Normally when I sample a new sheep breed, I like to purchase spinning fiber. But Manchega wool spinning fiber is not something I’ve come across as yet, and I was inspired by Sandi Rosner’s comparison of Wooldreamers’ Manchelopis yarn with plötulopi to try it out. Plötulopi is unspun roving made from both the undercoat and outer coat of Icelandic sheep, used to knit the iconic lopi sweaters. I haven’t knitted with it, but I’ve been curious about it for awhile.
Manchelopis is likewise an unspun roving, made of 100% Manchega wool , which like plötulopi comes as a ‘plate’ of yarn. In the case of Manchelopis, the plate is wound with two strands of the roving together, which can be knit as is at an aran or bulky gauge, or separated and knit at about a DK gauge. As a 2-ply it has 251 yds/ 230 meters per 100g plate; as a single ply 503 yds/ 460 meters per plate. I tried the Manchelopis both ways.
I also purchased a ball of Mota, a DK weight, 3-ply blend of Manchega and Merina Entrefina – ‘Entrefina’ is a designation for wool that is between fine and coarse, so Merina Entrefina is a less-fine quality of merino wool.
About Manchega Wool
Manchega sheep, from the region of Castilla-La Mancha in Spain, are raised primarily for making the famous Manchego cheese. The wool is generally considered a waste product. Wooldreamers was founded in 2020, as a project of a family-owned mill, to support local farms and pay them a fair price for their wool. According to their website, Wooldreamers sources the wool directly from several families in Castilla- La Mancha, where Manchega sheep are raised.
Manchega is considered a medium wool, with a staple length of 14-16 cm (5.5-6) inches. Manchega sheep can be white or black.
Swatching the Yarns
Mota has a very round, slightly fuzzy appearance, and feels soft yet sturdy. Based on the appearance, and looking closely at the individual plies, I would guess that this yarn is woolen or semi-woolen spun (according to Ravelry it is woolen-spun). I would rate it on the heavier end of the DK range. I knit up the Mota on a size US 5 (3.75mm) and US 6 (4.0mm) needles, which made a fairly firm fabric – on a US 5 the fabric curled even after blocking, so I would go up a size or two if I were to knit a sweater with it. As a 3-ply I would expect this yarn to show cables well, so I also knit a small cable swatch on a US 7 (4.5mm) needle. You can see in the photo that the cables do indeed pop in this yarn.
I swatched the Manchelopis with both one and two plies. In both cases the strands tended to drift apart while knitting if pulled too hard, so I wouldn’t suggest trying cables or other high-tension stitch patterns with this yarn. However, when that happens, you can simply overlap the strands and continue knitting, or lightly spit-splice them back together.
Two plies makes for a bulky-weight fabric that is very light and airy, with a rustic appearance. The single strand swatch made a rather more delicate fabric that bloomed when I blocked it.
The Manchelopis isn’t the softest – it’s about what I’d expect for a medium wool – but the unspun put-up is so airy that it feels incredibly fluffy, and the resulting fabric is plenty soft to wear against all but the most sensitive areas.
I also knitted a swatch with the single strand held together with a 50/50 wool alpaca blend from Get Bentz Farm, and with a strand of mohair/ silk. The wool/ alpaca blend created a sturdier fabric, but didn’t have as much of a halo as I would like. The mohair/ silk held together with the Manchelopis, on the other hand, yielded an incredibly soft, ethereal fabric. I could easily see knitting a cozy sweater for lounging with this combination.
Final Thoughts
Mota is a nice, economical option if you enjoy a woolen-spun yarn that is sturdy yet relatively soft. At $16 for a 100g skein, it’s a good value for a local, breed-specific yarn. I was especially taken with the Manchelopis, however, and I am very tempted to knit a sweater with it. At $15 for a 100g plate, it will make a very economical garment. I think I will knit a pair of mitts and maybe a cowl with the plate I have to test how it wears.
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