If you like animals like I do, you will fall in love with El Robledal de la Santa project (@robledalmohair). A family farm of Angora goats for the production of mohair in Extremadura. David and Jackson are the humans of this great little family that grows little by little every year. On the one hand, they produce their own mohair and on the other Jackson makes magic with colors by staining dyeing this and other bases.
In their social networks they show us their little goats, how they roam freely and how happy they are. In addition, you can sponsor any of their goats through their patreon to help them with their day to day.
TODAY WE WILL HAVE A CUP OF TEA AND WE WILL KNIT WITH AITANA VILLA…
DAVID AND JACKSON FROM ROBLEDAL DE LA SANTA
How and when did you start to dye yarn?
Jackson: In 2016, I started testing mohair from our goats and I really liked it. From there on I started trying different fibers and experimenting with various dyeing techniques.
How did you make the leap to dedicate yourself to dyeing yarn professionally?
Jackson: I realized that dyeing wool and other natural fibers made me happy and we thought it could be a good way to support the project and the farm.
What inspires you to create your colours?
Jackson: When it comes to creating new colors, I let myself be carried away by my mood at all times, which also determines the music I listen to or the series and movies I watch; and these artistic references in turn are reflected in the colors that I use. This is why the dyes are usually unique and I do not repeat combinations.
What is your fetish fibre?
David and Jackson: Mohair, of course! For both, for Jackson to dye and for David to knit, mohair is our favorite fiber.
We also like BFL and merino mixed with tencel.
How has the pandemic affected your company?
David and Jackson: The hardest thing to cope with has been the cancellation of wool festivals and fairs. Not only on an economic or business level, but especially on a human and personal level.
For us, festivals are key moments on the calendar, they are moments of meeting with all people in the sector, clients, designers, collaborators, other dyers, but mainly friends. It may be funny, but we take festivals as a “vacation”, get out of the farm routine and enjoy the city.
Can you show us the fibres I have used for the design? (silky mohair):
David and Jackson: It is one of our favorite fibers, we are very happy to have improved the quality of this base. It is composed of a fantastic kid mohair and mulberry silk.
Kid mohair is the mohair of one-year-old angora goats and mulberry silk is the highest quality silk that exists that is obtained from silkworms which feed exclusively on Morus alba leaves.
When you were a child, what did you want to be as an adult?
Jackson: Veterinarian, to take care of all the animals or flight attendant to travel around the world.
David: Farmer from the Playmobil farm, I think I almost made it.
What would you have yourself in 20 years?
Jackson: I would ask my future self if I have been happy.
David: If I were face to face with myself in twenty years I would ask myself: Wow! What have you done to keep yourself so well?
If you could travel in time, where would you go: to the pass or to the future?
Jackson: I would go back to past moments in my life so that I could relive unique experiences with special people and make the most of them.
David: The future is yet to be discovered and I love surprises, so I would travel back in time to enjoy my favorite historical times, the Golden Age and pre-Roman Hispania.
Which animal would you like to be and why?
David and Jackson: an angora goat in El Robledal de la Santa, so they could take care of us for once (hahaha)
Jackson: a sea turtle, which for me symbolizes life without room for worries and that enjoys the moment or a Diplodocus that takes life in stride without suffering for what it cannot control.
David: I love animals, all of them, since I was little, and my favorites are dogs and horses. But if I had to choose to be one in particular, I would say the ermine, my favorite mustelid. They are clever, adaptable and efficient, and they change color with the seasons.
How would your perfect day be?
David and Jackson: a perfect day? So simple, and so complicated, as that all the animals are healthy, calm and happy.
That the goats do not escape, that the dogs do not fight, that the horses do not steal our feed … hahaha.
No, seriously, normally the days are calm and happy here on the farm, but the days when a goat is born are very special.
AITANA VILLA DESIGN
TAKE IT EASY COLLECTION Vol.7
The seventh design in the collection is a scarf/stole knitted with a strand of Silky Mohair from Robledal de la Santa and a strand of Luxury sock from Feliz y Punto (you can read the interview with Justina HERE)
The two fibers are pure luxury and when knitted together, a fluffy and very warm effect is achieved, but not heavy.
The design will have instructions to knit the scarf version with one skein of each of the fibers or the stole version using two skeins of each.
It is the ideal project to enter the world of increases and decreases and for them not to seem difficult to you anymore. Thanks to them, the chevron or zigzag effect is achieved that causes the peaks to form on both sides.
Knitting is an act of love;
therefore, I wish you knit a lot!
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