How Do You Make an Irish Sweater?

An Irish sweater is traditional attire that has been worn by generations of Irish men and women.  This knitted wool sweater is designed to keep you warm while standing the test of time.  A traditional Irish sweater (also referred to as a jumper) is not something you can pick up at a national chain store or find on sale for $19.99.  Traditional sweaters are heirloom pieces that can be handed down from mother to daughter or father to son.  They are something you invest in because the quality is so high that you will never find a replicate for sale at Macy's.  An Irish sweater is a fantastic gift because of the thought, time, and history that goes into making each one.

Here is what makes an Irish sweater so special:

• History.  A traditional Irish sweater is made today the same way it has been for hundreds of years.  Owning Irish wool sweaters is owning a piece of history.
• Fisherman.  Irish fishermen used to wear them to work and when going out to see.  Folklore suggests that they would wear a unique stitch pattern that identified them as being part of a certain family.  
• Symbolism.  The stitch patterns have symbolic meaning.  For example the honeycomb is a symbol of the hard working bee where the diamond is a wish for success and treasure.
• Hand Knit. When shopping for sweaters for women you will come across a variety of items that are usually made by a large machine, in mass quantity.  A hand knit Irish sweater is made with love.  It has been compared to owning the original artist painting, something they have labored over, rather than buying a print.  The hand knit wool sweaters at Irish Traditions are each one of a kind.  We order them up to eight months in advance, as the production takes much preparation and the skilled hands of a seasoned knitter.
• Hand Looming.  These sweaters are still amazing quality and take a skilled hand to set and guide the loom.  The are faster to produce and cost less than hand knit sweaters while still being higher quality that a typical wool sweater.  At Irish Traditions we carry both hand knit and hand loomed wool sweaters.

It is very difficult to find a hand knit, traditional, wool sweater because so few people still have this skill set.  As machines have replaced artists our society has lost some of its history.  At Irish Traditions we have been working with the same suppliers in Ireland for years and our relationship enables us to bring you traditional Irish sweaters that would be near impossible to find elsewhere.  We have sat with women as they practiced knitting, watched their craft first hand, and have to agree that the original artist painting is always the best.  If you see a wool sweater or blanket you like in our store make sure to purchase it that day.  Since each sweater is unique, and takes time to produce, we cannot guarantee that something you love can be reproduced.  We count ourselves fortunate to be able to bring you this little slice of history.