Hand knitting is an ancient craft, perfected by the people of Ireland, where sheep and wool are plentiful. The Aran sweater has evolved into a national icon, and I consider it to be Ireland’s most significant contribution to international style.
In today’s post we’ll explore the origins of these traditional Irish sweaters and I’ll introduce you to the wonderful folk at the Standún store in Spiddal, Galway, who have been selling aran knitwear for nearly 70 years.
They have graciously sponsored a giveaway for readers of Irish American Mom, to celebrate how aran knitwear is still worn and loved to this very day.
But before I tell you about our prize and how to enter this little giveaway, let me first introduce you to the much-loved aran sweater, and the aran knitwear experts at Standún, Spiddal.
Origins Of The Aran Sweater:
The Aran Islands lie off the western shore of Ireland, just off the coast of Galway. The islanders were fishermen and farmers, who battled harsh weather conditions, and the relentless onslaught of Atalantic driven winds and rains.
The Aran sweater was first created here, inspired by a bleak landscape and the hardships of daily life faced by the islanders. The stitches created by the island knitters were passed down from generation to generation, and over the years evolved into unique, and highly recognizable patterns.
But these patterns are not merely pretty stitching. Each Aran pattern tells a story and reveals a hidden meaning.
Stitches And Patterns:
Spinning wool and knitting were important skills passed down from mothers to their daughters for generations. Not only did they share their expertise, they also handed down symbolic patterns representing age-old Irish traditions and culture.
Aran knitting designs symbolise the daily life of the islanders, their remote surroundings, and their religious beliefs. Aran sweaters were linked to families of the islands and their unique identities.
The cable stitch was inspired by a fisherman’s rope. Moss stitch was inspired by the abundant growth of moss throughout the islands. The trinity stitch was inspired by religious beliefs.
The stitching tells a story or represents aspects of the knitters lives, and their families. Sadly, in the past Aran stitching was used to identify bodies that were brought up on shore after an accident at sea.
A Waterproof Sweater:
Believe it or not, the Aran sweater was actually waterproof in days gone by, making them perfect garments for fishermen and farmers who were constantly exposed to Ireland’s soft, and not-so-soft rains.
Sheep wool contains an oil called lanolin, and this oil made sweaters water repellent. However, aran sweaters of old were very heavy with oil, and had a very distinctive odor.
Today only very few brave the wild Atlantic ocean to earn a living, so the market for traditional, oil-sealed sweaters no longer exists. Nowadays the oil is extracted from the yarn before knitting the sweater.
However, Aran sweaters today are still rain resistant. Believe it or not an Aran sweater can absorb 30% of it’s weight in water before the wearer feels wet.
A Labor of Love:
Handknitting an Aran sweater takes between 3 weeks and 6 weeks to complete, depending upon the speed of the knitter and the size of the garment. A sweater for a big man is a major project.
Tightly woven stitches interconnect to create each masterpiece. An individual sweater may contain over 100,000 intricate stitches. The patterns and individual stitches are clearly evident in a high-quality handknit sweater.
Handknit sweaters generally cost over €100 each, because of the time involved in making them. They truly are a labor of love.
Handknits Vs. Machine Knits:
Machines are now used to make many Aran sweaters. The craft of handknitting is not as widespread as before, but it still continues in Ireland.
Nowadays due to increased demand and economic gain a lot of sweaters are made by machines. A machine knitter can produce 8 to 10 sweaters in just 1 day, compared to a handknit sweater that takes at least 3weeks! And that’s by a professional knitter!!
Even though the Aran sweater is the ultimate symbol of Irish heritage, hand knitting is sadly a dying skill. We hope in years to come these skills will not become a distant memory of the past. For this reason hand knitted sweaters are valuable and rare garments, to be treasured as family heirlooms.
Standún, Spiddal
Standún Spiddal is a family run business based in Connemara Galway. The store was established in 1946 and is now in its third generation.
Standún is best known as the Home of the Aran Sweater, since it was the first store to export the Aran sweater to retailers in the US. At the time there were over 700 knitters working for Standún throughout the country.
The founders of the store Máirtín and May Standún, fell in love with Spiddal during a cycling trip around Connemara. Inspired by an ardent desire to live in the Irish Speaking Gaeltacht, they saved every penny they earned and in 1946 they bought a tiny galvanized shop and house on the outskirts of the village of Spiddal, for what was then the vast sum of nine hundred pounds.
Throughout the years the store expanded and eventually became a General Country store, in which you could buy everything from your groceries to wellies or ice cream, and of course Aran Sweaters. There was also a small knitting factory and a funeral home on the premises.
Máirtín and May both loved everything Irish, and were very passionate about the Irish language and Irish music. May was a music teacher and played the fiddle and the piano.
They had many musician friends that visited them in Standún, including Luke Kelly and The Clancy brothers. They would have music sessions into all hours of the night. The Clancy brothers wore Aran sweaters from Standún’s, and this really was the start of the Aran sweater becoming commercial.
Dónal, the eldest son then took over Standún in the 70’s and put his own stamp on it. He transformed it into a tourist hub and did away with the funeral home, ice cream parlor and grocers. This was a great success and in the 1990’s the Wall Street Journal awarded Standún with the ‘Best Value & Quality Aran Sweater in Ireland’.
In recent years both Dónal’s daughters have been running Standún. They too have made some changes, but remain passionate about Aran knitting and Irish design. Standún is unique as it sells to tourists and locals alike, and is known for it’s keen prices and great quality.
Even though the sisters have been through difficult years recently due to the economic climate, they are delighted to be still a destination for tourists from around the world. Their online store has proved a great success and is a big part of their business today.
Standún remains a renowned shopping destination in the heart of the Connemara Gaeltacht.
Believe it or not, I remember shopping at Standún when my family spent two weeks on vacation in Spiddal. I was about ten years old. Forty years later, my mom still has a three-legged stool we purchased there. I remember the store front from the 1970’s, and the warm welcome awaiting shoppers.
If you happen to be in Connemara, why not stop in for a unique shopping experience with a vast array of traditional and contemporary Irish merchandise, or you can always check out their wonderful online store.
Standún is running a promotion on Aran knitwear at the moment – there is 20% Off all Aran Styles until 31/5/15.
The Prize:
Aran knitwear has been a fashion staple for decades, and to celebrate this globally recognized symbol of Ireland, Standún have graciously sponsored a giveaway for Irish American Mom’s readers.
Cozy, and crafted with the best quality wool, snoods are knitted in different colors, and have functional buttons, so they can also be worn open like a scarf. Standún says snoods are really popular with their local and tourist customers, and have graciously donated three snoods as prizes for three lucky readers.
The Giveaway:
Three lucky winners will each receive an Aran snood in the color of their choice.
To enter just leave a comment on this blog post by noon on Wednesday, May 13th, 2015. Any comment will do, but if you need inspiration why not tell us if you are the proud owner of an Aran sweater.
A winning comment will be chosen randomly. Remember to leave your e-mail so that I can contact you should you win. Your e-mail won’t be published or shared, just used to contact our lucky contestant.
Winners will be announced on Wednesday May 13th, 2015.
You may check out Irish American Mom’s complete terms and conditions for sweepstake entries by clicking here.
Thanks to everyone who supports and enters this little giveaway.
May 13th, 2015 – We Have Three Winners
Good news. Our winners have been chosen using the random “Pick Giveaway Winner” WordPress plug-in.
Congratulations to …..
Miriam Salvemini
John Ongena
Mary C.
Thanks to everyone who joined in and enter this little giveaway.
And a big thank you to Standún for sponsoring this wonderful prize. Wishing them continued success with their family business.
Slán agus beannacht,
(Goodbye and blessings),
Irish American Mom
Disclosure: Irish American Mom does not have a business relationship with Standún, Spiddal. No cash payment was received for publishing this giveaway post. I wish to thank Standún for graciously sponsoring the prize for this Aran knitwear giveaway.
All images published with permission of Standún, Spiddal.
I own one I bought from there in 2010! Love to have another one!!!!!
i have an Aran sweater that I bought while visiting the Aran Islands in 2002. It’ still just like new! Love it!
Standun is indeed a must go to store on the outskirts of Spiddal. It is one of a kind and second to none in inventory and quality. The apparel is high-end; they carry Irish crystal, books and music. A fully-realized coffee bar lays invitingly in the back, and Standun enjoys a widespread and well deserved reputation of distinction.
Love that red one, it is beautiful!
I love these sweaters & am trying to create one from a book I bought by Bonnie Barker called Contemporary Celtic Crochet. Very complicated designs that just beg attention. I have yet to “get it.” Love the designs in your post & for again highlighting the talents of our ancestral homeland.
I don’t own an Aran sweater, sadly.
They look so fantastically warm and cozy though, I wish I did!
I don’t have one yet, but plan on getting one by fall. Would love the green one
What a beautiful and historical sweater. Who says history isn’t cool? 🙂
I was at Standún in 1988 and bought my first Aran sweater there. I now have that first crew neck plus a zippered jacket and a cardigan. The craftsmanship is like no other!
What delightful artistry! Thank you for sharing.
I knit an Aran cardigan for my French penpal in the 60’s. I do own an Aran cardigan and I bought a cardigan in Standún’s three years ago.Would love to win an Aran snood! Hope to visit Standún’s this June when I travel to Ireland from Texas.Great blog about Aran knitting!
What a wonderful giveaway! I would dearly love an Aran snood with buttons!
Thanks so much for the history lesson and the prize offer. I’ve always loved the Aran sweaters but have never had one. I can and do knit but have never attempted the Aran.
Oh so beautiful! I love the history you provided. When in Ireland in 2013 I came very close to buying a lovely Aran sweater, still wishing I had. I would love a snood! Thanks for a wonderful blog!
My husband and I visited Ireland last year for the first time and absolutely fell in love with everything Irish!! We throw a St Patrick’s day party every year for close friends and family and I use traditional Irish food (this year it was an Irish Breakfast complete with Irish sausages, beans, and black pudding) and a sweater would top it off for me next year! I do crochet and knit somewhat but could never make anything like this. I love it!
I really enjoyed reading about this Aran sweater history!
I remember seeing this store when we were in Connemara a few months ago! I did not purchase a sweater while we were there, though, since the bulk of my spending cash went toward the purchase of new hard shoes for my Irish Step Dancing daughter!
Nothing beats the warmth of an Aran sweater! Hand knit, or machine knit, I have them both, they are wonderfully cozy, and extremely stylish. I always get compliments when I wear one!
I don’t own one but I’m going to try knitting one once I get better knitting
I own one that I have had for years. I love my sweater; it is one of my most favorite possessions!!
Hello!
I’ve wanted an Aran sweater for a long time! The are so beautiful and I love the history behind th stitch patterns! Thanks for the offer!
My husband has a gorgeous sweater we got on our one trip to Ireland (in 1997), but I couldn’t decide on something for myself. This would be lovely!
My Gran was from Co. Mayo. She learned how to knit when she was 5years old, but never learned how to read of follow a pattern. Everything she knit, including her Aran knits she knit from site or memory. She passed on her love of knitting to me, but I am no where near as talented as she. On April 14,2015 my Gran was admitted to the ICU with internal bleeding and seizures. As I sat by her bedside & waited hours for the family to arrive, I pulled out my knitting and talked my way through every stitch of the Tam to her. It was my last moments with my Gran, & I was doing something we both loved. She went to be with God in the very early hours of April 15th. She was 90 years old. I miss her terribly, but she lives on in every stitch I knit.
Dear Tara – I’m so sorry to hear you lost your Irish grandmother so recently. She’s probably knitting angel wings in heaven, without any pattern. Thank you for sharing your story with us. It is so touching to hear you were with your grandmother through the end, knitting, and talking and letting her know how much she was loved. May she rest in peace.
Every time you take out your needles to knit, I hope memories of the wonderful times you shared with your grandmother will come flooding back, sustaining and strengthening you through times of sadness.
Blessings and my deepest sympathy to you and your family.
Mairéad
I’ve always loved Aran sweaters but have yet to own one. Now that I know a great place to order one, I may have to get myself a birthday present – or drop some not-so-subtle hints. Thanks for the chance at winning!
Just learning how to knit but don’t think I’ll ever be able to knit one of these beautiful sweaters. Maybe a trip to Connemara is the answer!
I have an Aran sweater. I took my sweater skiing in Vermont and was nice and warm.
I have several Aran sweaters and would love a snood to go with them. They are toasty and warm and a beautiful thing to see.
Would love to visit the store in person someday! Thanks for the great giveaway 🙂
My mother was from Ireland. I’m going with my two children this May. It would be wonderful to have one of these works of art to remember my trip. They are all just beautiful especially the stories of the stitches.
I have an Aran Sweater that I have worn time and again in my trips to Ireland and also when visiting my sons in the Colorado areas of Golden and Boulder. It never fails that someone ask me about my sweater and where did I find my sweater. I have to tell them the best place to get one in actually in “Ireland”
What an amazing giveaway! I would love an authentic Aran sweater!
I have enjoyed following your blog which has added insight to my family history research in relationship to my Irish lineage. I would love to think my great grandmothers may have learned the art of knitting beautiful sweaters like these!
I’ve had an Aran sweater for two years now. More of a coat or long jacket. Get loads of compliments whenever I wear it. Love it.
I would love to win one to pas down to my daughter who is 1/4 Irish and proud of it.
I am the proud owner of two beautiful Aran sweaters. Every autumn I look forward to the those first cool days so I can wear them.
I drove though Spiddal in 2013. Wish I had stopped at Standun! I will the next time I’m there, hopefully in 2016. Love the Aran Snoods. I’d love to win one, but may have to order a couple for gifts (as well as one for myself : )).
lovely…thank you for the history….truly enjoyed
“However, Aran sweaters today are still rain resistant. Believe it or not an Aran sweater can absorb 30% of it’s weight in water before the wearer feels wet.” — How interesting. I bet you notice an increase in weight… but then again, that might also increase the amount of warmth by working harder to move! 🙂
Wonderful giveaway. Thank you Standún, and Mairéad!
I had one as a child. I passed it down to my granddaughter. She absolutely loves it for skiing. She’s good to go with just a vest over it. Every year at Irish Fest in Milwaukee I search longingly for one like my childhood, but I think I’ve got to find a new dream sweater. It might just be 1… or 2 or 3 from Standun that really caught my eye. A snood might be just what I need to walk my dog in these cold Wisconsin winters.
I bought two handknits on my first trip to Ireland last October. Love them, but love my ancestral homeland even more.
My daughter brought me back a hand-knit sweater when she visited Ireland about 10 years ago. I love it. We are a knitting family here. My mother taught us all years ago. I think knitting is making a comeback!
Unfortunately I don’t own an Aran sweater but I felt warm trying on one when I visited Clifden in Connemara. There was plenty of these beautiful sweaters in all of the shops as Clifden is usually visited by lots of tourists. I am keeping my fingers crossed, it is a wonderful prize 🙂
On a trip to Ireland, 2010, my husband and I were at Inishmoor, and I had hopes of getting a sweater with my families pattern on it. The shop didn’t carry that one and they referred me to the internet. Needless to say, it wouldn’t have had the same memories so I never did pursue it. It would be a treasure to have an Aran sweater and I’m grateful for the opportunity to possibly win one from you. I love your blog and so enjoy what you share each time. Blessings to you and your family.
my wife and I fell in love with Aran sweaters on our first visit to Ireland. Beautiful, warm, and an important part of Irish dress… We both have several, & wear them all winter, both to keep warm, and, to remind us of ‘home’.
We also really enjoy your blog. Such a personal feel of Ireland… 🙂
The last Aran I owned was given to me by my lovely gran. I unfortunately lost it in a house fire many years ago. I would love to own a snood, I think I would get much wear from it here in the Pacific Northwest. Thank you for a lovely giveaway!
I bought two beautiful Aran sweaters when I was studying abroad in Ireland over ten years ago. They are so warm and so pretty! Thanks so much for the giveaway. I’d love to win! 🙂
I purchased two Aran sweaters for myself, and one for my daughter last year, 2014.
They are beautiful and I would love to have one in every color! And I would love to win another one!
I bought an Aran sweater while visiting Ireland in 2013, and love it. It is a unique color(blue/green) that upon fist look my family thought I was nuts until I put it on and it was a perfect match to my hazel eyes.
How beautiful 🙂 I have a lovely aran cardigan I bought from a vintage shop so I’ve no idea who made it but there’s so much work gone into it I’m glad I can give it a second life!
x
I would love one of theses,as I love anything from Ireland.My favorites is the Irish green.Thank you for these contest. Mary J.