Irish Aran Shawl-collar Cardigan, "Aran Legacy"

In just a century since they first appeared, the textured wool sweaters of the Aran Islands have become "as tenacious an international symbol of Ireland as the harp and shamrock," writes fashion historian Deirdre McQuillan. It wasn't until the home crafts movement in the early 1900s that Aran's distinctive patterns became known around the world. Today, from tourist shops to fashion shows, one can find sweaters based on stitches that were invented by grandmothers and great-grandmothers only a few generations ago.