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The Aran jumper/sweater takes its name from the Aran Islands, situated off the West Coast of Ireland. 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.
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.
 Some stitch patterns have a traditional interpretation often of religious significance. The honeycomb is a symbol of the hard-working bee. The cable, an integral part of the fisherman's daily life, is said to be a wish for safety and good luck when fishing. The diamond is a wish of success wealth and treasure. The basket stitch represents the fisherman's basket, a hope for a plentiful catch.
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