Aran knitting patterns

Last updated July 04, 2022

Aran knitting patterns are heavily textured knitting patterns which are named after the Aran Islands, which are located off the west coast of Ireland from County Galway and County Clare. The patterns are knitted into socks, hats, vests, scarves, mittens, afghans, pillow covers,^[1] and, most commonly, sweaters.^[2]

History

The first known example of Aran knitting appeared in the 1930s.^[3]

The stitches that create the Aran knitting patterns are complex and the knitted goods are time-consuming to create. For example, a typical Aran sweater will have over 100,000 stitches, and may take several months to finish. The three dimensional effect of the twisted stitches also increased the warmth of the clothing by creating air pockets.^[2]

Contrary to popular mythology, Aran knitting patterns were never used to assist in identifying dead fishermen who washed up onshore after accident at sea. This story appears to have been derived from John Millington Synge's play, Riders to the Sea, in which a character is identified by means of stitches dropped in error in a pair of plain socks knitted by his sister.^[4]

Meanings of the stitches

The idea that there are meanings associated with the stitches used in Aran knitting derives from Sacred History of Knitting, an entirely fabricated book written by Heinz Edgar Kiewe. Kiewe, a self-styled 'textile journalist' who ran a yarn shop in Oxford, purchased one of the first Aran-style sweaters and, noting a chance similarity between the patterns and ancient Irish illuminated manuscripts, began describing the stitchwork in these terms. Before long, his fanciful descriptions were being used to market the sweater abroad, particularly within the Irish Diaspora in the United States, and it became an accepted part of the sweater's lore that the knitting patterns were developed in ancient times, that each stitch pattern had an associated, usually Christian meaning, and that each family on the Aran Islands had its own clan Aran. However, actual historical documentation, including some of the oldest photography shot in Ireland, are at odds with this mythology.^{[ original research? ]}

Nevertheless, knitters may find the following meanings entertaining and inspiring.^[5] The meanings of some of these stitches have been embellished in recent times since the knitting became a commercial enterprise.^[6]

Cable stitch

The cable stitch, which is the most common type of stitch seen on Aran sweaters, is said to represent a fisherman’s ropes.^[7] There are many different type of cable stitches. The technique for cabling, which involves crossing one stitch over another is one of the easier stitches.^{[ citation needed ]}

The row on which the stitches crossed over each other is known as the turning row. After the turning row, several plain rows are worked, followed by another turning row. Standard cables have the same number of plain rows between turning rows as there are stitches in the cable.^[8]

Diamond stitch

The diamond stitch supposedly symbolises the small fields on the islands. These fields were worked intensively by local farmers, and this stitch may be said to represent hopes of good luck, success and wealth in farming on the Aran Islands.^[9] Diamond patterns might also represent the fishing nets.^[10]

Zig Zag stitch

Zig zag stitches, sometimes known as Marriage Lines, can be used to represent the typical highs and low of matrimony and marriage life.^[9] They are may also be used to represent the twisting cliff paths that are on the islands.

Honeycomb stitch

In Aran knitting patterns the honeycomb stitch, signifying the bee, is often used to represent both hard work and its rewards.^[11] The honeycomb stitch may be included as a symbol of good luck, signifying plenty.^[9]

When only one repetition of the pattern is used, the honeycomb stitch is also known as the Chain Cable.

Trellis stitch

Trellis stitch recalls the stone-walled fields of the Northwestern farming communities, in the upland areas in Ireland where rock outcrops naturally or large stones exist in quantity in the soil such as in the Aran Islands. The stitch is useful for adding dimension, and might be used as a symbol of protection.

Tree of Life stitch

The Tree of Life stitch is frequently used as a motif of rites of passage, and of the importance of family. It is sometimes given a religious significance, symbolising a pilgrims path to salvation.^[10] This stitch is also known as the Trinity stitch.

Aran knitting patterns in modern times

Aran knitting patterns are very adaptable, and are widely used in many types of knitted items, including hats,^[12] scarves, skirts,^[12] and even decorative pillows.^[13] The recent revival of interest in handcrafts have led to many modern variations of both stitches and designs. The original sweaters were typically boxy, with saddle sleeves, knit flat and sewn together; however, many modern designs are knit in the round with little or no sewing, and are frequently fitted by clever manipulation of the stitch patterns.

Today, the patterns are being used by knitters around the world,^[14] and the sweaters have become an Irish export commodity.^[15]

Due to the success of cheap imports from the Far East from the 1970s onward, both the Irish woollen industry and the associated cottage knitting industry in Ireland which supplied hand-knit Aran-style items to the market were all but destroyed, and today only a few mills and handknitters continue the tradition. As a result, a hand-knit Aran sweater can be quite expensive, and may well be worked in wool and yarn blends imported from overseas.

Related Research Articles

Knitting is a method by which yarn is manipulated to create a textile, or fabric. It is used to create many types of garments. Knitting may be done by hand or by machine.

A knitting needle or knitting pin is a tool in hand-knitting to produce knitted fabrics. They generally have a long shaft and taper at their end, but they are not nearly as sharp as sewing needles. Their purpose is two-fold. The long shaft holds the active (unsecured) stitches of the fabric, to prevent them from unravelling, whereas the tapered ends are used to form new stitches. Most commonly, a new stitch is formed by inserting the tapered end through an active stitch, catching a loop of fresh yarn and drawing it through the stitch; this secures the initial stitch and forms a new active stitch in its place. In specialized forms of knitting the needle may be passed between active stitches being held on another needle, or indeed between/through inactive stitches that have been knit previously.

The Aran jumper is a style of jumper that takes its name from the Aran Islands off the west coast of Ireland. A traditional Aran Jumper usually is off-white in colour, with cable patterns on the body and sleeves. Originally the jumpers were knitted using unscoured wool that retained its natural oils (lanolin) which made the garments water-resistant and meant they remained wearable even when wet.

Knitting is the process of using two or more needles to loop yarn into a series of interconnected loops in order to create a finished garment or some other type of fabric. The word is derived from knot, thought to originate from the Dutch verb knutten, which is similar to the Old English cnyttan, “to knot”. Its origins lie in the basic human need for clothing for protection against the elements. More recently, hand knitting has become less a necessary skill and more a hobby.

Fair Isle (/fɛəraɪ̯l/) is a traditional knitting technique used to create patterns with multiple colours. It is named after Fair Isle, one of the Shetland Islands. Fair Isle knitting gained considerable popularity when the Prince of Wales wore Fair Isle jumpers in public in 1921. Traditional Fair Isle patterns have a limited palette of five or so colours, use only two colours per row, are worked in the round, and limit the length of a run of any particular colour.

Intarsia is a knitting technique used to create patterns with multiple colours. As with the woodworking technique of the same name, fields of different colours and materials appear to be inlaid in one another, fit together like a jigsaw puzzle.

In knitting, the word gauge is used both in hand knitting and machine knitting; the latter, technical abbreviation GG, refers to "Knitting Machines" fineness size. In both cases, the term refers to the number of stitches per inch, not the size of the finished garment. In both cases, the gauge is measured by counting the number of stitches or the number of needles over several inches then dividing by the number of inches in the width of the sample.

Elizabeth Zimmermann was a British-born hand knitting teacher and designer. She revolutionized the modern practice of knitting through her books and instructional series on American public television.

Lace knitting is a style of knitting characterized by stable "holes" in the fabric arranged with consideration of aesthetic value. Lace is sometimes considered the pinnacle of knitting, because of its complexity and because woven fabrics cannot easily be made to have holes. Famous examples include the Orenburg shawl and the wedding ring shawl of Shetland knitting, a shawl so fine that it could be drawn through a wedding ring. Shetland knitted lace became extremely popular in Victorian England when Queen Victoria became a Shetland lace enthusiast. Her enthusiasm resulted i.a. in her choosing knitted lacework for presents; e.g. when in ca. 1897 the Queen gave a lace shawl as a present to American abolitionist Harriet Tubman. From there, knitting patterns for the shawls were printed in English women's magazines where they were copied in Iceland with single ply wool.

Cable knitting is a style of knitting in which textures of crossing layers are achieved by permuting stitches. For example, given four stitches appearing on the needle in the order ABCD, one might cross the first two the next two, so that in subsequent rows those stitches appear in the new order CDAB.

Slip-stitch knitting is a family of knitting techniques that uses slip stitches to make multiple fabrics simultaneously, to make extra-long stitches, and/or to carry over colors from an earlier row.

In knitting, an increase is the creation of one or more new stitches, which may be done by various methods that create distinctive effects in the fabric. Most knitting increases either lean towards the left or the right.

The "sweater curse" or "curse of the love sweater" is a term used by knitters to describe the belief that if a knitter gives a hand-knit sweater to a significant other, it will lead to the recipient breaking up with the knitter. In an alternative formulation, the relationship will end before the sweater is even completed. The belief is widely discussed in knitting publications, and some knitters claim to have experienced it. In a 2005 poll, 15% of active knitters said that they had experienced the sweater curse firsthand, and 41% considered it a possibility that should be taken seriously.

In knitting, casting on is a family of techniques for adding new stitches that do not depend on earlier stitches, i.e., having an independent lower edge. In principle, it is the opposite of binding off, but the techniques involved are generally unrelated.

In knitting, binding off, or casting off, is a family of techniques for ending a column of stitches. Binding off is typically used to define the final edge of a knitted fabric, although it may also be used in other contexts, e.g., in making button holes. In principle, binding off is the opposite of casting on, but the techniques are generally not mirror images of one another. Sometimes, however, they can produce a mirror image appearance.

Brioche knitting is a family of knitting patterns involving tucked stitches, i.e., yarn overs that are knitted together with a slipped stitch from the previous row. Such stitches may also be made by knitting into the row below and dropping the stitch above.

Knitted fabric is a textile that results from knitting, the process of inter-looping of yarns or inter-meshing of loops. Its properties are distinct from woven fabric in that it is more flexible and can be more readily constructed into smaller pieces, making it ideal for socks and hats.

Hand knitting is a form of knitting, in which the knitted fabric is produced by hand using needles.

Cowichan knitting is a form of knitting characteristic of the Cowichan people of southeastern Vancouver Island, British Columbia. The distinctively patterned, heavy-knit Cowichan sweaters, popular among British Columbians and tourists, are produced using this method. Cowichan knitting is an acculturated art form, a combination of European textile techniques and Salish spinning and weaving methods. From this union, new tools, techniques and designs developed over the years.

A herringbone stitch is a needlework stitch used in embroidery, knitting and crochet. It is so named as it resembles the bones extending from the spine of a herring fish. In knitting, it is a stitch that creates a fabric pattern closely resembling a herringbone pattern, or herringbone cloth.

References

↑ Knitting: techniques and projects . Lane Pub. Co. 1976. ISBN 978-0-376-04431-0.
1 2 Catherine Amoroso Leslie (1 January 2007). Needlework Through History: An Encyclopedia. Greenwood Publishing Group. pp. 10–. ISBN 978-0-313-33548-8.
↑ Starmore, Alice (1997). Aran Knitting. David & Charles.
↑ Synge, John Millington (1904). Riders to the Sea: a play in one act. First performed at the Molesworth Hall, Dublin, 25 February 1904.
↑ "Aran Isle Sweaters - how a dropped stitch gave rise to a popular myth.". Irish Culture and Custome. by Bridget Haggerty
↑ "Aran Stitches and their Meanings". Ireland from the Inside.
↑ Sally Walton (29 October 2010). Sweet and Simple Knitting Projects: Teach Yourself. Hodder & Stoughton. pp. 12–. ISBN 978-1-4441-3412-4.
↑ Weiss, Rita (2009). 50 Knit Aran Stitches. Leisure Arts.
1 2 3 Richard Panchyk (1 September 2004). American Folk Art for Kids: With 21 Activities. Chicago Review Press. pp. 55–. ISBN 978-1-61374-119-1.
1 2 Brian De Breffny (October 1983). Ireland, a cultural encyclopaedia . Facts on File. ISBN 978-0-87196-260-7.
↑ Outlet; Outlet Book Company Staff; Rh Value Publishing (12 December 1988). Complete Book of Handicrafts. Random House Value Publishing. ISBN 978-0-517-11667-8.
1 2 Carol Feller (2 February 2012). Contemporary Irish Knits. John Wiley & Sons. pp. 7–. ISBN 978-1-118-29535-9.
↑ "Knitting & Crochet". Canadian Living. Retrieved 24 August 2021.
↑ Michael Pearson (16 January 2015). Traditional Knitting: Aran, Fair Isle and Fisher Ganseys. Courier Dover Publications. pp. 222–. ISBN 978-0-486-46053-6.
↑ Annette Lynch; Mitchell D. Strauss (30 October 2014). Ethnic Dress in the United States: A Cultural Encyclopedia. Rowman & Littlefield Publishers. pp. 16–. ISBN 978-0-7591-2150-8.

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[1] Knitting: techniques and projects . Lane Pub. Co. 1976. ISBN 978-0-376-04431-0.

[Leslie2007-2] 1 2 Catherine Amoroso Leslie (1 January 2007). Needlework Through History: An Encyclopedia. Greenwood Publishing Group. pp. 10–. ISBN 978-0-313-33548-8.

[3] Starmore, Alice (1997). Aran Knitting. David & Charles.

[4] Synge, John Millington (1904). Riders to the Sea: a play in one act. First performed at the Molesworth Hall, Dublin, 25 February 1904.

[5] "Aran Isle Sweaters - how a dropped stitch gave rise to a popular myth.". Irish Culture and Custome. by Bridget Haggerty

[6] "Aran Stitches and their Meanings". Ireland from the Inside.

[Walton2010-7] Sally Walton (29 October 2010). Sweet and Simple Knitting Projects: Teach Yourself. Hodder & Stoughton. pp. 12–. ISBN 978-1-4441-3412-4.

[8] Weiss, Rita (2009). 50 Knit Aran Stitches. Leisure Arts.

[Panchyk2004-9] 1 2 3 Richard Panchyk (1 September 2004). American Folk Art for Kids: With 21 Activities. Chicago Review Press. pp. 55–. ISBN 978-1-61374-119-1.

[Breffny1983-10] 1 2 Brian De Breffny (October 1983). Ireland, a cultural encyclopaedia . Facts on File. ISBN 978-0-87196-260-7.

[OutletStaff1988-11] Outlet; Outlet Book Company Staff; Rh Value Publishing (12 December 1988). Complete Book of Handicrafts. Random House Value Publishing. ISBN 978-0-517-11667-8.

[Feller2012-12] 1 2 Carol Feller (2 February 2012). Contemporary Irish Knits. John Wiley & Sons. pp. 7–. ISBN 978-1-118-29535-9.

[13] "Knitting & Crochet". Canadian Living. Retrieved 24 August 2021.

[Pearson2015-14] Michael Pearson (16 January 2015). Traditional Knitting: Aran, Fair Isle and Fisher Ganseys. Courier Dover Publications. pp. 222–. ISBN 978-0-486-46053-6.

[LynchStrauss2014-15] Annette Lynch; Mitchell D. Strauss (30 October 2014). Ethnic Dress in the United States: A Cultural Encyclopedia. Rowman & Littlefield Publishers. pp. 16–. ISBN 978-0-7591-2150-8.

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