Hi, Maryanne!
Interesting question. I looked it up and found the following -
“Aran - denoting a knitwear with traditional patterns, typically involving a raised cable stitch and large diamond designs.”
You might want to check out Gladys Thompson’s book, “Patterns for Guernseys, Jerseys & Arans - Fishermen’s Sweaters from the British Isles” before you go on your trip. Ms. Thompson put a lot of work into getting the patterns for these traditional pieces documented since most have been passed on in families by word of mouth. They are quite beautiful and were in real danger of being lost. She’s done an incredible job of documenting many of them and included charts, patterns and some of the knitting history of the various islands.
I, too, am a relatively new knitter (just over a year) and I’ve made a few afgans with these types of stitches. It’s challenging, for sure, but I’ve learned SO MUCH just by doing them.
It helps a great deal to get familiar with the pattern before you start. I do that by writing out the pattern for each row on index cards, breaking it down by logical steps on each row. Then when I have them all written out I can put the cards next to me on the sofa and just put the card for the row I’ve just finished in the back. (For more info on this, check out the thread "Knit tips & tricks, page 2 or 3, in General Knitting).
Hope this helps, and I really hope you enjoy your trip!
Ruthie:clink: