The Aran Sweater Market range includes a mix of hand-knitted and machine-knitted pieces. The hand-knitted sweaters and cardigans contain approximately 100,000 stitches and can take up to sixty days to complete. Machine-knitted pieces use the same cable, honeycomb and trellis stitches, with machine-knitting keeping the price down and making the sweater available in a wider range of sizes, colours and fits. Look for ‘Hand-knit’ in the product title to confirm.

Each stitch in an Aran sweater carries a story. The cable stitch stands for the fisherman’s rope, worked into the wool as a wish for a plentiful catch. The honeycomb pattern honours the hardworking bee, carrying hopes of good fortune. The diamond stitch evokes the small fields of the islands, a wish for success and wealth. The trellis stitch, like the stone walls that run across the islands, offers the promise of protection. Taken together, the stitches are a folk-language worked in wool, carried from one generation to the next.

It depends on the sweater; some pieces may be dry clean only. Others can be hand washed in cool water (no warmer than 30°C) with a gentle wool detergent. Don’t scrub or wring: scrubbing causes felting, and wringing stretches the wool out of shape. Instead, gently swish the sweater through the suds. Once clean, roll your sweater between two clean towels to press out excess water and lay it flat to dry, reshaping with your hands. Keep it away from direct heat, sunlight and radiators, and never tumble dry. Store your sweater folded rather than hung, as hanging can stretch wool over time. You can use a wool comb or fabric shaver to lift any pills.