Signature sweaters of chilly places evoke warm memories
Special 7o 7he :ashington 3ost
7his winter, I’m traveling via my sweater collection.
I buy few souvenirs when I travel. ut there are some parts of the world that reTuire me to leave ample room in my suitcase good sweater places. I’m drawn to cold climates and northerly latitudes and wherever harsh weather exists, you’re likely to find tough wool sweaters knitted for the purpose of surviving it.
A good wool sweater can make a great, long-lasting souvenir. 7hose rooted in place channel the spirit of the cultures from which they come and are ambassadors for local craftsmanship and ingenuity. In tough, isolated destinations, techniTues and designs are created and passed down through generations. Some sweaters become so tightly knitted to their place of origin that we know them simply by their place names )air Isle, Aran, owichan.
Although I’m grounded this winter, pulling on a sweater takes me to the place where I found, and fell for, it. 7here’s a sweater from a erwick, Scotland, wool broker where I went into a backroom to watch staff sort and grade piles of soft wool from Shetland sheep a yoked cardigan bought upon arrival on the )aroe Islands and worn every day of my trip a classic “Islender crew neck I found in a little store in 1orway at 0 degrees north. And, while the most severe weather I’ll endure this winter will probably involve outdoor dining, wearing my favorite pieces reminds me of the icy adventures they have kept me warm on, from the Arctic 2cean to the wintry streets of 0oscow.
I will also be building up my winter wardrobe. :hile the pandemic has stopped me from revisiting my favorite places, it has created a new way to experience the Moy of their sweaters. Some knitters have pivoted to selling products online from strictly traditional designs to those with contemporary twists, but all deeply rooted in place. I might even pick up some needles and try making my own with one of the kits and patterns sold online by knitters from Ireland to Iceland ideal for creating peaceful moments in a stressful time. ere are some of my favorite kinds of sweaters, and how you can experience them, too. Aran Islands, Ireland Six miles off Ireland’s west coast, the rugged Aran Islands are known for the cream-colored hard-wearing, heavy wool, cable-patterned style of knitwear
named for them. Also known as an Irish fisherman’s sweater, the style developed from the ritish gansey or uernsey sweaters worn by fishermen who arrived on the islands in the late th century, and it became widely appreciated when Ireland’s great literary revival of the early 20th century inspired many to visit Aran in search of folk traditions.
ut when he founded the Inis 0eiin .nitting ompany with his wife, ine 1t honghaile, in , 7arlach de licam opted not to include the word “Aran in its name. aving seen how the Aran sweater was “copied so often around the world by cheap tourist shops, the de licam and honghaile instead patented “Inis 0eiin after the middle of the three islands where the company operates to distinguish its products from mass-produced machine-made versions.
Inis 0eiin .nitting ompany draws inspiration from the sweaters that island women have long knitted in their storm-lashed cottages, while reinterpreting traditional stitches adding premium yarns such as cashmere and silk and continually updating its collection with new styles. Its sophisticated garments are stocked in high-end stores worldwide. “:e’ve attempted to show the world that there was a lot more to the Aran Islanders’ knitting repertoire than one highly decorated sweater, wrote de licam in an email. 7he Aran sweater “was actually Sunday best.’ “ e added “It was never for everyday wear in the fields or out at sea. 7he company’s changing collection includes pieces influenced by the “whole other range of Aran sweat
ers that were essentially workwear, as well as their contemporary take on the most-immediately recognizable Aran. You can find the sweaters at inismeain.ie. owichan, 9ancouver Island
ulky, durable and water resistant, owichan pronounced cow-i-chin sweaters, from wet, cool 9ancouver Island’s owichan 9alley, are distinctive for their collars and bands of plain color and design work, featuring geometric patterns or animal motifs reflecting )irst 1ations weaving traditions. )or centuries, oast Salish women wove heavy, multipurpose blankets out of dog and goat hair. In the late th century, (uropean settlers brought sheep, knitting needles, early )air Isle patterns and nuns who taught knitting. 2ut of this “awesome collaboration of materials, technologies and skills, said Sylvia 2lsen, author of “:orking :ith :ool, a book about owichan knitting, oast Salish women created their own distinctive patterning and an industry.
“It was the key economic activity for oast Salish women in this particular area for 0 to 0 years, 2lsen said. “7hese were hard-working, creative, innovative women with initiative who fed their families.
Since the mid-20th century, the owichan sweater’s popularity has spread beyond anada. If you think you recognize it but didn’t know its name, that’s because knockoffs have appeared everywhere from 3endleton’s look-alike worn by the Dude in “7he ig ebowski to the udson ay ompany’s 20 0 9ancouver :inter 2lympics clothing. Authentic sweaters are made only
from undyed wool by oast Salish knitters, such as Dale (dwards, who learned to knit from his grandmother as a young child and today sells various garments through I- os allery, at ihosgallery.com. ontact him via )acebook and he’ll create whatever sweater design you want. You can also order directly from the owichan 7ribes’ list of knitters found on cowichantribes.com. )air Isle, Scotland 0idway between the 2rkney and Shetland islands, ritain’s most remote inhabited island is synonymous with the knitting techniTue to which it gave its name. )air Isle is a distinctive form of stranded colorwork used to create rows of intricate patterns. It was developed by islanders who from at least the 8th century survived by trading woolen products with the crews on passing cargo, fishing and whaling ships. :ord got out, and the sweaters became so renowned for their warmth and durability that they were worn by the 0 ruce expedition to Antarctica. 1owadays, while )air Isle-inspired patterns show up everywhere, only a few knitters make the sweaters on the island. ut you no longer have to make the long trip via nerve-shattering eight-seater plane or small boat to buy them.
In early 2020, 0arie ruhat was preparing to welcome the first guests to her )air Isle .nitting olidays, a week-long residential experience for knitters of all experience levels. As travel ceased, she put the holidays on hold and pivoted to selling both off-thepeg and bespoke products online. She also now offers one-on-one online instruction contact her at fairisle
withmarie.com for details. )ellow islander 0ati 9entrillon has run her online store, selling garments from three distinct collections, for five years. During coronavirus closures this year she launched her own book of designs, “.nitting )rom )air Isle, and “0ak-kist “make-box in Shetlandic dialect kits for sale for beginning knitters, which contain driftwood needles, traditional yarn scissors and Shetland wool in typical )air Isle colors. er website is mativentrillon.co.uk. opapeysa, Iceland 0any tourists who have visited Iceland have returned with a “lopapeysa, pronounced lo-pa-3AYsa a sweater made from unspun wool with a yoked design so distinctively Icelandic it has become almost a national symbol. 7hey probably would have bought theirs in one of the andknitting Association of Iceland’s two eykMavtk with sweater-buyers around the world.
In eykMavtk, locals have become more freTuent visitors to the stores, shopping for wool to knit their own creations, said the association’s board president, 7huridur (inarsdottir. “:e are staying home more and are told to use and buy Icelandic products, she said.
7he recent increased regard for the cozy and comforting sweater continues an interesting line in the history of lopapeysa It seems to be particularly popular in times of upheaval. 7he sweater, whose yoke is believed to be inspired by the Swedish ohus tradition and reenlandic national costume, was developed in the early to mid-20th century as people moved from rural farms to towns and villages, leaving women with less time to spin yarn. It first came into vogue during Iceland’s period of nation building following independence from Denmark in . It resurged in popularity following the 2008 financial crisis, marking a return to tradition and heritage in an era of globalization
7he tourism boom that followed the crash saw hugely increased sales of lopapeysa this time due to the swelling tourist crowds but also an increase in knockoff and foreign-made versions. 7his year, to ensure authenticity, the lopapeysa received protected designation of origin status. 1ow for a sweater to be called an “Icelandic lopapeysa it must be handknit in Iceland with wool from Icelandic sheep. 7o purchase a sweater or wool, visit handknitted.is. )or patterns and kits icelandicknitter.com.