This winter, I’m traveling via my sweater collection.
I buy few souvenirs when I travel. But there are some parts of the world that require me to leave ample room in my suitcase: good sweater places. I’m drawn to cold climates and northerly latitudes — and wherever harsh weather exists, you’re likely to find tough wool sweaters knitted for the purpose of surviving it.
A good wool sweater can make a great, long-lasting souvenir. Those rooted in place channel the spirit of the cultures from which they come and are ambassadors for local craftsmanship and ingenuity. In tough, isolated destinations, techniques and designs are created and passed down through generations. Some sweaters become so tightly knitted to their place of origin that we know them simply by their place names: Fair Isle, Aran, Cowichan.