 |
| Hand-knit in Ireland by Ladies with Knitting Needles -Photos by Salt Water New England |
It used to be that if you travelled to Ireland and brought back an Irish/Aran Fisherman sweater (or likely more than one) they would have been hand-knit. And by that, I mean made by Irish ladies with knitting needles. And I am talking about pure wool, often Merino wool. Not wool blends and certainly not cotton.
While it was once the case that virtually all Aran Sweaters, or Irish Fisherman Knit sweaters, were hand-knit in Ireland, there are now three basic categories, which can easily confuse consumers. By design. These are hand-knit, hand-loomed, and machine made.
I have had them all. Irish knitwear companies have sent many to me and we have also had our own, bought at source, i.e., in Ireland. And it should say something that I currently only have the true hand-knits left, five of them to be exact, and one hand-loomed cardigan. The rest I have given away.
Beyond how they are made, I look at where they are made, and of what are they made.
.JPG) |
| Hand-knit in Ireland by Ladies with Knitting Needles |
Best – Handknit. Made with knitting needles. Knit in Ireland.
The true hand-knits are wonderfully unique, and while no two are truly the same, they do share characteristics. Authentic Irish crafts are often imitated, and most often poorly. So a true Irish hand-knit in my mind has more in common with an authentic Blackthorn walking stick (that takes over a year to make) that it does with a hand-loomed or machine made Irish Knit Fisherman’s sweater. It has soul.
(How do you define soul? It is nearly impossible to do so using words. You know it when you see it, or in some cases, when you feel it.)
The true Irish handknits are more expensive, typically over $300, but they are absolutely worth the extra money if you know the difference and increasingly, if you can find them. They are utterly distinctive when you see them. They feel better. They are often warmer. And they last longer. They are easier to repair. They just are better.
Having said that, even if an Irish company says it is a true hand-knit, it might be knitted in India, not Ireland. Or as one CEO told me, anyone can set up a sweatshop, bringing in their own workers, in a different country that has a reputation for quality manufacturing. If this matters to you, ask.
 |
| Hand-Loomed in Ireland |
Better – Hand-Loomed
A Hand Loomed garment is crafted using a manual loom, where someone sets up the loom with Aran patterns and manually operates it to weave the sweater.
This category is a nice compromise where a manual loom is used and the sweaters are the closest to a true hand-knit. You are probably assured of a higher quality of wool and there is likely a skilled person overseeing the process, with more inspection. These garments are sometimes referred to as hand-knit on the various websites, or more accurately hand-finished. But here again the price with a trusted vendor will guide you. It is best to go to an Irish vendor, as the price will be more reflective of what you get. Some American companies offer what looks to be a machine made garment at a hand-loomed price in order to get their mark-up. The garments usually cost around the $200.00 range. But prices can vary depending on the season. You may want to buy a heavy wool Aran sweater from an Irish vendor in the heat of the summer for your best price.
A quote from a conversation I had with a major Irish manufacturer:
The garments are usually made in 4 sections, front, hand, and 2 sleeves. The seams are all handknit shoulders etc.. and final touches are handknit. We do use a hand loom on this product also but not as you would think. Our looms are operated by a single person (quite small not a large industrial loom) and they make the stitch adjustments between rows. This allow us to build up the intricate patterns of the Aran row by row.
 |
| Hand-Loomed in Ireland |
Good – Machine Made. Made in Ireland.
The sweater is created on an industrial knitting machine.
There is a huge range here.
A machine made Irish knit made in Ireland is greatly preferable to a machine made version from some overseas sweatshop. I would far prefer that a machine made garment is overseen by the lovely people of Ireland where local knowledge and skills are still handed down, even if they are not fully applied. The wool will likely be local. The garments are going to be held to a higher standard.
For sweaters as a whole, machine made is not a negative. And my absolute favorite sweaters are indeed machine made. But for the Irish Fisherman Sweater specifically, machine made can seem like a pale imitation.
And a quality machine made (in Ireland) from a reputable source can be found for less than $100.00 if purchased in the summer months.
 |
| Hand-Knit in Ireland with Knitting Needles, and Specifically by a Lady Named Mary |
 |
| One of Our Own Bought in Ireland in the Early 1980s |
 |
| All Hand-knits |
.jpg)
Hand knitting in Ireland probably will be a thing of the past in a decade or so. It used to be taught in the schools but hasn't been for decades. Ireland has grown to prosperous. Given the amount of work involved,$300 isn't much compensation. If you do shop for a handknit, look for one made of banning wool. The traditional wool that retains some of the natural oils
ReplyDeletefrom the sheep. It's rougher to the touch than merino and a bit waterproof
'Bannin' wool. There are only a couple of mills in Ireland that still make it.
ReplyDeleteI have worn the same hand knit Aran sweater for forty years. If I wanted to replace it today, I would look for one of the makers that procures wool and farms it out to knitters in Ireland, and makes them to order. Worth the wait.
ReplyDeleteI bought my hand-knit sweater in Ireland in 1973 during my junior year abroad in London. It has worn like iron for almost 50 years and still looks great... although a little tighter around the middle than it used to be! :)
ReplyDeleteMy Irish hand-knit is more than 30 years old. It still looks fine, except for the tea spots. My two Scottish hand-knits are pushing 40, also still in good shape and look nearly new. The Scots vendor explained that his sweaters would last for decades because the sheep had been wearing the wool in far worse weather than I would ever inflict on the sweaters.
ReplyDeleteI now wear my mother's hand-knit cardigan with leather buttons. Pushing 60 years old, it still has life in it. The "younger" ones are from trips to Ireland in the 70s and 80s and still the warmest sweaters I have.
ReplyDeleteThere is nothing as good as a quality Irish sweater. Great post.
ReplyDeleteA staple for any wardrobe! Such a wonderful garment!
ReplyDeleteI was given a "real" hand knit many years ago but sadly, it has 'disappeared'... borrowed, stolen, forgotten...? I was informed at the time that each different pattern on the sweater had a specific meaning and different areas of Ireland had their own patterns... anyone...?
ReplyDeleteDuring my student days in Dublin, now 50 years in the past, I used to travel around the west of Ireland by hitchhiking. Once I needed a lift from the coast into Donegal town. I was picked up by a man who asked if I didn't mind if we made several stops along the way as he was picking up a few pieces of knitwear. It was a delightful journey into the hills of Donegal, stopping at several cottages to pick up Aran jumpers and cardigans, all knitted by hand by local women.
ReplyDeleteBack in the 1960's, my mom would hand-knit Aran sweaters by her own patterns for the entire family as well as make our bathing suits and beach shirts every summer.
ReplyDelete