industrial processes and contributes to revitalizing a sector that was once of great importance on the Peninsula
the ripollesa sheep breed
The Ripollesa sheep is, alongside the Xiqueta and Aranesa breeds, one of the three native Catalan sheep breeds, all officially classified as Endangered Native Breeds.
It is the result of an ancient cross between the Tarasconese sheep, which once populated the central Pyrenees, and transhumant Merino sheep from other parts of the Iberian Peninsula and Roussillon. Initially, it was a fairly isolated breed due to its geographical location. Today, most flocks are found in northeastern Catalonia and have gradually moved southward.
With medium-fine wool, it has a distinctive speckled pigmentation on its head and limbs, giving the fleece irregular patches of brown, black, or grey.
natural wool; natural yarn
Wool is a resource of unquestionable value, with countless properties. At Xolla, we are committed to natural, rustic wools, with the texture and scent of the sheep still present.
Ripollesa wool is known for its dry feel, a reflection of the geography and terrain where the sheep graze, and yet, it doesn’t itch. That’s why we strive to keep our yarns true to these characteristics, which give them their authenticity.
We have, however, chosen to add a touch of color, using low-impact acid dyes, all certified under the Oeko-Tex Standard 100.
Hello! I’m Elena, the person behind Xolla.
A few years ago, I don’t remember exactly how many, but I know it was November, I picked up knitting again and got completely hooked. So much so that shortly after, I made a spindle to start spinning the wool from some friends’ sheep.
From there, everything unfolded quite naturally: my passion for spinning and dyeing grew alongside the projects taking shape on my needles.
Little by little, I began to realize that the wools I found for knitting and spinning came from many different breeds, but none of them were local.
Over the years, I moved back and forth, living between France and Spain. It was in France that I discovered the revival of the filière laine française, the French wool sector. I think that’s when everything started to click, and I decided that, upon returning home, I wanted to bring value to the wool from local flocks.