Irish Aran sweaters

Aran Knitwear is unique to the west coast of Ireland. It is made from naturally oiled wool to keep out the sea-spray and rain while fishing. The wool is thick and strong to give a warm rugged sweater. The stitches have all got individual meanings and each family traditionally had their own pattern arrangement - hence families could be identified by the pattern on their sweaters.

Beautiful, useful and durable - Aran sweaters are ones that would be admired for years. The Aran Sweater takes its name from the set of islands where it originated many generations ago, off the West coast of Ireland. The Aran Islands lie at the mouth of Galway Bay, at the mercy of the relentless Atlantic Sea. The Aran Sweater was born of this environment, passed down from generation to generation, and has since become the ultimate symbol of Irish Clan heritage.

The sweater has many attributes which made it suitable clothing for the island's Community of fishermen and farmers.

1) It is water repellent, not allowing the rain to penetrate the sweater, thus keeping the wearer dry. 2) An Aran sweater can absorb 30% of its weight in water before feeling wet. The natural wool fiber used in the sweaters is breathable, drawing water vapors away from the skin and releasing it into the air, thus helping the body to maintain an ideal temperature. 3) Most importantly, of course, the sweater kept the wearer warm on the cold days and nights at sea or on the farm. Wool has an excellent insulating capacity due to the high volume of air in it, and this helps protect the wearer from excessive cold and heat.

Today, the demand for the Aran Sweater continues to grow. The lack of skilled knitters, and the economic gains to be had from machine-production of the sweaters, has resulted in a huge fall in the number of hand-knits available. Hand-knit Aran Sweaters have become rare and valuable. They are highly sought after for their quality, their history, and the clan heritage they represent. Despite the huge increase in fashion goods available, the Aran Sweater remains an item of timeless beauty, synonymous with pride in an Irish heritage.

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