http://www.irish-handcrafts.com - aran cardigan sweater...

Irish Handcrafts here in Limerick. What we have now is the traditional fisherman's pullover, the Aran sweater. WE have been selling these for forty odd years. We've been in business with the family for more than 120 years.

This Aran sweater tells the tale of the individual for whom it was knitted. The honeycomb belonging to the honey bee, the dry stone wall around the fields, the rope to tie up the boat. It's the traditional fisherman's sweater. This was generally made by a wife for the husband.

We also have other designs. This one is Black Natural, coming through the Black Sheep. Thus , in case you're the Black Sheep of the household, we've got your sweater!

This one here is atypical as it's got this design on the front. In North America it's called the Popcorn Stitch; in different places it's often called the Blackberry Stitch; but when these sweaters were made initially in Ireland it was identified as the Trinity stitch (as in take 3 stitches and make them into 1). The pattern is usually made by a mother for a son or a daughter.

So, they may be unmarried and they've no offspring. They've a boat since this represents the rope to berth the boat. And this represents the dry stone wall around the meadow. And this implies that they are net making and net repairing on the shore.

We have a tweed mill in the family for 120 years out in Nenagh, in Co. Tipperary. My wife's family make these bed covers and have done for the last 120 years. These are the Lambswool, these are the Mohair and these are the Wool.

So, if you want to stay warm this is now what you need. Good wool, good Merino wool, and good Tweed.

http://www.irish-handcrafts.com - aran cardigan sweater...