UPDATE: Now available in Danish!

This sweater is inspired by the crochet summer top Grandma Druchunas gave me and a lace twinset Grandma Tolen made in the 1970s. Although it’s not traditional Irish Lace, because it’s not crocheted, I made this sweater to remember the crochet lace that I wore years ago.

Made from the top down in one piece, there is no complex shaping of the lace pattern. The increases for the raglan shaping of the yoke and the A-line shaping of the body are worked into stockinette stitch, copying the way my grandmother knit lace sweaters. This eliminates the need to fiddle with changing stitch counts in the lace patterning and adds a distinct and appealing design element to the garment. When I wore this for taking photos, I knew right away that this would be a summer sweater, just like the one I had as as a child, that I would wear until it disintegrates. I hope you love it as much as I do.

Plus, read my column to learn about the history of knitting in Ireland, a bit about 19th century Irish immigrants to America, and how we can learn from their experiences to make our country a better place for everyone.