2006-09-05 16:22:03 · 6 answers · asked by vim 5 in Education & Reference ➔ Trivia
actually they vary from family to family. it was quite useful when sailors were lost at sea. if the sweater washed ashore, he could be more easily identified.
2006-09-05 17:27:28 · answer #1 · answered by chit-chaat7 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Meanings of the stitches
As a craft, the Aran Sweater continues to fascinate audiences around the world. A finished sweater contains approximately 100,000 carefully constructed stitches, and can take the knitter up to sixty days to complete. It can contain any combination of stitches, depending on the particular clan pattern being followed. Many of the stitches used in the Aran Sweater are reflective of Celtic Art, and comparisons have been drawn between the stitches and patterns found at Neolithic burial sites such as Newgrange in Co. Meath.
Each stitch carries its own unique meaning, a historic legacy from the lives of the Island community many years ago. The Cable Stitch is a depiction of the fisherman's ropes, and represents a wish for a fruitful day at sea. The Diamond Stitch reflects the small fields of the islands. These diamonds are sometimes filled with Irish moss stitch, depicting the seaweed that was used to fertilise the barren fields and produce a good harvest. Hence the diamond stitch is a wish for success and wealth. The Zig Zag Stitch, a half diamond, is often used in the Aran Sweaters, and popularly represents the twisting cliff paths on the islands. The Tree of Life is one of the original stitches, and is unique to the earliest examples of the Aran knitwear. It again reflects the importance of the clan, and is an expression of a desire for clan unity, with long-lived parents and strong children.
2006-09-05 17:05:56 · answer #2 · answered by jennifersuem 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
When we visited Ireland, we were told that the patterns vary by family. For example, the wives in the Aran fishing village would knit sweaters of a particular pattern for their husbands. They could be identified by these patterns. I'm not sure how much truth there is to the last part, but that's what we were told by a local.
2006-09-05 16:46:38 · answer #3 · answered by M3 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
em! the only people who where "irish" sweaters and i presume you mean the thick cream woolen ones, are american tourists so i don't think the variation in pattern actually has any significance
2006-09-06 16:12:53 · answer #4 · answered by theresanangelatmytable 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The various patterns represent the various families and are similar to Scots tartans - they represent a family's heritage in various areas.
2006-09-05 16:37:36 · answer #5 · answered by SUZI S 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
When they get drunk they forget how the pattern goes and just make up a new one.
2006-09-05 16:23:48 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 2⤋