Irish Sweaters

Knit with loving care: Irish sweaters

Irish sweaters, otherwise known as Aran sweaters, have long kept people warm and cozy on the coldest of nights. There are two types of irish sweaters: loomed and hand knit. Loomed sweaters are machine made and mass produced in Ireland. Hand knit sweaters are of course, hand knit and offer a more personal feel than loomed sweaters.

Irish sweaters are known to last a long time and are made from 100% untreated sheep's wool. Although they do not know when the first Irish sweaters were made, it is recorded that they were popular gifts during the 1920's. These sweaters were also know as 'bridal shirts' because they were stitched by young women who wished to confess their love to the fishermen of their village. If the man accepted the sweater, he accepted her love.

There is a myth that surrounds Irish sweaters that dates back to when knitting first came to Ireland. The myth is that fishermen were identified by the Irish sweaters they wore. It was believed that each family had their own distinct patter than was woven on to the sweater. Of course this was not true. Unlike the Scottish plaid, which represented family names, the designs used in Irish sweaters were in fact wish lists for success and happiness.

The biggest endorsement Irish sweaters ever received was when the Kennedy's were seen playing football in their Irish sweaters. It created a boom that never died. After that, Irish sweaters were always connected to the Kennedy's and remained a symbol of Irish class.