The Aran Sweater?

[DominusTecum]

Apologies to the mods, I think this is the right forum for this but would rather not put money on it.

Where can I get a good quality, relatively-genuine Aran Sweater? I want something in the traditional cream/white color, with real wool, rather than acrylic, and it must be thick and warm. Basically, I'm looking for the authentic article.
Maybe it's because I'm in Missouri, where it never gets *really* cold, but the only things I've been able to find that even resemble a traditional Irish aran sweater are flimsy, synthetic-yarn things that aren't appreciably thicker or warmer than any run-of-the-mill dress sweater.

 

[HungaryTom]

Hear-hear

I am also very much interested.
I searched a year ago and I found this site:
http://clanarans.com/ca/catalog/
Distinguished Aran/Irish expert loungers what is your opinion on these?
How do they wear?

Regards:

Tom

P.S. before some purist says I shall only wear those Arans if I belong to this or that clan... my answer is to this clever remark is that not all gents owning Budapester-type shoes (full brogue lace-up derby with high-captoe) were born/raised or live in Budapest.

 

[Edward]

I have a couple of Aran sweaters at home. I grew up wearing them - both sweaters, and as I recall a cardigan / jacket type affair that I wish I still had (and it still fitted ). None of mine had a label in them as they were all home-knitted. My beloved paternal grandmother, now three years deceased, knitted them when I was younger. By the time I got my last one - about ten years ago -her arthritis was such that she was no longer able to knit herself, so the task of making me one was outsourced to a local friend of the family who knitted things for a small fee at home. Real cottage industry stuff.

I remember my grandmother telling me about the different clan patterns (not sure which mine is, must check it up when I next have it to hand .... currently in Beijing on business); in particular, she used to say that when Irish boys were lost at seas and their bodies washed ashore, their clan could be identified by the sweater even if their face was gone....

As to sources.... I don't know of any off-hand - as I say, mine all came through the family / cottage industry. One thing I can tell you, though, is to be prepared to spend the big bucks on these, especially if they come hand-knit. Definitely a luxury item. The one place you might find them cheap is second hand in charity shops (thrift stores?) in Ireland - they tend to be plentiful and inexpensive there. genereally, though, they're worth the expense when you find a good one - they are certainly durable (mine stood up really well to all the abuse a kid can give them, and my current one has lasted a decade and more - think I've had it since 94).

 

[WhiskeyTangoFox]

I was lucky enough to buy an Aran sweater while vacationing in Galway about 8 years ago. They are really good for those cold rainy days (Irish weather). Mine is a bit itchy with a short-sleeved shirt on but is perfect over a collared dress shirt with long sleeves.

If you can find one you won't be disappointed.

Noel

 

[Cricket]

Just looking at these sweaters gets me in the mood for a warm fire, a hot drink and a good book. Isn't it funny how some clothes just put you in the moment?
I would love to get one of these for my husband. Of course, I would have to steal it away a few times.

 

[scotrace]

My gosh, I've got one, didn't know what it was! It was given to me in the mid 1980's.
Now I know. Thanks.


WARM thing.

 

[AlanC]

DT, I have an all wool Aran sweater, cream and heavy, made in Ireland that was purhased at TJ Maxx/Marshall's a few years ago. Keep an eye at those stores as Xmas time approaches. They usually get a stock in.

fftopic:
Are you in the KC area? We are going to try to schedule a get together of Loungers sometime this fall.

 

[Edward]

I'd no idea they were so popular over there.... maybe I should bring a few over to sell on and fund a trip to the QM in 2010?? lol

 

[galopede]

Had a proper hand knit wool Aran for years. Excellent jumper but I prefer my traditional Guernsey!

Gareth

 

[DominusTecum]

Thanks for the thoughts, all. I'll keep my eyes peeled here in a few months. Unfortunately, a little excursion to Ireland for weekend shopping is a little bit out of the question for me at the moment, so I'll have to see what I can dig up in some of the big-city department stores come Christmastide

AlanC: it'd depend on when, whether I could make it or not. Even then, it'd be an iffy deal, since at the moment KC is some four hours away from me. I'm near Rolla, MO, if you know where that is. Until this May, I was in Topeka, KS, hence I think it says "Kansas" in the sig or profile.

When I pass through KC, I usually stop by the Plaza and do a bit of shopping -wonderful place.

 

[H.Johnson]

I remember my grandmother telling me about the different clan patterns (not sure which mine is, must check it up when I next have it to hand .... currently in Beijing on business); in particular, she used to say that when Irish boys were lost at seas and their bodies washed ashore, their clan could be identified by the sweater even if their face was gone....

Edward,

An interesting report of your grandmother's sayings. There is no doubt that this was a generally held belief. There is a lively debate among afficionados of cottage industries as to whether it can be true, indeed whether there is any viable history behind the 'traditional' designs of Aran knitwear.

It is possible that this theme comes from an incident in J.M. Synge's play 'Riders to the Sea' (1904) where the body of a dead fisherman is identified by the stitching of one of his garments. There is, however, no reference to an Aran pattern in the text. The garment referred to is distinguished by the number of stitches (rather than the pattern) the original knitter being able to identify it specifically as "the second one of the third pair I knitted" and therefore one she had done for a particular local fisherman.

Just an observation. According to some 'experts' the play would be concurrent with or perhaps even precede the first recorded instances of what we would call today an 'Aran pattern'. The style we know today was certainly being featured in 'knit for victory' patterns in WW2 and in fashion magazines in the 50s. Most authors agree that the production of the garment as a commodity was promoted with Irish Government agency support in the 1950s and 60s.

Oh, and many people don't believe that the garment shown in the 8th Century(?) Book of Kells is an Aran knit. This theory is surely complicated by the theory that the BoK was produced at Lindisfarne (in England) and found its way to Kells at a later period, but that's not an argument I want to get involved in...

 

[HungaryTom]

Thanks for the inforamtion

Dear All,

Thanks for the replies - a lot of useful Aran information.

Edward, I liked the story - linking childhood memories with grandmothers hand-knitted sweaters and scary tales - I also had all these privileges in my childhood.

Anyhow I forwarded the same link on arans to one fellow alumni -she likes to knit- as a programme for life...

Tom

 

[Edward]

Edward,

An interesting report of your grandmother's sayings. There is no doubt that this was a generally held belief. There is a lively debate among afficionados of cottage industries as to whether it can be true, indeed whether there is any viable history behind the 'traditional' designs of Aran knitwear.

It is possible that this theme comes from an incident in J.M. Synge's play 'Riders to the Sea' (1904) where the body of a dead fisherman is identified by the stitching of one of his garments. There is, however, no reference to an Aran pattern in the text. The garment referred to is distinguished by the number of stitches (rather than the pattern) the original knitter being able to identify it specifically as "the second one of the third pair I knitted" and therefore one she had done for a particular local fisherman.

Just an observation. According to some 'experts' the play would be concurrent with or perhaps even precede the first recorded instances of what we would call today an 'Aran pattern'. The style we know today was certainly being featured in 'knit for victory' patterns in WW2 and in fashion magazines in the 50s. Most authors agree that the production of the garment as a commodity was promoted with Irish Government agency support in the 1950s and 60s.

Oh, and many people don't believe that the garment shown in the 8th Century(?) Book of Kells is an Aran knit. This theory is surely complicated by the theory that the BoK was produced at Lindisfarne (in England) and found its way to Kells at a later period, but that's not an argument I want to get involved in...

Interesting information, thanks! I do tend to wonder myself how much of the folk tradition surrounding Aran patterns is a nineteenth century invention from the period of the Gaelic Revival movement (Mid 1880s - 1910, roughly), much like our modern notion of scottish tartan is really a nineteenth ceutry invention from a period when kilts, bagpipes etc were no longer a forbidden symbol of Scottish rebellion against the English crown....

 

[norton]

I got a really nice blue aran cardigan at an irish festival in Minneapolis a couple years ago. The price was pretty good and the vendor had a pretty good selection. I believe they were out of the milwaukee area but I've don't have any contact information. If someone runs across them I wouldn't mind getting another in a different color or style.

 

[Edward]

The most common style is the creamy ivory/off-white, similar to an RAF or RN Submariner sweater. They were, however, traditionaly produced in a range of colours - a lightish blue was common, also a burgundy/wine, and I think too a navy blue. Basically colours that could be produced using various plant dyes that people could produce in the home. I remember seeing a great section demoing this in the Ulster American Folk Park in Omagh, which displays the life of the rural Irish in the early-mid 19th Century, the conditions in which they moved to the New World, and their lifestyle when they got there - the mix of their own traditions and adaptations to their new surroundings.

 

[tortswon]

My Aran

I purchased my Aran sweater on the island of Aran about ten years ago. I was directed to a home where the lady of the house made bespoke sweaters. She took my measurements and mailed it to me a month later. It is so warm, I cannot wear it often as Philadelphia does not get cold enough.

Just a thought... perhaps someone in the lounge has a Celtic clothing contact. If there is enough interest, a group of could get together and put together a large enough order to make it worth while to find a small group on Aran to make authentic sweaters and ship them. With international shippers today, one large impediment that formerly existed no longer does. Although I already own an Aran, I would purchase one for my wife. Best, Sam

 

[Edward]

I wonder whether it'd be possible to have a new Aran pattern commissioned - a Fedora Lounge Aran....

 

[norton]

The most common style is the creamy ivory/off-white, similar to an RAF or RN Submariner sweater. They were, however, traditionaly produced in a range of colours - a lightish blue was common, also a burgundy/wine, and I think too a navy blue. Basically colours that could be produced using various plant dyes that people could produce in the home. I remember seeing a great section demoing this in the Ulster American Folk Park in Omagh, which displays the life of the rural Irish in the early-mid 19th Century, the conditions in which they moved to the New World, and their lifestyle when they got there - the mix of their own traditions and adaptations to their new surroundings.

The one I got was a kind of slate blue. I wanted something that wouldn't show stains as easily. The vendor was from milwaukee but the sweaters were imported from Ireland.

 

[Charlie Noodles]

I might see if I have any Irish roots and get one from that name.

 

[Wolfmanjack]

My Aran sweater (pullover) is the traditional cream color, knit in the typically elaborate and varied patterns. The label says Aran Crafts, 100% wool, made in Ireland. Excellent quality craftsmanship and materials.

I got it for very little (<US$15, I think) two years ago on OFAS (i.e., eBay). They are all over eBay, especially this time of year. I just did a quick search for "aran" in mens sweaters and found 24 auctions and 19 buy-it-now offerings, starting as low as $8.00 for an Aran Crafts sweater like mine. However, Caveat emptor anyone can call their garment an "Aran" sweater; some are not authentic.

One caution about Aran sweaters, they are true sweaters, comfortable only in the bitter cold.