Tuesday, 20 December 2011

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.

Thursday, 15 December 2011

Christmas Sale Now at Blarney Woollen Mills

At Blarney Woollen Mills we have begun our CHRISTMAS SALE and we are offering up to 30% off a selection of our Christmas stock online NOW! Stocks are limited so to avoid disappointment be sure to visit Blarney Woollen Mills online store. 


Blarney Woollen Mills all year round offer our customers Free Shipping Worldwide and Free Returns from USA (See Our Returns Policy). However, at this late stage we cannot guarantee delivery of your goods before Christmas Day. We will however do our best to ensure delivery ASAP (weather permitting, etc). 

With a wide range of products from Irish Christmas decorations to Irish throws for those cold winter evenings, there is something for everyone at Blarney Woollen Mills. So treat yourself or a loved one to a beautiful Irish gifts from the Blarney Woollen Mills 2011 Christmas gift selection.

We would also like to take this opportunity to Thank you for your continued support and may we take this opportunity to wish all our online customers a very happy and peaceful Christmas and we look forward to assisting you again in 2012.

Happy Christmas!!

Blarney Woollen Mills

100% Lambswool Christmas Rug was $79 now $59 with Free Shipping Worldwide
PS. Keep an eye on  www.blarney.com  as we move into 2012 for more exciting updates and new products!!

Blarney Woollen Mills: Photo of the Week

As our first blogpost we would like to share with you our photo of the week, posted by a customer on their recent visit to Blarney Woollen Mills store.  


We would encourage you or your friends to send us on your favourite photos of Blarney Woollen Mills. Each week we will post our favourite photos: These could be of your favourite memory or Irish gift that you may have of Blarney Woollen Mills. Be sure to send us on your stories also!! 

We love hearing about your Blarney Woollen Mills experience and your favourite Irish Gifts, so don't be shy share your experience with us today!

Email your photos with your name and brief description to: sokeeffe@blarney.com.

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Blarney Woollen Mills Photo of the Week came from Hostelworld.com.