Irish Knitting: Patterns Inspired by Ireland

Rohana Darlington's unusual and fascinating story of her search for the origins of Aran knitting inspired this collection of designs. The obscure history of this complex craft, previously thought to be impossible to trace, became an irresistible challenge. The author investigated the general development of textiles in Ireland and eventually her painstaking enquiries led her to an important discovery about the history of Aran knitting.
This book contains twenty-four original hand-knitted designs which reflect Ireland's artistic and cultural heritage. The inspiration for the garments originates from a variety of rich sources, such as the Tara Brooch, the Book of Kells, lace making, an old school sampler and the Galway Races.
The designs include garments for men, women and children, and even a bedspread created from a nineteenth century pattern. They range from easy to knit to the more demanding and use a variety of yarns to suit every season or occasion. Each design has a short historical introduction, comprehensive knitting instructions, colour photographs of the garment, line illustrations, colour charts and the inspirational source behind each pattern.