Rugged Beauty
Aran knitwear takes its name from the Islands of Aran that are located near the coast of Galway, on the west coast of Ireland. These islands rise up defiantly out of the Atlantic and are known for their long, cold winters and rugged landscape.
Aran knitwear was designed to provide practical, warm clothing to keep the Islanders warm and dry through the long winter months. The origins of Aran cable knitting go back as far as the 17th century. Knitted from pure wool, these jumpers were not only a practical garment, but also have distinctive and intricately woven patterns. Many consider cable knitting to reach its heights with Aran knitwear.
Most of the island’s inhabitants were either farmers or fisherman.
Each sweater told of “clans”, almost like a family crest, and these patterns were jealously guarded and passed down from generation to generation, becoming an extremely significant marker of Irish tradition and heritage. The patterns told a story of the lives
and each jumper had its own story and was created uniquely for its wearer. Some believe that the jumpers would assist in telling of any dead fishermen that washed up onshore after an accident at sea.
Apart from design, Aran cable knitwear has other unique qualities. In such a cold climate, the knitwear’s ability to absorb up to 30% of its weight in water before feeling wet was a remarkable feat. Aran wool is breathable too, and draws water vapour away from the wearer’s body which is also called the ‘wicking’ effect. This helps maintain a steady body temperature, at the same time as keeping the wearer warm and was a huge benefit for fishermen in such a cold climate.
The intricate and unique stitches that go into an Aran jumper make them extremely popular and valuable, with each one comprising up to 100,000 stitches and not surprisingly those made by the traditional hand knitted method can take months to complete.
Cable knitting is in itself historically interesting. With this style of knitting, texture is created by crossing layers of stitches over themselves. This effect is achieved by using a small cable needle to store the stitches while the stitches passing in front (or behind) are knitted. The former stitches are then transferred back to the original needle or knitted from the cable needle itself. Rather than use a cable needle, some knitters prefer to use a large safety pin or, for a single stitch, simply hold it in their fingers while knitting the other stitch(es). Cabling is typically done only when working on the right side of the fabric, or every other row. This creates a ‘spacer row’, which helps the fabric to relax.
Cable knitting usually produces a fabric that is less flexible and more dense than typical knitting, having a much narrower gauge. This narrow gauge should be considered when changing from the cable stitch to another type of knitted fabric. If the number of stitches is not reduced, the second knitted fabric may flare out or pucker, due to its larger gauge.
Cables are usually done in stocking stitch and surrounded with reverse stocking stitch and this causes the cables to stand out against the background. But other combinations will work also such as a background of seed stitch in the regions bounded by cables often looks striking.
Another visually intriguing effect seen in Aran knitwear is meta-cabling, where the cable itself is made up of cables, such as a three-cable plait made of strands that are themselves
“Apart from design, Aran cable knitwear has other unique qualities. In such a cold climate, the knitwear’s ability to absorb up to 30% of its weight in water before feeling wet was a remarkable feat.”
two-cable plaits. In such cases, the ‘inner’ cables sometimes go their separate ways, forming beautiful, complex patterns such as the branches of a tree. Another interesting effect is to have one cable ‘pierce’ another cable, rather than having it pass over or under the other.
Cables are often used to make braid patterns. Usually, the cables themselves are with a knit stitch while the background is done in purl. As the number of cables increases, the number of crossing patterns increases. Various visual effects are also possible by shifting the center lines of the undulating cables, or by changing the space between the cables, making them denser or more open.
A one-cable serpentine is simply a cable that moves left and right as it progresses in the design. Higherorder braids are often made with such serpentines crossing over and under each other.
A two-cable braid can look like a rope, if the cables always cross in the same way, left over right. Alternatively, it can look like two serpentines, one on top of the other.
A three-cable braid is usually a simple plait (as often seen styled in long hair), but can also be made to look like the links in a chain, or as three independent serpentines. A four-cable braid allows for several crossing patterns.
The five-cable braid is sometimes called the ‘Celtic princess braid’, and is visually interesting because one side is cresting while the other side is in a trough. Thus, it has a shimmering quality, similar to a kris dagger. The six-cable braid is called a ‘Saxon braid’, and looks square and solid.
This is a large motif, often used as a centerpiece of an Aran sweater or along the neckline or hemlines.
Cable patterns are not unlike a set of serpentine or wave-like cables, each one meandering around its own center line. A vast variety of cable patterns can be invented by changing the number of cables, the separations of their center lines, the shape of their waves and the relative position of the crests and troughs of each wave.
New cable patterns can also be inspired by pictures, scenes from nature, Celtic knots, and even the double helix of DNA.
In some cases, one can form a lattice of cables, a kind of ribbing made of cables where the individual
“A vast variety of cable patterns can be invented by changing the number of cables, the separations of their center lines, the shape of their waves and the relative position of the crests and troughs of each wave.”
cable strands can be exchanged freely. A typical example is a set of parallel two-cable plaits in which, every so often, the two cables of each plait separate, going left and right and integrating themselves in the neighboring cables. In the process, the right-going cable of one plait crosses the left-going cable of its neighbor, forming an “X”.
Many patterns made with cables do not have a rope-like quality. For example, a deep honeycomb pattern can be made by adjacent serpentines, first touching the neighbor on the left then the neighbor on the right. Other interesting patterns include a “Y”-like shape (and its inverse) and a horseshoe crab pattern.
There are many traditional Aran jumper designs still in use today but, historically each clan had their own ‘family pattern’ and these were handed down through generations and became an intrinsic part of their Irish culture.
For instance, the honeycomb pattern is symbolic of the bee and the sweet reward one gets for hard work. The ladder pattern is meant to symbolise the stairway to heaven.
The most well known designs feature cable stitches and these are said to represent the fisherman’s hardy rope. Zig zag patterns are one of the most commonly used patterns in Aran knitting and these are thought to represent the pathways that criss-cross the Isle of Aran and the vicissitudes of married life. The cable stitch, which is found in most Aran sweaters, was originally used to represent a fisherman’s ropes, and wearing one would better qualify you to have a fruitful day out at sea. The diamond stitch represents and reflects the small fields on the islands. This stitch is used in hopes of good luck, success and wealth in the fields of the Aran Islands. The trellis stitch represents the stone-walled fields of the farming communities. The tree of life stitch represents the importance of the clan, clan unity, strong parents, healthy children and long-lasting family lines.
Aran jumpers and cardigans are renowned for their rugged good looks, timeless style and unashamed warmth and if treated well, will last for years. Even today, hundreds of years after Aran sweaters started to be made, they are still sought after for their quality, history, heritage, and durability. And of course, their rugged beauty.
“Zig zag patterns are one of the most commonly used patterns in Aran knitting and these are thought to represent the pathways that criss-cross the Isle of Aran and the vicissitudes of married life.”