Myths & Symbols
The Claddagh Story
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Ladies Aran Irish Knit Button Down Cardigan
 Ladies Aran Irish Knit Button Down Cardigan Ladies Aran Irish Knit Button Down Cardigan-Green |
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Ladies Aran Irish Knit Button Down Cardigan. An all time classic, a traditional Aran cardigan for women. The sweater features the traditional Aran honeycomb pattern. It is knitted from 100% pure Irish Merino wool. Button front with two pockets. The sweater is made in in County Mayo ,Ireland. Available in Natural and Green.
Sizes available: XSmall, Small, Medium, Large, XLarge and XXLarge.
The History of the Aran Irish Knit Sweater
The history of the Irish knit sweater began at the Aran Islands, three islands at the mouth of Galway Bay. The inhabitants of this region are almost exclusively Gaelic (or Irish) speaking people. The big Island is know as Inishmore, the middle one is Inishmaan and the southern one is Inisheer. Inish is the Gaelic word for island.
Those who lived there made their living from farming and fishing. Outdoor work in this windswept and wave-battered environment called for warm, protective and practical clothing. The original sheep's wool sweaters were made from wool that contained the natural greases which made them more water retardant. The farmers and fishermen wore them to protect themselves from the harsh Atlantic weather. For the 165 generations that preceded them, their lives remain interwoven with the earth and the sea.
The Aran is a style of jumper/sweater that takes its name from the Aran Islands off the west coast of Ireland.It is sometimes known as a fisherman sweater. A classical fisherman's sweater is a bulky garment with prominent cable patterns on the chest, often cream-colored.
The sweaters are distinguished by their use of complex textured stitch patterns, several of which are combined in the creation of a single garment. The word choice of "jumper" or "sweater" (or indeed other options such as "pullover" and "jersey") is largely determined by the regional version of English being spoken. In the case of Ireland and Britain, "jumper" is the standard word with "sweater" mainly found in tourist shops. The word used in Irish is geansaí, a gaelicization of guernsey which has been re-Anglicised to gansey in Hiberno-English.
Originally the jumpers were knitted using unscoured wool that retained its natural oils (lanolin) which made the garments water-resistant and meant they remained wearable even when wet. It was primarily the wives of island fishermen who knitted the jumpers.
Some stitch patterns have a traditional interpretation, often of religious significance. The honeycomb is a symbol of the hard-working bee. The cable, an integral part of the fisherman's daily life, is said to be a wish for safety and good luck when fishing. The diamond is a wish of success, wealth and treasure. The basket stitch represents the fisherman's basket, a hope for a plentiful catch.
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