Women's Irish Aran Turtleneck Sweater, "North Winds"

For hundreds of years, women in the rural villages of the Aran Islands off the western coast of Ireland have knit natural wool sweaters for their fisherman kin. Although the myth that you can identify island families by the stitches in their sweater--like a Scottish tartan--isn't true, every knitter does have her own special patterns, passed down through generations of mothers and grandmothers. At weekly gatherings, they continually invented intricate new stitches. Each stitch in this generously sized, traditional Aran sweater represents a facet of fishing culture: the honeycomb stitch for hard work, the cable stitch for safety on the waters, and the basket weave as a wish for a plentiful catch. The 100% merino wool sweater features a cozy turtleneck for winter warmth.