Barcelos Rib

Knitted forty minutes north of here by Fernando, who has run the same flatbed machine since 1994 and who tells me every year that he is going to retire.

The wool is undyed merino from a named farm in Extremadura, mulesing-free, and we buy the whole clip. That is why there are only ever a few hundred sweaters and why the shade shifts very slightly between years.

Cuffs and neck are linked by hand rather than overlocked, so there is no seam allowance inside to rub. It also means the sweater can be unravelled and reknitted, which two people have now done.