The thistle is the emblem of Scotland as a barefoot viking raider cried out in pain as he stood on one, alerting the Scottish army encampment that the Norse army were sneaking up on.
It takes approximately 1400 meters of yarn to make a simple sweater and at least twice that to knit a "fancy" one. It also takes 4pounds of clean fleece to make the yarn.
18
probably got it on his last vacation berfore the apocalyps.