Aran sweaters

Not sure where to buy one but know thw difference between hand knit and hand loomed. Hand loomed will be a looser knit and substantially cheaper.

Mary

Depends on what you consider driving distance. If you're going to be driving around to any of these places they all have places to buy authentic hand-knit Aran sweaters - Galway, Killarney, and the Blarney woolen mills near Blarney castle. All of these are 1-1/2 hrs or less driving time.

EDIT- I just went and looked in my journal to see where I bought mine. It was at Standun in Spiddal which is a few miles west of Galway (http://www.standun.com/). Mine is a traditional hand-knit cardigan and it was about $90 USD when I bought it in 2003. I love it and still wear it in Spring and Fall as a jacket. They hold up really well for years and they're naturally water resistant. One of my better purchases.

Thank you. Hand knit is exactly what I want. I will take a look at the link.

There will be a sweater shop in just about every town you visit. I have two that I bought years ago and they wear very well and are washable by hand. Definitely look for a hand knitted sweater and usually the knitter's name will be on the label.

in some long neglected files labeled "lease, etc." I just found the tag and receipt for the sweater I bought in 1987!! what a walk down memory lane!!!

When we were in Standun at Spiddal last year, we thought that all of the men's sweaters were of lower quality, but the women's sweaters were much nicer. Perhaps it was that they were temporarily sold out of the nicer men's sweaters. Anyway, Standun is a great place to shop for lots of Irish things!

Jennifer,
This may not matter to you, but in case it does:

Many (if not the majority) of the Aran-style sweaters you will see for sale in Ireland were not actually made in Ireland, we were warned by a local who drove us on our trip.

When I stopped in at a few stores, I would ask if the sweaters were made in Ireland, and in all except one instance, the sales person would return to say in a disappointed way that they were not.

Many labels had words like: Designed in Ireland, and I think the other was Authentic Irish Design. But, the words: Made in Ireland or Hand Knitted in Ireland will be the rare find.

But, that said, if you like a sweater, if it brings happy memories to you, then it may still be a great buy.

I also saw the exact same sweaters in a few shops, and the prices varied widely.....seems I recall a E50 difference on the same sweaters.

Adare is lovely. Be sure to have a cup of tea or lunch at the Adare Manor Hotel, if you are not staying there. On our short stop-in, we found it absolutely lovely, as is the village of Adare. Ireland in general is lovely, and the people so very kind and friendly.

Oh, and I do not remember if the prices were the absolute best, but I remember a sweater shop outside the gates of Bunratty Folk Park that seemed to have more reasonable prices....but my memory may not be entirely accurate. But, the sweaters I liked there were only designed in Ireland, not made there.

Hi Jennifer,

I lived off main street in Adare for 6 months a couple years ago when I decided to spend a year in Ireland (6 months in Dublin and 6 months in Adare). I would recommend the Blarney Woolen Mills near the Blarney Castle in County Cork and it's only a little over an hour drive southeast. And hey you get to visit the Blarney Castle and kiss the famous Blarney stone! The Blarney Woolen Mills is huge...their shop has two levels of sweaters and other Irish souvenirs. From Blarney, you can also visit Cork City (10 min drive from Blarney) and the beautiful, charming fishing village Kinsale (delicious seafood!).

If an hour drive is too long, Blarney Woolen Mills has a smaller store in Bunratty next to the Bunratty Castle. This is less than a half hour drive north of Adare.

Where in Adare will you be staying? Let me know if you have any questions!

One of my sweaters is from Blarney Mills and the quality is very nice--it is about 12 years old. My husband bought a sweater at a shop in Kenmare and it is also hand knitted. The knitter's name was on the tag. We did not see any sweaters that were not hand knitted. The sales person at the shop pointed out the meaning of the different stitches. Enjoy Ireland!

Fair warning. My sweater will last forever, it's crazy warm - so I rarely wear it. Beautiful knitting though. Since they're handmade, try it on, rather than going by size, until you find the one that fits just right.