Ireland's Aran Sweater: Blarney Woollen Mills

Perched at the edge of Ireland’s western waters, glittering on the horizon of Galway Bay, the Aran Islands have a weathered history and rugged landscape which folds together ancient and modern in three green, stone walls jewels of lands. The Aran Islands consist of; Inisheer (smallest Island), Inishmaan (middle-sized Island) and Inishmore, the largest Island. Irish tradition and heritage invites hundreds of visitors to the Islands each year to experience the vibrancy of nature and culture that make these three Islands a unique Irish destination. A famous element of the Aran Islands has long been the Aran Sweater, known worldwide for its Irish heritage and high quality knit design and quality. Blarney Woollen Mills prides itself with selling the widest range of Aran sweaters for women, mens Aran sweaters and children alike.

In old Ireland, the Islanders lived starkly self-sufficient lives. Their lives consisted of hard labor; from farming to fishing. With a small population between the three Islands, a strong community was formed amongst the Islanders, which still exists today. Knitting among Islanders became a part of everyday life, as a communal activity and pastime that brought together the young girls and women of the Islands. They shared their knowledge, skills and expertise with each other and these skills were therefore passed down from generation to generation. Patterns were never written down but shared through experience within the Island communities. It was said that at Sunday Mass, the women were more interested in their learning and developing the knitting stitches of their sweaters with each other than saying their prayers.

With almost two dozen defined Aran stitches, there are an infinite number of Aran stitch combinations that feature in different patterns on Aran Sweaters. Patterns such as ‘The Ladder of Life’ and ‘Holy Trinity’ have religious links, whilst other patterns such as ‘The Double Zigzags’ and ‘The Tree of Life’ relate to life experiences of the fishermen, their families and their work. Each Aran Sweater is made 100% from Wool with either Pure wool or soft merino wool. The combination of design patterns that different Aran Sweaters possess is vast, with different styles from the polo aran, zip aran, crew neck arans and Aran cardigans available.

The earliest examples of traditional Aran sweaters are now on display in Dublin’s National Museum, dating from the 1930s, ‘40s and ‘50s. The first Aran knitting pattern to be publicly published and shared amongst non Islanders was in the 1940s. The first published photograph of an Aran Sweater was in ‘Vogue’ magazine in 1956.

Blarney Woollen Mills is now offering our customers the opportunity to get their hands on the best quality Aran Sweaters in the market, at fantastic value. Our 3 for 2 Aran Sweater offer on our traditional Unisex Aran Sweater. Made from 100% Soft Merino Wool. With a fantastic saving of $69, you can invest in a high quality, traditional Irish jumper which will undoubtedly stand the test of time like our ancestors intended. 

Aran Sweater 3 for 2: Blarney Woollen Mills

 For more information on the Aran Sweater Story visit our website           

                 

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Due to the nature of the high quality wool used to create these Irish sweaters, it is advised to ensure that your Aran Sweater remains in the best shape and quality that they be hand washed or dry cleaned only.