TIVOLI Childrens Wool Chunky Cable Knit Aran Sweater- Size 5-7

Description

TIVOLI
Childrens Wool Chunky Cable Knit Aran Sweater
Made in Ireland
Beautifully knit
Size 5-7
100% New Wool
Measures 19.5” across chest, 21” across shoulders, 21.5” from shoulder at neck to end of cuff, and 17” from edge of neck to hem of sweater in rear.
Guaranteed authentic.
The Aran Sweater is named after the set of islands off Ireland's West coast where it was first created many generations ago. The Aran Islands are located at the mouth of Galway Bay on the Atlantic Sea and are where color: rgb(93, 121, 102); text-decoration-line: none;">fishermen and farmers dwelled and worked together.
The traditional Irish Aran sweater was fashioned in this environment and has since been passed down through generations to be considered the ultimate Irish Clan Heritage symbol. It is still very popular today in many knitting circles and is also worn by those who appreciate its origin and symbolism.
Aran sweaters are highly sought-after, and still, make quite a fashion statement many years after their creation. Back in the 1950s on the Aran Islands, many of the men were fishermen by trade and, out of necessity to combat the cold and tough conditions of the sea, the women handmade their husbands aran sweaters to keep them warm, hence the name
fisherman sweaters
we're all familiar with today.
Due to their popularity with the local Irish fishermen, they were also sold on the island which helped provide a living for some of the families, and a booming new grassroots economy was born.
The intricate cables, bobbles and stitch patterns make these garments popular for a number of reasons. They are challenging to knit, lend aesthetic appeal to the apparel, and add warmth and thickness. Back then, handknitting an aran sweater took between 3 to 6 weeks to complete.
The origin of the Aran sweater can be traced back to Guernsey, an island 400 miles South-East of the Aran Islands. Much of Guernseys trade relied on fishing, and the clothing requirements of fishermen were quite demanding.
A sea-faring laborer's clothes needed to be durable, easy to mend, stain resistant, easy to move about in, be able to provide warmth to the wearer, and if possible, keep out water. Thus, the gansa sweater.
The Gansa was a simple design, allowing for free movement. Its dark navy color was stain-resistant to a number of liquids, and the knitting was tight to keep the wearer dry. Over time, the stitches became more complicated.
As the popularity of the Gansa grew, knitters further developed the stitching, with noticeable differences seen in Ireland and Scotland. Various types of cable stitches were used: diamond lattices, plates, ropes, and the Celtic Knot design.
Before long the stitch patterns covered the entire sweater, creating an even more aesthetically pleasing garment. Before long, commercial interest took hold, and the aran sweater began to really grow in popularity.
As it evolved, the modern Aran sweater was manufactured with thicker yarn, the sweaters were knitted flat and seam is sewn together, and the stitching became looser. This decreased the amount of time it took to knit a sweater, thus increasing the arans production.
The Aran sweater is known for its stitching patterns and intricacies and is considered both a practical choice and fashion statement.
ARAN SWEATER MYTHS
A myth about the Aran sweater is that the stitches are linked to family names the legend has it that each stitch represents a family second name so that is the fisherman was lost at sea the family would be able to identify the body by the stitch on the sweater although an interesting story, it has not been proven at a fact! While the aran sweaters were indeed knit to keep the fisherman warm and cosy at sea, the idea of each stitch is a family name is, unfortunately, a myth.
Due to the expanding population of the aran Islands at the time, the government introduced a board called The Congested Districts Board as a way to come up with ideas of improving the standard of living on the island. The put a lot of effort into farming and fishing and knitting for the ladies.
The people of the Aran Islands decided to bring over some Scottish fishermen to teach the Islanders a few things, they also brought some Scottish ladies who showed how to knit sweaters for a living. So the Irish ladies took their idea and made it their own - the yarn they used in Ireland was much thicker than the fine Scottish wool and the design had lots more patterns to it, rather than just the top which the Scottish version had.
By 1935, these sweaters were so in demand they started selling them in the Dublin markets!