At one time, all over Scotland and across the Western Isles (formerly known as The Hebrides), homes were heated, food cooked, water kept hot for tea by a small peat fire burning in the center of the room in a blackhouse or at the each end of a whitehouse in a small fireplace. No fire, no life as the charming Historic Scotland ambassador at Taigh-dubh Arnoil, on the Isle of Lewis pointed out to me. This, in turn, brought to mind the old expression about the need to keep the home fires burning, which of course made me think of keeping a man interested and that requires something that sneaks up on him just when he thinks he knows a woman, that is to say puts him "off kilter"!

By now you will have noticed a pattern in the way we present our offerings. Innocently you open a page to read about the product you are interested in and suddenly you find yourself three clicks away learning about things you never imagined you needed to know. Some women are like that. You meet for a drink or perhaps simply for coffee, it's really nice and you suddenly realise that you've ignored your mobile phone for hours ~ for the first time in years. She's wearing this. You've puzzled over it intermittently, it's not knit like anything you've ever seen before. The luxurious 6-ply cashmere is hand knit so that when you slip your arm around her waist you can touch her skin, discretely – all day. And because romance oft begins with a tender kiss, our fabulous Off Kilter subtly exposes that little kissing spot where she puts fragrance on her neck and shoulder. We'd like to think that a woman could keep the home fires burning a long, long time with our exclusive Off Kilter cashmere pullover. Perfect with jeans simply add a brooch of Scottish Agate to gently gather the sweater at the shoulder and never leave that fire unattended! Off Kilter is made exclusively for Thistle & Broom by Hillary Rohde Cashmere, Scotland. Allow six to eight weeks for delivery – measurements required for precise fit,(we’ll be in touch following your order).

Perfect with jeans, better with Harris Tweed, add Scottish Agate jewellry and never leave that fire unattended! Available in the full range of Thistle & Broom cashmere colours from Todd & Duncan.

Your purchase benefits the Thistle & Broom Scholarship.

Chosen to perfectly compliment Thistle & Broom’s beautiful namesake tweed from A. Elliot Fine Fabrics, our new palette of Todd & Duncan cashmere yarns for 2008/2009 are available now.