Roving Sweater

From the Fall and Holiday 1986 catalogue: “Rovers by nature, we’re always looking for sweaters that make congenial fellow travelers. Especially since our vagabondings Down Under convinced us of their virtues as outwear. (As serious hikers know, no fiber matches wool for warmth, even when soaked by a squall.) When we discovered roving yarn–a blend of Australian and New Zealand merino wools, painstakingly spun into irregular, thick-and-thin stands–we were instantly taken with its unpredictable character. Yarn this quirky simply can’t be knitted by machines, so each sweater is the distinctive work of human hands. Thickly ribbed and heavy enough to double as a jacket, the Roving Sweater has a shawl collar to turn the chill and a placket to unbutton when ventilation is called for. With a nod to Lord Byrn, “we’ll go no more a roving” without it.”

“Wine” version pictures courtesy Julie Higginbotham