Become an Aran-ista . . .

Have this week’s St Patrick’s Day shenanigans left you with a gaping hole where your national pride used to be? Never mind, perhaps we can knit over that for you.

In 1957 Molly Cullen started a knitting business that formalised more than 50 years of family tradition. And bless her woollen socks, because today that means we can wrap up in gorgeous knitted cardigans from Aran Crafts in Co Kildare. The men’s jumpers start with your traditional Clancy Brothers couture (you know you love it), but also include more modern designs. The women’s range is more adventurous, with a stunning knitted coat, an Aran dress and cute cardigans, jumpers and hoodies. All perfect apparel for this soft Irish spring we’re having; arancrafts.ie.

Emma Somers

. . . or go for all out Paddywhackery

Oh yes, you can surely don your traditional Aran jumper and look like an American tourist, or instead you can embrace the humour of this great island nation of ours and pull on one of these grass-roots geansaís from jollyjumpers.ie. It might be a little late to celebrate St Patrick’s Day, but with designs this eye-catching, surely this is more of a year-round sartorial choice, than a flash-in-the-pan fashion gesture? The jumpers are made by Emma Hogan (with a little help from her mother, Anita, the miniature Aran specialist) and are available from jollyjumpers.ie for €25, including postage. Wear them with pride and earn the admiring, nay envious glances of your fellow countrymen. For those looking for something a little less subtle, Hogan does custom designs and is currently hard at work on her Easter range. Be the hokey.

Laurence Mackin

Woolly two-shoes

We thought these handcrafted booties matched the rest of our patriotic sartorial choices this week. They are part of an award-winning collection of baby accessories from Woolcore Designs in Newtownmountkennedy, Co Wicklow, that includes a pile of colourful and cosy hats, stroller-liners, muffs, changing bags and playmats that won designer Charlotte Sehmisch the Craft Council of Ireland’s Craftsmanship Award for 2011 at Showcase last January.

Woolcore also excels at quilting, and produces a number of luxurious products for both home and hotel interiors including "mattress enhancers". Everyone should have one. Check out their impressive range of handmade, inventive, mostly wool or hand-felted pieces at woolcore.ie and order some woolly two-shoes online. Patsey Murphy