Aran Patterns

[JennyBunny]

I'm working on a few Aran sweaters for Christmas projects, and I know that Aran patterns were once used to identify fishermen. (Specific patterns would be used in specific areas so if someone was washed overboard they could be returned to their general area.)

 

But are the individual patterns - 2- or 4-cable, bobble stitches, seed stitch, etc. - supposed to mean anything? And were these put together in any particular order as a code,or do they have a particular meaning?

 

[sprtsbear]

Go to clanarans.com. It has the history of the stitches.

[JennyBunny]

Thanks... though a little more research came up with this:

 

http://www.dochara.com/tips/aran-stitches.php

 

Which to believe?