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The Aran sweater first began to emerge in the early part of
the twentieth century.
The events from which the
modern Aran arose from the ashes of earlier and less
intricate designs are often debated, but it is reasonable to
assume that at least one circumstance had a profound effect
on the Aran's evolution.
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The Aran sweater, an emblem
of both the Aran Islands and, indeed, of Ireland itself, is
a unique fusion of art and practicality. Perhaps no other
sweater is as immediately recognisable; with its intricate
patterns and handmade ruggedness it has forged a unique
place for itself in the clothing world.
Origin of the Aran Sweater
As it appears today, the Aran sweater first began to emerge
in the early part of the twentieth century. The events from
which the modern Aran arose from the ashes of earlier and
less intricate designs are often debated, but it is
reasonable to assume that at least one circumstance had a
profound effect on the Aran's evolution.
Aran women had always been knitting fisherman's jerseys, or
'ganseys', as islanders call them, to help their husbands
and families weather the often-treacherous island
conditions. However, during the last decade of the 19th
century a government motion to improve the economic
livelihood of densely populated rural areas began setting up
lacemaking, knitting, and crochet schools around the
country. It is reported that artisans were sent from these
schools during the last years of the 19th century to teach
Aran women how to knit intricate patterns. In the years to
follow the women of Aran combined their new skills, artistic
brilliance, and the traditions of life upon the sea to
create the sweaters we know today.
Certainly part of the sweater's success is due to its
mystique. In our age of mass production the items that we
buy, and the very clothes that we wear cease to have a
story. Our daily journeys to work and school find us amidst
the bustle of modern life where we weave through the tangled
noise of automobiles and armies of mobile phones. The Aran
sweater stands like a monument, reminding us of a time that
was simpler, and often more difficult.
Indeed, the very story of our lives is woven into the
sweater - every stitch has a meaning. For instance, there is
the 'Ladder of Life' stitch, which symbolizes the pilgrimage
to happiness, the 'Tree of Life' which grants good luck to
its wearer, and even the stitch of 'Marriage Lines' with
zigzags that represent the ups and downs of married life.
For all of us standing apprehensively at the edge of a new
millennium, the story of the Aran sweater is a beautiful
one. For within the sweaters lies the work of a single
person and the struggles, accomplishments and imagination of
generations. And perhaps, while wearing our sweaters many
years from now, we will be revisited by the pleasant
illumination that sometimes the things we carry with us in
life can be more than the sum of their parts. |
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