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Ériu Aran Traditions
£23.50£0.00
-
COMING SOON!!
Ériu Aran Traditions is 100% Irish Romney wool, with proper provenance from farm to yarn.
The wool is sourced by hand through Ériu’s Farm to Yarn network, an initiative designed to support Irish farmers through fair pay and to restore the value of premium Irish-grown wool.
Ériu works with The Emerald Romney Co-op, a small group of farmers who work exclusively with Ériu and are committed to preserving the Romney breed and improving the quality and micron of the fleece. Dave and Roy, who lead the co-op, are expert shearers themselves and personally shear, select and hand-sort the finest fibres.
And you can really feel the difference. This is a proper Aran-weight wool with beautiful stitch definition and a lovely softness. It has enough robustness to show off cables and traditional Aran stitchwork beautifully, while still being soft enough to wear right against the skin.
The colour collection is split into two Irish traditions:
Turning the Turf vs Out To Sea
Turning the Turf is the earthy palette — inspired by the ancient Irish practice of cutting peat by hand in summer to dry for winter fuel. The colours follow the turf through its journey: from the deep, dark earth where it begins, through digging, turning and sun-drying, to the warmth and smoke of the cottage hearth. There are seven shades: Turf, Dig, Turning, Unity, Rust, Land and Sundrench.
Out To Sea is the brighter, more saturated palette, inspired by Ireland’s fishing communities, colourful harbours and the traditions and superstitions of life on the Atlantic coast. And there’s a particularly lovely connection here: the Aran sweater itself was originally known as the fisherman’s sweater and has become one of the most recognisable symbols of Irish maritime life. There are ten shades: Blessing the Boats, Currach, Cold Iron, Star of the Sea, Clan, Merrow, Oilskin, Puffin, Emerald Isle and Don’t Say Red.
Out to Sea includes 2 which Zoë made especially for us and our Tribe!!
There’s also a wonderful piece of history attached to the patterns being developed for this yarn. Ériu has partnered with Irish/American designer Ryan Koenig on a new capsule collection, including the one-skein Brittas Hat, with more designs to come. Alongside these, they have uncovered authentic vintage Aran designs from Ardfinnan Mill - the Irish mill whose patterns were famously worn by the Clancy Brothers and which helped bring Aran knitting to a much wider audience.
Ériu is currently setting up its own woollen mill on the farm, the first of its kind to spin exclusively Irish wool since Ardfinnan closed, with the aim of bringing some of those precious skills and knowledge back into the hands of a new generation.
So this is a yarn with a rather lovely combination of things going on: Irish wool, Irish farmers, traditional craft, really good colour and a genuine attempt to reconnect all the pieces of the Irish wool story. We like it very, very much. -
Ingredients:
100% Irish Romney WoolLength:
180m (197 yd)Weight:
100gGauge:
Aran
Needle Size - 5mm (US 8)
Tension for 10 x 10cm square: 20 stitches x 24 rows -
TURNING THE TURF – ‘BAINT MÓNA’
Turning the turf is an age-old Irish tradition involving the cutting of peat from a bog by hand in summer, ready to be dried and used as fuel through the winter.
The smell of turf smoke from the hearth is an evocative part of Irish life and memory, particularly the old association with peat fires burning in thatched cottages. Although turf cutting is now much less common, it remains a deeply rooted part of Ireland’s cultural heritage.
But there is another part of the tradition that feels particularly relevant to Ériu: meitheal.
Turf cutting was traditionally done as a collective effort, with men, women and children working together. Meitheal was based on cooperation, reciprocity and community benefit — alongside the hard work there was camaraderie, pride, exchange and craic. The Irish phrase “Ní neart go cur le chéile” means “There is no strength without unity.”
The seven colours in this palette follow the turf through its journey — from the deep darkness of the soil, through digging and turning, to the green of the land and the ochre of the sun-dried turf.
Turf – dark brown/black
Dig – grey/brown
Turning – light grey/brown
Unity – natural/undyed
Rust – rust/terracotta
Land – dark green
Sundrench – ochre yellowAt Ériu, the wool follows a rather similar journey — harvested by hand and through community, from Farm to Yarn.
OUT TO SEA – ‘AMACH SAN FHARRIAGE’
Heading “Out to Sea” is an ancient and continuing tradition in Ireland. From the old currachs made from wooden frames and animal skins to today’s fishing boats, Ireland’s fishing traditions have helped shape the character and identity of the island.
And nowhere is that connection more obvious than along Ireland’s western coast. The Aran Islands, of course, are where Aran knitting originated, and the traditional Aran sweater itself was originally known as the fisherman’s sweater.
Fishing communities have their own traditions, rituals, beliefs and superstitions. There are the Blessing of the Boats, prayers to Our Lady Star of the Sea, and the old stories of the merrows, the magical beings of the sea. There are also the more ominous superstitions: in some parts of Ireland, even saying the Irish word for red, rua, was considered unlucky at sea. The traditional response? “Cold iron.”
The ten colours in this palette take their inspiration from those stories, as well as the brightly painted boats and harbours of the west coast.
Blessing the Boats – white
Currach – black
Cold Iron – grey
Clan – navy blue
Star of the Sea – bright blue
Merrow – turquoise
Oilskin – yellow
Puffin – neon orange
Emerald Isle – bright green
Don’t Say Red – bright redThe names, colours and stories all come together to celebrate the extraordinary connection between Irish wool, Irish knitting and the communities and traditions that have kept both alive.
Category: Aran & Worsted, Eriu Yarn, Mid-Priced, Romney, Soft, Wool, Yarn, £20 - £29.99