rya, also known as ryafår or swedish carpet wool sheep, is a breed of sheep that is native to sweden. the breed originated from the swedish and norwegian landrace breeds. this double-coated breed of swedish landrace origin also contains some norwegian spælsau heritage. the purpose of the sheep was to use the long, wavy, and shiny wool to produce rya-wool, which is often used to make carpets. in the early twentieth century, few long wool sheep remained in the province of dalarna, leading to the restoration of the rya sheep breed. in 2000, there was a stable population of about two thousand rya sheep. they can be found in northern and central sweden. most of herds are located in dalarna. they are usually kept in small flocks.