patterns > Folk Knitting > Folk Mittens: Techniques and Patterns for Handknitted Mittens
> Aran Island Mittens
Aran Island Mittens
Summary: Double pointed needles, cabled rib cuff, thumb gore.
Techniques required: cables (charted), traveling stitches, bobbles.
Materials: 4 oz (113.5g) natural cream worsted-weight wool.
From the pattern description: Off the west coast of Ireland in the mouth of Galway Bay lie the islands of Aran. For centuries the inhabitants of these rocky isles have braved the Atlantic's inhospitable climate while they fished. Like other fishermen along the northern European coastline, they wore heavily textured knit tops called jerseys.
What made Aran's jerseys unique were the use of creamy white 5-ply wool, called baínin, that was spun and knit "in the grease" (i.e., it contained a lot of lanolin) to increase its water-repellency, and the generous use of textured patterns… These mittens draw their patterning from the traditional jerseys of the Aran fisherman.
Chart: p. 87
- First published: January 1997
- Page created: May 11, 2007
- Last updated: June 16, 2022 …
- visits in the last 24 hours
- visitors right now