A style of heavily textured, off-white wool jumper named for the Aran Islands off the west coast of Ireland, built from columns of raised cable, honeycomb, diamond and other stitch patterns running symmetrically down the body and sleeves, typically four to six distinct panels wide. Aran garments were traditionally knitted from unscoured wool that retained its natural lanolin, making them water resistant, and a single sweater can involve well over 100,000 stitches and take months to complete by hand. The earliest documented examples of Aran knitting date only to the 1930s, despite folklore that claims a much older, clan-specific origin.
Facts
OriginThe earliest documented Aran garments date to the 1930s; older folk claims of ancient clan-specific stitch meanings are not supported by the documentary record. 1 Distinguishing Technique or ResultFour to six symmetrical vertical panels of raised cable, honeycomb and diamond stitches run the length of the body and sleeves, traditionally worked in undyed, lanolin-rich wool. 1 Connections
Associated With
Tools Used
Knitting Needle is used in Aran Sweater Pattern.
Sources
1. Aran Jumper (Wikipedia)
WikipediaHistory section, sentence beginning "Most historians agree"Quote, History section, sentence beginning "Most historians agree"
Most historians agree that far from being an ancient craft, Aran knitting was invented as recently as the 1890s and early 1900s, when the Congested Districts Board sought to improve the fishing industry in the Islands.
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